London, February 25 The England and Wales Cricket Board and the franchises of The Hundred have jointly issued a statement to assert that players should not be excluded based on nationality, amid concerns that Pakistani cricketers could be deliberately ignored by at least four Indian-owned teams at next month's auction.
Four out of the eight franchises – Manchester Super Giants (RPSG Group), MI London (Reliance), Southern Brave (GMR) and Sunrisers Leeds (Sun Group) – are linked to team owners in the IPL, and reports in British media indicate that all of them would avoid Pakistani players.
However, even without any Indian owners, only two Pakistani players were part of The Hundred last year, and overall, just nine have featured in the first five seasons.
The new owners will take over the operations from this season onwards.
"The Hundred was established to reach new audiences, grow the game of cricket, and ensure that everyone – regardless of their ethnicity, gender, faith, nationality, or other factors – feels they belong in our sport. Players should not be excluded based on their nationality," the joint statement from the ECB and all eight owners, including those with IPL links, stated.
"As the governing body responsible for running the tournament, the ECB is committed to ensuring that there is no room for discrimination, and has regulations in place to take strong action against such conduct.
"All eight teams commit to selection being based solely on cricketing performance, availability, and the needs of each team," the statement added.
On Monday, Pakistani opener Sahibzada Farhan had expressed his desire to play in The Hundred.
As many as 67 male and female cricketers from Pakistan, including almost the entire men's T20 World Cup squad, have registered for the tournament's auction.
Regarding the Indian Premier League, Pakistani players were barred from the tournament following the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack, which was carried out by terrorists from across the border.
No Pakistani cricketer has featured in the SA20 since its launch in 2023, with all six teams owned by franchise groups linked to the IPL.
Similarly, in the UAE's ILT20, franchises controlled by the owners of MI London and Southern Brave have not signed a single Pakistani player across four seasons.
England captain Harry Brook had earlier said that it would be a shame if Pakistani cricketers did not take part in the competition, and spinner Moeen Ali had warned that such an exclusion could lead to legal action against the owners.
