Former England captain Michael Vaughan has expressed serious concern over reports that Pakistan players may be left out of the upcoming edition of The Hundred, amid speculation that the franchises associated with the Indian Premier League (IPL) will not consider players in the green shirt.
On social media platform X, Vaughan highlighted the responsibility of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to ensure fair participation and uphold the content of the game.
“The ECB needs to act on this quickly. They own the league and this should not be allowed to happen. The most inclusive sport in the country is not one to allow this,” he wrote.
English media reports indicate that Manchester Supergiants, MI London, Southern Braves and Sunrisers Leeds, all four of which are partly owned by IPL-linked investors, may ignore Pakistani players in next month’s auction.
A senior ECB official reportedly told an agent that interest in Pakistani players would be limited to owners not affiliated with IPL entities. Another agent described the practice as an “unwritten rule” in leagues with IPL-linked investments.
The development contradicts ECB chief executive Richard Gould’s assurance last year that Pakistani cricketers would not face restrictions due to IPL influence.
“We know the challenges Pakistani players face in other regions, but that doesn’t happen here,” Gold said, confirming the ECB’s content.
Historically, Pakistani players have stayed away from the IPL since its inception in 2008 and have had limited opportunities in leagues such as South Africa’s SA20, UAE’s ILD20 and USA’s Major League Cricket (MLC) due to IPL affiliations.
However, they were regular participants in England’s The Hundred, with stars such as Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim featuring in the competition last year before new investors took over.
For the upcoming edition, over 950 players — including Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, Saeem Ayub and Usman Tariq — have registered for the inaugural auction scheduled for March 11 (women) and March 12 (men) at Piccadilly, London.
Absent from the list are Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, whose availability will be limited through Pakistan’s Test series against the West Indies in August.
Pakistan’s limited overs teams are free during The Hundred window from July 21 to August 16.
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