No player from Pakistan will be considered by teams with an Indian investment in the upcoming edition of The Hundred, the flagship tournament of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The Pakistan players have not featured in any edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2009, and no player from the country has ever played a match in South Africa’s SA20, as all six teams are owned by IPL owners.
According to a report by the BBC, a senior official at the ECB has already indicated to an agent that interest in his Pakistan players would be limited to teams without ties to IPL owners. On the other hand, another agent described this situation as an “unwritten rule” across various leagues where there is an Indian investment.
Four teams of the Hundred’s eight franchises now have some form of investment from the IPL owners: Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave, and SunRisers Leeds. The ownership came into effect on October 1, 2025.
When asked for a comment on the latest development, James Sheridan, the deputy chair of Manchester Super Giants, said that the entire group’s focus remains on building the best possible squad.
“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,” Sheridan was quoted as saying by the BBC.
On the other hand, the ECB spokesperson said, “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,” the spokesperson added.
Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim, the two former Pakistan cricketers, had featured in last year’s Hundred competition, which was the final edition of the tournament before new investors came to the forefront.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf featured in earlier seasons of the men’s competition. However, no Pakistan players have appeared in the women’s Hundred.
Richard Gould’s statement
Last year, after the Indian investment was confirmed, ECB chief executive Richard Gould stated that he expects “players from all nations to be selected for all teams” in The Hundred, warning that “clear anti-discrimination policies” were in place.
Picking up no Pakistan players is no surprise for Indian owners. Even in the ILT20, franchises owned by MI London and Southern Brave have never signed a Pakistan player across four seasons, but have brought cricketers from 15 other nationalities on board.
“Every player should have the right to fair and equal opportunity,” said Tom Moffat, chief executive of the World Cricketers’ Association – the global players’ union.
“While employers have autonomy in recruitment, those decisions should always align with principles of fairness, equality and respect,” he added.
