Mohammad Amir in IPL: Former Pakistan fast bowler set to register for Indian Premier League 2027 mini-auction

Mohammad Amir in IPL: Former Pakistan fast bowler set to register for Indian Premier League 2027 mini-auction originally appeared on Cricket News . Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . KEY TAKEAWAYS: Mohammad Amir has registered for the Afghanistan Premier League draft as a UK national. That route is expected to carry over to the IPL 2027 mini-auction in Goa on December 16. Azhar Mahmood played three IPL seasons on a British passport after the ban on Pakistani players. Mohammad Amir registers as a UK national ahead of the APL draft No Pakistan national has played in the IPL since the inaugural 2008 season, and nothing about the current relationship between the two boards suggests that is about to change. But Mohammad Amir appears to have found the one door that remains open. The 34-year-old registered for the Afghanistan Premier League draft in Dubai on Tuesday, but as a UK national. Pakistan is listed only as his country of residence. Since getting permanent residency on a Spouse Visa in 2020, England has remained his home, and earlier this year he even acquired a British passport alongside British citizenship. As such, he wouldn't require a NOC from the PCB, something that his former teammates still need to get from their home board. Over 30 Pakistan players are on the APL register, among them Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf and Imad Wasim. The Afghanistan Cricket Board's own document states that their availability is subject to NOCs being granted, and a PCB spokesperson told Cricbuzz simply, "I don't think so." Amir last played for Pakistan in June 2024, against Ireland in Lauderhill during the T20 World Cup, finishing with 36 Tests, 61 ODIs and 62 T20Is. The expectation now is that he will register for the IPL mini-auction on the same basis, with the event scheduled for Goa on December 16. MORE: 'Just a series not a tournament': Pakistan PM trolled again for over the top celebration tweet after ODI tri-series win How Azhar Mahmood opened this route in 2012 There is precedent, and it belongs to one man. Azhar Mahmood became a British citizen in 2011 and was bought by Kings XI Punjab for USD 200,000 at the 2012 auction, double his base price, with the ECB clearing his name for selection. He made it work. Mahmood played 22 matches for Kings XI Punjab across 2012 and 2013, scoring 382 runs and taking 29 wickets with a best of 3 for 20, and finished as the franchise's leading wicket-taker in 2013 with 15. In 2015, Kolkata Knight Riders signed him as a replacement for James Neesham, extending his stay in the IPL. Since then, Mahmood has remained the last Pakistan-born cricketer to appear in the IPL. Seven Pakistan players were sold in 2008, with Shahid Afridi the most expensive, before the Mumbai attacks that November ended their involvement. They were included in the 2010 auction pool, and none was bought. MORE: Hardik Pandya joins LeBron James and Erling Haaland for MrBeast's challenge: India all-rounder plays Baseball for the first time The Cricket News Opinion: Registering is the easy part Amir can get his name on the list. Whether a franchise raises a paddle for him is a different question, and the answer is unlikely to turn on paperwork. On cricket alone the case is thin. Amir is 34, has not played international cricket in well over two years, and will be competing for one of a handful of overseas seam slots against bowlers a decade younger with current T20 records. He went for ₹5.40 crore at the PSL auction earlier this year, which suggests the franchise market still values him, but the PSL and the IPL weigh these things differently. The wider point is the one to watch on December 16. If Amir goes unsold, it will not be clear whether that was a cricketing decision or a commercial one, and that ambiguity is precisely why no franchise has tested the Mahmood precedent in eleven years. For all the latest cricket news, opinion, and commentary, and to share your voice, head to our Facebook , Instagram , and X (Twitter) pages.