Pakistani cricketers may struggle to find teams at The Hundred 2026 auction. After the franchise sales, it’s clear that many teams are partly owned by Indian Premier League (IPL) owners, including the Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave, and Sunrisers Leeds.
The auction is scheduled for March 11 for women and March 12 for men in London. Nearly 1,000 players from 18 countries are on the list, but it appears that the four franchises above will not be bidding for Pakistani players.
The reason for this is simple. Due to the tense political relations between India and Pakistan, no IPL franchise has ever hired Pakistani cricketers. Even as IPL ownership expands into other leagues like the SA20, franchises continue to avoid Pakistani players. In the ILT20, only the American-owned Desert Vipers have welcomed players from Pakistan.
Behind-the-Scenes Rule in The Hundred 2026 Auction
A senior official from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) recently informed a player agent that the four IPL-linked franchises won’t be seeking Pakistani cricketers.
Before The Hundred’s sale, ECB executive Richard Gould was asked if players from Pakistan would be allowed in light of the IPL investment. Gould stated that players from all countries would not face discrimination. However, this assurance seems to have little effect.
“I expect players from all nations to be selected for all teams. We haven’t had any need to have any discussions at this point. We have got very clear anti-discrimination policies within cricket in England. If those are not adhered to, our cricket regulator will take action,” Gould said last year.
In the last Men’s Hundred tournament, Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim participated. Previously, players like Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, and Haris Rauf also took part. Unfortunately, no Pakistani women cricketers have been involved in the Women’s Hundred so far.
