Will Pakistan players miss out on India-owned teams in The Hundred this season?
The eight-franchise tournament will be held from July 21 to August 16
Dubai: Several Pakistani cricketers could miss playing in The Hundred’s upcoming season, with Indian Premier League-linked franchises reportedly reluctant to sign players from the country. The Hundred is a flagship tournament of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
A senior ECB official told BBC Sport that an agent had been told interest in Pakistani players would be restricted to teams with no ties to the IPL. The development comes as The Hundred, running from July 21 to August 16, prepares for a significant salary boom following an influx of private investment into the tournament. IPL franchises have not engaged Pakistani cricketers since 2009, because of the long-running diplomatic tensions between the two nations.
'Unwritten rule'
Four of The Hundred’s eight franchises — Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds — are at least partly controlled by entities that also hold stakes in IPL teams. One agent told BBC Sport the dynamic as “an unwritten rule” operating across T20 leagues with Indian investment.
The ECB’s own chief executive, Richard Gould, had said last year that he expected “players from all nations to be selected for all teams” and pointed to anti-discrimination policies designed to ensure fairness.
“The Hundred welcomes men’s and women’s players from all over the world and we would expect the eight teams to reflect that,” said an ECB spokesperson.
“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.”
'Fair and equal opportunity'
Pakistani men have previously featured in the competition — Imad Wasim turned out for Northern Superchargers, now rebranded as Sunrisers Leeds, last season, while Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf have all appeared in the tournament at various points. No Pakistani woman cricketer, however, has ever played in The Hundred.
The pattern extends well beyond England. No Pakistani player has featured in South Africa’s SA20 since its 2023 launch, with all six franchises linked to IPL ownership groups.
Tom Moffat, chief executive of the World Cricketers’ Association, urged the sport to reflect on what the situation signals. “Every player should have the right to fair and equal opportunity,” he said. “While employers have autonomy in recruitment, those decisions should always align with principles of fairness, equality, and respect.”
