The availability of top cricketers from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the fifth edition of the International League T20 (ILT20) remains uncertain, adding intrigue as the tournament is set to coincide with the playoffs for the 2027 ODI World Cup Qualifier. Scheduled from 21 November to 20 December, the ILT20’s timeline clashes with the Qualifier playoffs, taking place from 1 to 22 December. However, the exact venue remains unconfirmed by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
As representatives of the six participating franchises gear up for the ILT20 player auction in Dubai on 1 October, rumblings of concern surround them regarding the availability of UAE players. Despite announcing the ILT20 schedule in April, the ICC has not finalised the playoff dates. Over the summer, it informally advised Associate nations of a December window for the event.
The Emirates Cricket Board recently reached out to the ICC, exploring the possibility of moving the Qualifier playoffs to January, but faced the unforgiving constraints of the packed cricket calendar.
On Tuesday, ILT20 communicated with franchises to clarify the situation, ensuring them that key UAE players are still expected to participate in this season. Currently, the UAE team languishes at the bottom of the ICC World Cricket League 2, with eight critical matches remaining. Their performance will determine their spot in the World Cup playoffs, as they prepare to face the USA and Namibia in Dallas, followed by a tri-series against the Netherlands and Oman later in October.
“If UAE is participating in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers in December, some UAE players will be absent from part of the ILT20 season,” said Mike Fordham, ILT20’s interim chief operating officer, in conversation with Cricinfo. “Players not selected for the qualifiers will be fully available, including several top performers in previous league seasons.”
The auction shortlist released on Monday sees half of the 44 marquee players hailing from the UAE, including Muhammad Waseem, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Rohid Khan, Alishan Sharafu, and Haider Ali, all of whom aren’t involved in the WCL 2 series in Dallas.
Further, English leg-spinner Adil Rashid joins a roster of big names in the ILT20’s auction. Each franchise will work with a budget of USD 1.3 million plus any remainder from their USD 700,000 reserved for direct signings and retentions.
The teams, comprising 18 to 23 players, must feature a minimum of 11 athletes from Full Member countries, including at least four Afghans and one Irish player. Additionally, each team should include at least four UAE players, a Kuwaiti, a Saudi, another Associate country player, and one Under-23 player from the auction.
Franchises are granted flexibility with replacement and wildcard player choices. Renowned players such as Babar Azam, Faf du Plessis, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Moeen Ali, and Phil Salt, are priced at the top base of USD 80,000. However, Matheesha Pathirana, Michael Bracewell, and Sonny Baker have withdrawn from the auction pool.
The Right-to-Match (RTM) option allows franchises to retain UAE players part of their team last season or those from the franchise’s development squad in the 2026 Development Tournament. Should a UAE player have represented different franchises, the RTM rights align with their Development Tournament representation.
