PAKISTAN cricketers could miss out on contracts with franchises partly owned by Indian Premier League teams in the upcoming season of The Hundred, with a report suggesting that those sides may not consider them in next month’s player auction.
The new season of The Hundred, scheduled from July 21 to August 16, is expected to see a rise in player salaries following private investment in the competition. However, Pakistani players are unlikely to benefit, as franchises linked to the IPL have not engaged Pakistan cricketers since 2009, largely due to strained relations between India and Pakistan.
According to a report by the BBC, a senior official from the England and Wales Cricket Board indicated to a player agent that interest in Pakistan players would be limited to teams not associated with IPL ownership.
The Hundred is an eight-team tournament. Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds are among the franchises that are partly owned by groups which also control teams in the IPL.
Another agent quoted in the report described the situation as an “unwritten rule” across T20 leagues that have Indian investment.
Last year, ECB chief executive Richard Gould had said he expected players from all nations to be eligible for selection by all teams in The Hundred, while stressing that the tournament had clear anti-discrimination policies in place.
The report said the owners of the four franchises were approached for comment but did not respond.
An ECB spokesperson said The Hundred welcomed players from around the world and expected all eight teams to reflect that diversity. The spokesperson added that nearly 1,000 players from 18 countries had registered for the auction, including more than 50 players each from Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan and the West Indies.
The report noted that Imad Wasim played for Northern Superchargers last season, a team that has since been renamed Sunrisers Leeds. Other Pakistan players, including Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf, have previously featured in the competition. No Pakistan woman cricketer has appeared in The Hundred so far.
The report also pointed out that no Pakistan player has featured in South Africa’s SA20 since its launch in 2023, with all six teams owned by IPL-linked groups. Similarly, in the UAE’s ILT20, franchises controlled by the owners of MI London and Southern Brave have not signed a Pakistan player across four seasons.
Tom Moffat, chief executive of the World Cricketers’ Association, said every player should have the right to fair and equal opportunity. He added that while employers had autonomy in recruitment, decisions should align with principles of fairness and equality.
(PTI)
