Pallekele, February 21 – England's white-ball captain, Harry Brook, addressed reports claiming that Pakistani players are likely to be overlooked by Indian-owned franchises in the upcoming Hundred auction, scheduled for March 12.
Speaking ahead of England's first T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8s match against co-hosts, Sri Lanka, at the Pallekele International Stadium, Brook expressed his support for the Pakistani players and felt it would be a shame if they were not selected for the tournament. The 27-year-old also praised Pakistan's players for their talent and their ability to attract crowds.
"Pakistan has been a great cricket nation for many years. I think there are around 50 or 60 players in the auction, and it would be a shame not to see some of them participating," Brook said in the pre-match press conference.
"There are some amazing cricketers, and they also bring in large crowds. It would be a shame not to see some of the Pakistani players participating and making this tournament and competition even better," he added.
Sixty-three male and four female cricketers have reportedly registered for the Hundred auction. The list includes almost all members of Pakistan's T20 World Cup squad.
There are four teams in The Hundred with some form of Indian investment: MI London, Manchester Super Giants, Southern Brave, and SunRisers Leeds. According to a BBC report, player agents have been informed that Pakistani players' participation will be limited to teams without Indian investment.
Earlier, former England captain Michael Vaughan had requested the England and Wales Cricket Board on Friday to intervene after reports emerged that Indian Premier League-owned franchises may exclude Pakistani players from the upcoming auction.
Vaughan posted on X, formerly Twitter, "The ECB needs to act fast on this. They own the league, and this should not be allowed to happen. The most inclusive sport in the country should not allow this to happen," he wrote.
Pakistani cricketers have played in The Hundred before without issues. Imad Wasim played for Northern Superchargers last season, which has now been renamed SunRisers Leeds. Other notable Pakistani players like Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, and Haris Rauf have also participated in earlier editions. However, no Pakistani female cricketer has yet participated in the tournament.
