Pakistan cricketers may miss out to be part of The Hundred as reports suggesting that IPL-owned teams in the tournament are unlikely to consider them for next month’s player auction.
Franchises connected to the Indian Premier League have not signed Pakistani cricketers since 2009 due to strained geo-political tensions between India and Pakistan. The new season of The Hundred is scheduled from July 21 to August 16 and according to the report the player salaries are expected to jump because of fresh private investment.
A report done by BBC said, “A senior official from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) indicated to an agent that interest in his Pakistan players would be limited to sides not linked to the IPL.”
The Hundred comprises of eight teams including Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds. These teams are either fully or partly owned by groups that operate IPL franchises. The report also noted, “Another agent described the situation as ‘an unwritten rule’ across T20 leagues with Indian investment.”
Last year, ECB chief executive Richard Gould had said that he expected “players from all nations to be selected for all teams” in The Hundred. He also emphasised that The Hundred follows “clear anti-discrimination policies” to ensure fair selection. The BBC report also mentioned that the owners of the four franchises were contacted for comment but none had responded.
“The Hundred welcomes men’s and women’s players from all over the world and we would expect the eight teams to reflect that.
“Almost 1,000 cricketers from 18 nations have registered for The Hundred auction, with representation on the longlist of over 50 players respectively from Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan and West Indies,” an ECB spokesperson was quoted as saying.
Last season, Imad Wasim played for Northern Superchargers, a team that has since been renamed to Sunrisers Leeds. In previous editions, Pakistan players such as Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf have featured in the tournament. However, no Pakistan woman cricketer has taken part so far in the Women’s version of The Hundred.
Interestingly, the trend is not limited to The Hundred in England. Since its launch in 2023, no Pakistani player has appeared in SA20, where all six teams are owned by IPL-linked groups. A similar pattern has been seen in the UAE’s ILT20, where franchises connected to MI London and Southern Brave have not signed any Pakistani cricketer across four seasons.
Reacting to the situation, Tom Moffat, chief executive of the World Cricketers’ Association, said, “Every player should have the right to fair and equal opportunity. While employers have autonomy in recruitment, those decisions should always align with principles of fairness, equality, and respect.”
