All-rounder Moeen Ali will not be part of the upcoming auction for The Hundred despite his request to be added to the final bidding pool at the last minute. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that none of the eight franchises included the veteran all-rounder in their initial player shortlists.
The 38-year-old cricketer previously led the Birmingham Phoenix during the first four seasons. He missed the previous edition to play in overseas leagues but recently made himself available again with a base price of £75,000. However, teams looked past him, sparking discussions about his price tag and age.
ECB Rejects Moeen Ali’s Last-Minute Entry for The Hundred Auction
The finalized player list for the auction was released on Monday, and Moeen’s name was missing. Teams were required to submit their preliminary lists of 75 to 100 players last week. No franchise selected him during this window, and he was automatically left off the final auction register.
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Following the release of the list, informal inquiries were made to see if the ECB would make an exception for the former Phoenix captain. However, the board firmly declined the request, according to a report by ESPNCricinfo.
They stated that allowing a player to enter the auction retrospectively would compromise the integrity of the draft system. The ECB made it clear that every team had the chance to nominate players, and allowing late additions would set a dangerous precedent for future tournaments.
Moeen Ali’s Reserve Price and Age Seen as Reasons for Auction Snub
The report added that franchise insiders have pointed out clear cricketing reasons for passing on Moeen Ali. One team official noted that a £75,000 reserve price was too high for the current market.
Teams are managing tight budgets and likely felt that allocating that much money to a single player was a risky move for their long-term squad planning.
Another major factor was his age. Moeen will turn 39 by the time the new season kicks off in July. He had previously stepped away from English domestic cricket to secure No-Objection Certificates for tournaments like the Global Super League and the Caribbean Premier League.
Moeen Ali Awaits Wildcard Entry Amid Pakistan Shadow-Ban Debate
While his auction hopes are over, Moeen’s playing days in The Hundred might not be completely finished. He still has a chance to earn one of the tournament’s wildcard spots. Every franchise will hand out two £31,000 contracts in June, rewarding players who perform exceptionally well in the T20 Blast.
Moeen Ali has been actively speaking out against IPL-backed franchises potentially shadow-banning Pakistani players in the draft. He recently praised the ECB for stepping in to address the situation.
In a Sunday Times interview, he revealed that he had been in talks with the board about the issue, stating, “The teams came out a few days ago and made a statement, and I think that is a great start.”
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