Pakistan’s opening batters Saim Ayub and Imam-ul-Haq are among 40 players from the country who have registered for the upcoming SA20 auction, scheduled to take place in Johannesburg on September 9, 2025, 24NewsHD TV reported on Sunday.
The fourth edition of South Africa’s premier T20 competition will kick off on December 26 and conclude with the final on January 25.
A total of 784 players worldwide have signed up for the auction, competing for 84 available slots across six franchises, which collectively have a purse of USD 7.4 million.
For Season 4, SA 20 has announced that each team will be allowed to have one Wildcard player—the player can be either a South African player or an overseas player whose salary falls outside the salary cap.
Notably, 784 players have signed up for the September 9 auction across the globe.
From Pakistan, 40 former and current players have registered for the South Africa Premier T20 competition. The notable names are Azam Khan, Imam-ul-Haq, Abrar Ahmed, and Saim Ayub.
Interestingly, the six SA20 franchises —MI Cape Town, Joburg Super Kings, Durban Super Giants, Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Paarl Royals, and Pretoria Capitals—are owned by Indians.
It is noteworthy to mention that, during the previous three editions, no teams had ever included a Pakistani player in their squads.
Meanwhile, 150 players from England have listed their names in the Auction list, which also includes ace international players like Jason Roy and Alex Hales.
The curtain raiser and final of the tournament will be played at NewLands.
In the opening match of the SA20, defending champions MI Cape Town will face off against Durban’s Super Giants, with the final scheduled for January 25.
The Qualifier 1 of the event will be held in Durban on January 21, followed by the Eliminator in Centurion on January 23. The Qualifier 2 will take place on January 24.
For context, Sunrisers Eastern Cape is the most successful team so far, having won the opening two editions of SA 20 and finishing as runners-up in the last edition, falling short against MI Cape Town.