ECB Warns Hundred Franchises
The England and Wales Cricket Board sent formal warnings to all eight Hundred franchises regarding discrimination obligations, particularly after reports that Pakistani players are being deliberately excluded from the upcoming player draft. The ECB made clear that any proven discrimination based on nationality will trigger disciplinary action, with concerns that IPL-linked ownership groups are "freezing out" Pakistani talent due to political tensions.
- A total of 67 Pakistani players, 63 men and four women, have registered for the upcoming Hundred player draft. This includes prominent names like Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, and Naseem Shah. - The concern is specifically centered around four franchises with ownership groups that also control Indian Premier League (IPL) teams: Manchester Super Giants (Lucknow Super Giants), MI London (Mumbai Indians), Southern Brave (Delhi Capitals), and Sunrisers Leeds (Sunrisers Hyderabad). - Pakistani players have been effectively barred from participating in the lucrative IPL since the inaugural 2008 season due to political tensions between India and Pakistan. - This pattern of exclusion has been observed in other T20 leagues where IPL owners have stakes, such as South Africa's SA20 and the ILT20 in the United Arab Emirates, where no Pakistani players have been signed by IPL-owned teams. - While the ECB cannot force any franchise to select a particular player, it has warned that any proven discrimination on the basis of nationality could be referred to the independent Cricket Regulator for investigation and potential sanctions. - In the 2025 edition of The Hundred, before the new private investments, only two Pakistani players, Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim, were featured in the competition. No Pakistani women's player has ever participated in the tournament. - The ECB had previously stated its expectation that The Hundred would be open to players from all nations and emphasized its "very clear anti-discrimination policies." - Former England captain Michael Vaughan has publicly urged the ECB to take a strong stance, stating that the board owns the league and should not allow this situation to occur.
