By The Pak Global – Pakistan
England’s limited-overs captain Harry Brook has expressed disappointment over reports that Pakistan players may be overlooked in this year’s The Hundred, calling it “a shame” if they are excluded.
Sources told BBC Sport that Pakistan cricketers are not being considered by the four franchises owned by Indian Premier League (IPL) groups ahead of the tournament’s player auction scheduled for 11 and 12 March.
Brook, who has signed with Sunrisers Leeds—formerly known as Northern Superchargers—has become the highest-paid player in the competition with a £465,000 deal. Despite leading the side over the past two seasons, the 26-year-old confirmed he will step down from captaincy this year as he focuses on England’s T20 World Cup campaign.
Speaking ahead of England’s Super 8 clash with Sri Lanka, Brook praised Pakistan’s cricketing legacy. “Pakistan have been a great cricket nation for many years and have some awesome players, some of the best players in the world. It would be a shame not to see some of them in The Hundred,” he said.
IPL-Linked Teams Under Scrutiny
A total of 67 Pakistan players—63 men and four women—have registered for The Hundred auction. However, concerns have emerged after a senior official from the England and Wales Cricket Board reportedly indicated that interest in Pakistan players may be limited to teams not linked with the IPL.
Four of the eight Hundred franchises—Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds—are partly owned by companies that operate IPL teams. Pakistani players have not featured in the Indian Premier League since 2009 due to ongoing diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan.
The trend appears consistent across other franchise leagues. Pakistan players have not participated in South Africa’s SA20, where all six teams are IPL-owned. Similarly, IPL-linked franchises in the UAE’s International League T20 have avoided signing Pakistani cricketers, though American-owned Desert Vipers have recruited several.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan urged the ECB to act swiftly, stating that excluding players based on nationality “should not be allowed to happen.”
In response, the ECB maintained that The Hundred welcomes players from around the globe and expects diversity across its eight teams. Nearly 1,000 cricketers from 18 nations have registered for the auction, including over 50 players each from Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan, and the West Indies.
As the auction approaches, the cricketing world will watch closely to see whether Pakistan’s stars will be given a fair opportunity—or whether politics will once again overshadow sport.