Shaheen and Rauf were the most prominent names signed, but they also added domestic players Stephen Eskinazi and Tom Abell, who will likely captain the franchise, and seamers David Willey of England and Glenn Phillips of New Zealand who have international experience.
Ben Duckett, the starting test opener for England, moved to Birmingham Phoenix for £125,000, while Reece Topley and Olly Stone, both seamers, went to the Northern Superchargers and London Spirit for each £100,000.
The Hundred continues to struggle with player availability, with superstars going unsold due to international conflicts and other franchise rivalries.
From LAHORE QALANDARS to WELSH FIRE 🫂
What song do you think glorifies this duo? 🏏#QalandarHum @iShaheenAfridi @HarisRauf14 #TheHundredDraft @thehundred pic.twitter.com/XgpVXqUUYf
— Lahore Qalandars (@lahoreqalandars) March 24, 2023
Big names who went unsold included Australia’s Adam Zampa, Marcus Stoinis, and Bangladesh captain Shakib Al-Hasan. Unexpected domestic exclusions included England-captain Matt Parkinson and Jake Lintott, Matt Critchley, and Fred Klaassen; however, these players still have a chance to be chosen as wildcards.