Former England captain Michael Vaughan has urged the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to act swiftly on reports that Indian-owned Hundred franchises won’t pick Pakistan players, adding that they should not allow this to happen, as it would contradict the tournament’s ethos of inclusivity.
The 51-year-old was also critical of the ECB’s statement in response to the reports, stating that the real test would come on March 11-12, when the auctions would be held.
“The Hundred was set up to be an inclusive competition designed to appeal to a different audience, which is why the England and Wales Cricket Board has to act quickly if reports are true that new Indian owners will not select Pakistani players”.
“I am a huge fan of the Hundred, but it has to appeal to all supporters for it to have any credibility. This has the potential to turn away the large Pakistan population that lives in England and loves cricket. What message does that send about our game? If true, it makes a mockery of the stated aim of Richard Thompson, the ECB chairman, to make English cricket the most inclusive sport in the country,” Vaughan wrote in his Telegraph column.
“The proof will come on March 11-12 when the auction is held for the men’s and women’s competition and whether any Pakistan players end up at Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds. 62 Pakistani players have signed up for the auction, and a couple of token bids for Pakistan players will not tell us very much if they are not signed. The next few weeks are going to be very important for our game. If no Pakistan players are signed by the Indian-owned franchises then we have our answer. I would then like to hear a proper explanation from a senior ECB figure,” he added.
The former right-hander said that if the two arch-rivals could play in a World Cup, then there could not be an issue over the Hundred owners picking Pakistani players in the tournament.
“Fundamentally, if India can play Pakistan in a World Cup match, then surely Indian owners can pick Pakistan players in a foreign league. I can understand it is too sensitive in the IPL, but this has exported the problem to other countries.”
“You also wonder what precedent this could set. The ECB runs the Hundred, but if this informal ban on Pakistan players happens, then we know who really runs the competition, and it is not the governing body. Over the years, the BCCI has suspended several IPL franchises and kicked out others. It retains control of the competition. Would the ECB be strong enough to throw out a franchise in the future? This makes me doubt that,” he wrote.
The BBC reported on Thursday that in The Hundred, franchises partially owned by Indian Premier League (IPL) teams are unlikely to sign Pakistani players at the upcoming auction, due to an “unwritten rule” discouraging such selections, despite ECB assurances that all nationalities should be considered.
