Afridi top pick at Caribbean auction, fetches $150,000

Pakistani star all-rounder Shahid Afridi was among the highest profile overseas players picked at the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2015 auction in Jamaica, fetching $150,000 on Friday.

Other high-profile players included Jacques Kallis, Mahela Jayawardene, Ross Taylor and Lasith Malinga.

Afridi, in the top grade of the 11 payment brackets at the draft, was claimed by the league’s new franchise St Kitts and Nevis.

Marlon Samuels was among the biggest local names claimed by St Kitts and Nevis in the draft. Several others were retained by their franchises.

The St Kitts and Nevis franchise, which replaces Antigua Hawksbills in the competition and were allowed to retain four of the Antigua squad, have also announced that they will be coached by South African Eric Simons, who has worked with Delhi Daredevils and the Indian team in coaching roles.

The teams have 24 hours after the end of the draft to exchange a player with another franchise but they can indulge in only one such switch.

Afridi has announced that he will be retiring from the ODI cricket at the end of World Cup, but will continue captaining Pakistan in the Twenty20 format till 2016.

Shoaib Malik with $100,000 (Barbados Tridents), Sohail Tanvir $80,000 (St. Kitts and Nevis) and Kamran Akmal with $30,000 (Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel) were the other Pakistani payers picked in the auction.