Several Afghanistan players had registered for the auction conducted in Lahore on Wednesday.
Afghanistan cricketers withdrew from the first Players' Auction held ahead of the 2026 edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), amid tensions linked to Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s signing and the political fallout between two nations.
According to a PTI report, the likes of Mujeeb ur Rehman, Seddiqullah Atal, Muhammad Nabi, Waqar Salamkheil and Fazal Haq Farooqi had registered for the auction conducted in Lahore on Wednesday (February 11).
However, the Afghan players later pulled out following backlash over the direct signing of wicketkeeper-batter Gurbaz by Peshawar Zalmi.
PSL CEO Salman Naseer claimed that some Afghanistan players were part of the auction pool but not franchise showed interest in them.
"They were a few Afghanistan players in the auction but no franchise went for them," Naseer said, as quoted by PTI.
He added, "There was a severe backlash after Zalmi signed Gurbaz because of the fractured relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and after Gurbaz pulled himself out of the PSL. So, the other players also decided better to avoid backlash."
Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have deteriorated considerably since late last year when Pakistan's military carried out aerial strikes in selected areas of Afghanistan, claiming to target militant hideouts.
The military action triggered angry responses from several Afghan cricketers on social media, drawing reciprocal responses from Pakistani accounts.