In line with the largely prevalent practice in T20 franchise leagues around the world, no Pakistani players will be considered by teams with Indian investment at next month’s auction for The Hundred.
No Pakistani player has featured in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after the inaugural season in 2008, or in the three seasons of the SA20 – where all six teams are owned by IPL franchise groups. The same applies to the ILT20 league in the United Arab Emirates.
Four of the eight teams in The Hundred now have stakes owned by owners of IPL franchises, and they will not bid for any Pakistani players, the BBC reported. It claimed that a player agent had referred to this situation as “an unwritten rule” across leagues with Indian investment.
According to the report, a senior official from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has indicated to an agent that interest in his Pakistan players would be limited to sides not linked to the IPL.
The franchises at least part-owned by IPL entities are Manchester Super Giants, Southern Brave, MI London, and Sunrisers Leeds. The ownership came into effect on October 1, 2025.
The tournament comes under the jurisdiction of the independent cricket regulator, established following the 2023 Equity in Cricket report, and any discrimination on the basis of nationality may run against its regulations.
“The Hundred welcomes men’s and women’s players from all over the world and we would expect the eight teams to reflect that, an ECB spokesperson said.
“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.”
ECB chief executive Richard Gould had said last year that he expected “players from all nations to be selected for all teams” in The Hundred and warned that “clear anti-discrimination policies” were in place.
Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim were the Pakistani players to feature in last year’s edition while Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf were among those who played in earlier competitions.
“Every player should have the right to fair and equal opportunity,” Tom Moffat, chief executive of the World Cricketers’ Association, was quoted as saying. “While employers have autonomy in recruitment, those decisions should always align with principles of fairness, equality and respect.”
