Pakistan cricketers are being excluded from The Hundred auction by Indian-owned franchises. Four of The Hundred’s eight teams are now controlled by IPL franchise groups.
Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave, and Sunrisers Leeds have Indian ownership. Sources indicate these teams are not considering Pakistani players for next month’s auction.
The Unwritten Rule in T20 Leagues
Messages seen by BBC Sport confirm this exclusion policy. A senior ECB official told an agent that interest in Pakistani players would be limited. Only franchises without IPL links would show interest. Another agent described this as “an unwritten rule” across T20 leagues with Indian investment.
Pakistan players have been absent from the IPL since 2009 due to diplomatic tensions. ECB chief executive Richard Gould warned last year that “clear anti-discrimination policies” are in place. He expected “players from all nations to be selected for all teams.”
Growing Trend Across Franchise Cricket
This exclusion extends beyond The Hundred. No Pakistani players have featured in South Africa’s SA20 since its 2023 launch. All six SA20 teams have IPL ownership. In the UAE’s ILT20, MI London and Southern Brave-linked franchises have avoided Pakistani players across four seasons. They have recruited from 15 other nationalities instead.
American-owned Desert Vipers have signed eight Pakistani players during the same period. In January 2026, Kolkata Knight Riders released Bangladesh bowler Mustafizur Rahman after BCCI instructions. This followed political tensions between India and Bangladesh.
Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim played in The Hundred 2025. Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf featured in earlier editions. Pakistan’s men rank sixth in ICC T20I rankings. Their women’s team ranks eighth.
Tom Moffat, World Cricketers’ Association chief executive, stated: “Every player should have equal opportunity. Recruitment decisions should align with fairness, equality and respect.”
