Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises may have lost out recruiting star Pakistani cricketers for reasons beyond them, but the Hockey India League (HIL) has had no such compunctions.
As many as nine of the 15 players who came under the hammer at Sunday’s HIL auctions were eagerly grabbed by the five franchises.
Delhi Wave Riders bought Mohammad Rizwan Sr ($26,000) and Mohammad Rizwan Jr ($10,000) while Mumbai Magicians bought Mahmood Rashid ($41,000), Fareed Ahmad ($21,000), Mohammad Tousiq ($27,000) and Imran Butt ($5,500).
Jaypee Punjab Warriors got Kashif Shah ($9,500) while Ranchi bid for Shafaq Rasool ($10,000) and Mohammed Irfan ($5,000).
Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary Asif Bajwa welcomed the move. “It was a great feeling to see Pakistani hockey players being bought by HIL franchises. I congratulate Hockey India for the initiative.”