Afridi Fetches Top Fee for Bangladesh Premier League
Afridi on his way to 29 for the Royals against Sussex at The Rose Bowl last season
Ervine also picked up for Twenty20 comp
Hampshire’s 2012 T20 overseas player, Shahid Afridi has become the most expensive player in the inaugural Bangladesh Premier League auction.
Dhaka Gladiators bid US $700,000 (about £450,000) for the leg-spinning all-rounder, who took 17 wickets in 10 matches (at an average of 11.17) for Hampshire last season.
Afridi was the target of all six teams competing in the new competition, which starts on 10 February 2012.
Hampshire team-mate, Sean Ervine was also picked up by Duronto Rajshanti for $25,000. There he'll join former Hampshire stars, Imran Tahir ($50,000) and Abdul Razzaq ($100,000).
Other notable names include Somerset pair Chris Gayle ($551,000 to Barisal Burners) and Peter Trego ($75,000 Sylhet Royals) as well as Muttiah Muralitharan ($100,000 to Chittagong Kings), Kieron Pollard ($300,000 to Dhaka Gladiators), Brad Hodge ($140,000 to Barisal Burners) and Sanath Jayasuria ($110,000 to Khulna Royal Bengals). Nationals Tamim Iqbal (Chittagong), Muhammad Ashraful (Dhaka) and Shakib Al-Hasan (Khulna) have already been allocated a team.
Based on the Indian Premier League, the Twenty20 competition will include 33 matches including home and away ties between all six teams. The top four teams in the group will then qualify for a knock-out stage with a final on the 29 February.
Words: Simon Vincent
Images: LMI Photography
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