The Hundred Auction and Player Selection
Sources have informed that Pakistan cricketers are not being considered by Indian-owned franchises for the upcoming Hundred auction scheduled for next month. This follows a longstanding absence of Pakistani players in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2009, attributed to diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan.
Currently, four of The Hundred's eight franchises—Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave, and Sunrisers Leeds—are at least partially owned by entities that also control IPL teams.
Correspondence reviewed by the BBC reveals that a senior official from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) communicated to an agent that interest in Pakistani players would be confined to teams without IPL affiliations. An agent characterized this as "an unwritten rule" prevalent across T20 leagues with Indian investment.
Last year, ECB chief executive Richard Gould expressed expectations that "players from all nations to be selected for all teams" in The Hundred and emphasized the existence of "clear anti-discrimination policies."
While three of the four teams or ownership groups involved have not responded to requests for comment, James Sheridan, deputy chair of Manchester Super Giants, stated to :
"The only conversations we've had is to pick the two best squads to give us the best possible chance of winning the two competitions."
An ECB spokesperson added:
"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."
Pakistan Players’ Participation in The Hundred
Two Pakistani internationals, Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim, participated in last year's tournament, which was the final edition before new investors assumed control. Other Pakistani players such as Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, and Haris Rauf have featured in earlier seasons of the men's competition. To date, no Pakistani players have appeared in the women's Hundred.
Pakistan's men’s team is currently ranked sixth in the International Cricket Council's world T20 team rankings, while the women's team holds the eighth position. The men's team is scheduled to play a Test series in the West Indies during this year's Hundred, although white-ball specialists would remain available.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has a history of withdrawing no-objection certificates (NOCs), which are necessary for players to participate in overseas tournaments, sometimes at short notice. However, sources note that the participation of seven leading Pakistani players in Australia's recent Big Bash League indicates a degree of flexibility from the PCB regarding player availability.
A Growing Trend in Franchise Cricket
No Pakistani players have participated in South Africa's SA20 league, which commenced in 2023. All six SA20 teams are owned by IPL franchise groups, including the four now involved in The Hundred.
In the UAE's ILT20, franchises controlled by the owners of MI London and Southern Brave have not signed any Pakistani players over four seasons but have recruited cricketers from 15 other nationalities. Conversely, the American-owned ILT20 team Desert Vipers has signed eight Pakistani players during the same period.
In January 2024, IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders released Bangladesh bowler Mustafizur Rahman following instructions from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Although no official reason was provided, this occurred amid strained political relations between India and Bangladesh.
Tom Moffat, chief executive of the World Cricketers' Association, the global players' union, commented:
"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."
Ownership and Governance of The Hundred
Last year, the ECB sold its 49% stakes in each of the eight Hundred franchises, raising £500 million in private investment. These funds have since been distributed to counties and grassroots cricket. Host counties retained or sold part of their remaining 51% ownership.
The ECB maintains control over the competition itself, with a new board comprising team representatives to guide strategic direction. The tournament remains under the jurisdiction of an independent cricket regulator, established following the 2023 Equity in Cricket report, which identified widespread discrimination within English cricket.
The County Cricket Members' Group stated:
"We expect the relevant county boards and the ECB to hold private partners accountable if there is any reason to believe the non-selection of Pakistan players was a blanket decision based on nationality."
Census data indicates that 12% of Greater Manchester's population and 4% of Leeds' population identify as Pakistani. In 2018, the ECB launched its South Asian Action Plan, led by Vikram Banerjee—now managing director of The Hundred—aimed at increasing engagement within South Asian communities across ten "core cities." Fans of teams in Manchester, Leeds, and London appear poised to have no Pakistani representation in their local squads.
A prominent agent remarked:
"Our players do not seek favours, they seek a fair field. I hope The Hundred does not mirror patterns we are seeing in some other franchise ecosystems. I hope I am proven wrong."
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