New Delhi, June 4 (IANS): Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi is in talks with Canada's Global T20 League after opting out of The Hundred to spend time with his family. Both leagues are set to run simultaneously in 2024 and Afridi's withdrawal is a huge blow to The Hundred.
Afridi picked six wickets in as many matches for Welsh Fire in the last season. He was retained by the franchise on a contract worth one lakh pounds, the second-highest salary for the 2024 season. England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed his departure from the league on Monday. "I'm sad to miss out on playing for Welsh Fire this year. I enjoyed The Hundred a lot last season, and I was excited about being back in Cardiff. I wish Mike (Hussey, Welsh Fire's coach) and the team the best of luck for 2024," Afridi said in a statement.
As per an ESPNcricinfo report, Afridi has told ECB that he is reluctant to commit four weeks to the league away from his family. The Hundred will commence on July 23 and will conclude on August 18, with players joining the squad days before their opening match.
The speedster has opted to capitalise on his second No Objection Certificate (NOC) to play in Global T20 rather than The Hundred. As per PCB's central central, players are only allowed two NOCs to play in foreign leagues per season, the report added.
The pacer has already committed to a long-term deal with the Avram Glazer-owned Desert Vipers in UAE's ILT20.
The first two seasons of the Global T20 were held in 2018 and 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic paused it indefinitely. The league made an unexpected return last year with a strong line-up of international stars including Andre Russell, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shakib Al Hasan, running at a similar time to the inaugural Major League Cricket (MLC).
Reports of late or non-payment issues with the Global T20 have been received by the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA) in the last 24 months. Consequently, FICA suggests that "any participating players request advanced payment".
New Zealand pacer Matt Henry has replaced Afridi in the Welsh Fire squad. He is likely to miss the start of the tournament if his MLC franchise San Francisco Unicorns qualifies for the play-offs.
One of the reasons for the ECB's decision to allow private investment in The Hundred is their aim to match the wages offered in other leagues.
In the men's Hundred for 2024, Naseem Shah (Birmingham Phoenix), Haris Rauf (Welsh Fire), Imad Wasim (Trent Rockets), and Usama Mir (Manchester Originals) are the other four Pakistani players who have contracts.