ENGLAND AND WALES CRICKET BOARD (ECB) has written to all eight teams in The Hundred to remind them of their obligations regarding discrimination ahead of next month’s player auction.
Earlier this week, the BBC reported that the four Indian-owned franchises in the competition, Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds were unlikely to consider signing Pakistani players due to ongoing political tensions between the two countries.
In a statement, the ECB said it expects every side to uphold the principle that The Hundred is open to players from any nation. It is now understood that a follow-up email has warned that action could be taken if there is evidence of players being overlooked on the basis of nationality. Franchises may be referred to the independent Cricket Regulator, while the ECB could also pursue separate disciplinary measures.
A total of 67 Pakistani players, 63 men and 4 women, have entered the auction, which will take place in London on 11-12 March. Those registered include Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah. Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim both featured in the 2025 edition of The Hundred.
The four teams without Indian Premier League (IPL) links are London Spirit, Birmingham Phoenix, Trent Rockets and Welsh Fire. Pakistani players have not featured in the IPL since 2009, and only a limited number have appeared in other franchise leagues with Indian ownership.
England’s white-ball captain Harry Brook, who is set to represent the Indian-owned Sunrisers this summer, was asked about the reports on Saturday. “Pakistan have been a great cricket nation for many years,” he said. “There’s some amazing cricketers and they bring some great crowds as well. It would be a shame to not see some of the Pakistan players in there and make this tournament and competition even better.”
