A fresh storm is brewing around the next season of The Hundred and this time it includes Pakistan’s Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and many more. There is strong talk in the UK media that four teams owned or co-owned by IPL team owners may avoid selecting Pakistani players in the player auction for the upcoming The Hundred.
IPL owners under investigation
The owners and stakeholders of Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds own teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and are Indians by origin. It is being said that these four teams will not select Pakistani players in the auction.
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Pakistani players have also been banned in IPL after the Mumbai terror attacks in 2011. Apart from the IPL, Pakistani cricketers have not been selected in South Africa’s SA20 league and UAE’s ILT20, whose owners are also associated with the IPL.
Sahibzada Farhan breaks silence on The Hundred tension
Responding to the discussion, Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan has made it clear that players cannot control who gets selected and who does not. However, Farhan said that every player dreams of playing in the top leagues around the world and The Hundred is one of them.
Speaking at the press conference ahead of the Pakistan-England Super 8 match in the T20 World Cup 2026, Sahibzada Farhan said: “Look, it is not in our hands to decide who will select us or not.
It is not in our hands. Wherever we get a chance, whoever is interested can pick us and we are ready to play in that league. And we’re not interested in playing with people – the way you talked about. I have great hope; Every player wants to play for every league and The Hundred is one of the best leagues. So, hope for the best.”
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67 Pakistani players in the auction pool
The issue has drawn attention as 67 Pakistani cricketers, both men and women, have registered for the upcoming The Hundred season. It includes almost the entire national team. Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf have already played in the 100-ball tournament.
Meanwhile, England captain Harry Brook recently said that it would be disappointing if Pakistan players miss out as they bring excitement and quality to any tournament.
Recently, Brook said in the press conference, “There are some amazing cricketers there, and, yes, and they bring some good crowds too. So, it would be a shame not to see some of the Pakistan players there and make the tournament and the competition even better.”
ECB reacts to rising noise
Although neither team has officially said they will ignore Pakistan players, the reports made enough noise for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to take action. The ECB has now sent a formal message to all eight teams playing in The Hundred.
In that message, the ECB reminded franchises about their duty to adhere to fair selection rules and anti-discrimination policies. He made it clear that any selection call should not go against the rules or appear partisan.
