Geopolitical issues between India and Pakistan may be affecting English Cricket.
Four franchises in England’s new cricket league, The Hundred, are partly owned by Indian investors who also have teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
No players from Pakistan have participated in the IPL since the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008. Recently, the BBC reported that the IPL-owned teams in The Hundred — Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave, and Sunrisers Leeds — would not consider any Pakistani players for the upcoming player auction on March 11-12. None of these teams have officially commented on the report.
Last year, Richard Gould, CEO of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), acknowledged the restrictions on Pakistani players in the IPL and other leagues with Indian backing but assured that this would not apply to The Hundred.
On Sunday, the ECB emailed the eight franchises in The Hundred to remind them of their responsibilities, warning that action would be taken if any discrimination, such as overlooking players based on nationality, was found, according to the British Press Association.
The Press Association also mentioned that if any evidence of discrimination was found, it could be referred to the Cricket Regulator, responsible for ensuring compliance with the game’s rules, while the ECB might take additional steps as well.
The ECB maintains full ownership of The Hundred and its regulations but has sold shares to major investors from India and the United States to raise funds for the struggling domestic cricket scene in England.
The Associated Press has reached out to the ECB for comments, but there has been no response yet.
Out of 964 players available for the auction in The Hundred, 67 are from Pakistan — 63 men and four women.
No Pakistani players were picked in last year’s auction, which preceded the involvement of new investors in The Hundred franchises, although Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim were included as replacement players.
Most high-profile Pakistani players will miss parts of the 2025 tournament due to Pakistan’s International schedule. This year, Pakistan has two Tests in the West Indies during The Hundred and starts a three-Test series against England shortly after the tournament concludes.
Previously, top Pakistani players like Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf (Welsh Fire), Shadab Khan (Birmingham Phoenix), Imad Wasim (Trent Rockets), and Mohammad Amir (Oval Invincibles) have played in The Hundred.
Harry Brook, who leads England’s limited-overs teams, will join Sunrisers Leeds as the highest-paid player in The Hundred and expressed disappointment if Pakistani players are excluded from franchises.
“Pakistan has been a great cricketing nation for many years and boasts some of the best players in the world,” Brook stated while representing England at the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
The 2026 edition of The Hundred is set to take place from July 21 to August 16. This competition, launched in 2021 to engage younger audiences with cricket, has continued to develop since its inception.
Due to ongoing political tensions, there has been no bilateral cricket between India and Pakistan since Pakistan’s tour of India for a white-ball series in 2012.
