Former England captain Michael Vaughan said that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) should ensure that Pakistan players are part of The Hundred 2026. Vaughan said the board should not allow Indian franchise owners to dictate terms, adding that players from Pakistan should be included in the tournament.
According to a BBC report on Thursday, Pakistan players may be allowed to play only for Indian-owned Hundred teams. Notably, Indian-owned franchises in the ILT20 and SA20 have avoided signing players from Pakistan, and now the same approach is expected in the Hundred.
The Hundred have four teams with Indian owners: MI London, Manchester Super Giants, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds. Indian ownership of these franchises began in October last year.
ECB Board will have to take immediate action – Michael Vaughan on Indian owners and Pakistani players
In a column for The Telegraph, Michael Vaughan said that the England and Wales Cricket Board should not allow outside influence into the Hundred. Vaughan said the ECB must protect the values on which competition is built.
Michael Vaughan wrote, “The Hundred was founded as an inclusive competition designed to attract diverse audiences, which is why the England and Wales Cricket Board will need to take immediate action if reports are true that the new Indian owners will not select Pakistani players.”
More than 50 Pakistani players registered for the Hundred auction on Friday, including Salman Ali Aga, Usman Tariq and Shaheen Shah Afridi. However, there is still uncertainty over whether the Indian-owned franchises will select any of them in the auction.
Ability to remove large population of Pakistan – Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan said the tournament should connect with all cricket fans. Vaughan said it would send the wrong message and said the England and Wales Cricket Board wanted to make English cricket the most inclusive game in the country.
“I’m a big fan of the Hundred, but for it to have any credibility it needs to appeal to all supporters. It has the potential to alienate the large population of Pakistanis who live in England and love cricket.”
He said, “What message does this send about our game? If true, it makes a mockery of ECB chairman Richard Thompson’s stated aim of making English cricket the most inclusive game in the country.”
Would love to hear proper explanation from ECB – Michael Vaughan
The cricketer-turned-commentator said Indian-owned teams have no valid reason to avoid selecting Pakistani players in the Hundred. He said that if both the teams can play World Cup matches, then selecting Pakistan players in foreign leagues should not be an issue.
“If the Indian-owned franchises have not signed any Pakistani players, then we have our answer. I would then like to hear a proper explanation from a senior ECB person. We need to know whether the owners have indicated to the ECB that they will not consider players from Pakistan.”
Vaughan wrote, “Fundamentally, if India can play Pakistan in a World Cup match, then certainly Indian owners can choose Pakistani players in foreign leagues. I understand this is very sensitive in the IPL, but this has spread the problem to other countries.”
“You also wonder what precedent this could set. The ECB runs the Hundred but if there is this unofficial ban on Pakistan players then we know who actually runs the competition and it is not the governing body.”
“If they are not signed for political reasons then we cannot allow that to happen in the UK as it will ultimately affect our own players with Pakistani heritage. This will also harm Pakistan cricket and we cannot be a part of that,” he concluded.
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