Last Updated:
ECB and Vikram Banerjee urge The Hundred franchises to pick out players based on merit, amid concerns over discrimination and Indian-owned teams possibly avoiding Pakistani players.
63 Pakistan players have registered for The Hundred players’s auction
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has reportedly addressed the growing reports that Indian-linked franchises in The Hundred would avoid choosing players from Pakistan.
As per a report in Cricbuzz, The Hundred’s CEO, Vikram Banerjee, recently communicated to all teams, stressing that selections ought to be based solely on cricketing merit.
“Player selection must at all times be based on cricketing rationale, availability and team performance strategy/needs. Nobody ought to be denied a spot in The Hundred due to their nationality, and it’s throughout the powers of the Cricket Regulator to research should it receive any evidence of a team adopting a policy of excluding players based on nationality,” the ECB letter states, as per Cricbuzz.
“Our competition will thrive when the most effective available talent – domestic and international – is given the chance to perform, encourage, and elevate the usual of the tournament,” the letter added.
This message was reportedly circulated amongst franchises just a few days ago.
Is There Any Reason To Fear Discrimination?
Despite this clear stance by the ECB and The Hundred, the actual situation stands in complete contradiction.
Through the years, Pakistani participation in The Hundred has been limited.
Across multiple seasons, only a handful of players from Pakistan have featured, and notably, no Pakistani woman cricketer has appeared within the tournament to date.
Even last season, no Pakistani player was picked within the draft, with Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir only joining later as replacements.
Will Pakistanis Be Picked?
Each squad in The Hundred consists of 15-16 players, with a maximum of 4 overseas cricketers allowed. With teams already permitted to directly sign two overseas players, only two slots remain for the first-ever auction.
Reports indicate that teams resembling MI London, Manchester Super Giants, Sunrisers Leeds and Southern Brave are prone to follow their parent IPL teams by unofficially banning Pakistani players because of strained Indo-Pak relations.
The Hundred is not going to be the primary franchise league to implement such a shadow ban. Indian-owned teams within the SA20 and the ILT20 also don’t include Pakistani players.
Concerns have been raised in England that the exclusion of all Pakistani players could lead on to serious questions regarding the ECB’s commitment to inclusivity, particularly given the big British-Pakistani community and the league’s goal to expand cricket’s appeal.
(With inputs from Agencies)
February 24, 2026, 22:06 IST
Read More