England’s white-ball captain Harry Brook said it would be “shameful” if Pakistani players were overlooked in this year’s edition of The Hundred.
BBC It was reported earlier this week that the four Indian-owned teams in the competition – Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Braves and Sunrisers Leeds – would not consider signing Pakistani players in the March auction.
Political tensions between India and Pakistan have meant that no Pakistani players have appeared in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, while a few have played in other franchise leagues with Indian owners.
Speaking ahead of England’s World Twenty20 Super 8s game against Sri Lanka on Sunday, Brook – who will play for Sunrisers Leeds this summer but is not their captain – said, “Pakistan has been a great cricket country for many years.
“I think there are about 50 or 60 players in the auction, and it would be a shame not to see some of them there. There are some amazing cricketers, and they bring some great crowds too.
“It would be a shame not to see some of the Pakistan players there and make this tournament and competition better.”
ECB: The Hundred welcomes male and female players from around the world
The BBC said it had seen a message in which a senior ECB official suggested that only non-IPL-affiliated franchises – Welsh Fire, London Spirit, Birmingham Phoenix and Trent Rockets – would buy cricketers from Pakistan.
However, an ECB spokesman said, “The Hundred welcomes men and women players from all over the world, and we would expect the eight teams to reflect that.”
Former England captain Michael Vaughan urged the ECB to “act fast” and keep The Hundred open to all.
He wrote on the social media platform, X: “The ECB needs to act fast on this matter… They own the league and should not allow this to happen… The most inclusive sport in the country is not one to allow this to happen.”
Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Saim Ayub, Haris Rauf and Usman Tariq are among 67 Pakistani players – 63 men and four women – registered for the auction in London, with the men’s event to be held a day after the women’s event on March 12.
The first five seasons of The Hundred did not feature any women players from Pakistan.
