Pakistani spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali have expressed disappointment after going unsold at the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 auction, despite being two of the most in-form bowlers in Pakistan cricket over the past year.

 

Sajid Khan took to X to voice his frustration. "For 11 years, I have consistently delivered strong performances in domestic cricket and continue to perform at the highest level for both my region and department. Yet, I have not been given an opportunity in the PSL," he wrote. 

 

"As a professional cricketer, that is naturally disappointing. Still, my focus remains on performance. I will continue to work hard and leave the rest to those entrusted with the decisions," he added.

 

Noman Ali also took to X to write: "World number 1 spin bowler from Hyderabad; still no place in Hyderabad team. Allah is the best planner."

 

Both spinners were among the 879 local and international players registered ahead of the auction held on February 11 at the Expo Centre. Noman's base price was set at PKR 6 million and Sajid's at PKR 11 million, yet none of the eight franchise teams placed a bid for either.

 

The auction marked a significant shift in how PSL selects its players, replacing the traditional draft system that had been in place since the league's first edition in 2016. 

 

The snub is a curious one given the recent form of both spinners. Together, Sajid and Noman have been the driving force behind Pakistan's Test success over the past year, taking all 20 England wickets between them in the second Test in Multan in October 2024, a feat achieved for the first time in 52 years. 

 

They went on to help Pakistan win the series and then dominated the West Indies at home in January 2025, where Noman became the first Pakistani spinner to take a hat-trick in a men's Test match. Across four Tests in 2024, the duo claimed 70 wickets combined.

 

Sajid has taken 65 wickets in 14 Tests at an average of 28.92, with a best of 8 for 42, and currently sits at number 29 in the ICC Test bowling rankings. Noman has been equally influential, with his career-best figures of 8 for 46 in the second innings against England in Multan standing as one of the finest individual bowling performances in recent Pakistan Test history. He has taken 97 wickets in 21 Test matches.

 

PSL 11 runs from March 26 to May 3.