BBC claims that Indian-owned cricket franchises from IPL will not be considering Pakistani players for the next month’s Hundred auction.
Players from Pakistan have not featured in the Indian Premier League since 2009 because of the diplomatic rift between the two countries. Four of the Hundred’s eight franchises, Manchester Supergiant, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds, are now at least partially owned by companies that control IPL teams.
In the messages seen by the British BBC, a senior official from the England and Wales Cricket Board indicated to an agent that interest in his Pakistan players would be limited to sides not linked to the IPL. This issue could be a factor during next month’s players auction for English cricket’s Hundred, a Hundred-ball per side competition featuring eight franchises rather than the traditional 18 first-class counties.
Both BBC Sport and The Telegraph have reported that four of the eight franchises in the upcoming tournament owned by companies that control teams in the Indian Premier League. It is an unwritten rule that Pakistani players would not be considered for those teams. A senior ECB official indicated to an agent that interest in his Pakistan players would be limited to sides not linked to the IPL.
Michael Vaughan, the former captain of England, urged ECB to act fast and stated that the aim of cricket is to become the most inclusive sport in the country. And stated that the aim of the cricket is to become the most inclusive sport in the country.
Vaughan in a post on X said: “The ECB need to act fast on this … they own the league, and this should not be allowed to happen … The most inclusive sport in the country is not one that allows this to happen.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board has not commented on the situation so far, however, the longstanding political tensions between Pakistan and India has is eventually taking on the sports field as well.
More than 63 Pakistani players, including captain Sarfraz Ali Agha, left-arm quick Shaheen Shah Afridi, among others have registered for the next month’s auctions in London for The Hundred 2026. Saqib Mayub and Usman Tariq are also in the list, as Pakistan’s contingent looks to re-establish a foothold in major overseas franchise leagues.
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The auction pool is set to be expensive, featuring 711 players in total, including 63 from Pakistan. The two-day auction is scheduled from March 11-12 in London, with teams set to finalise squads in a system that combines retention and pre-auction signings with opening bids. Pakistan’s registration spanned the established national and deeper domestic group, with several players entering at a premium reserve price level.
Among those listed at the top bracket are of £100,000 are Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Nawaz and Naseem Shah. A second tier include multiple recognisable names, including Salman Ali Agha, while others have registered for £50,000 and below.
