England’s limited-overs captain Harry Brook has said it would be “a shame” if Pakistan players are left out of The Hundred amid reports that some franchises might avoid picking them.
There have been claims that teams in The Hundred with Indian ownership, including Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds, could choose not to sign Pakistan cricketers at the auction. The reports suggest this could be due to fears of political backlash in India because of the ongoing tensions between the two countries.
Brook on Pakistan players in The Hundred
Speaking on Saturday before his side’s Super Eight match against Sri Lanka, Brook said the issue is not something the England team is focusing on right now.
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“Our main focus now is what's coming up in the T20 World Cup. It's not really any of our business, to be honest,” said Brook, who has signed with Sunrisers Leeds.
However, he made it clear that Pakistan players add value to the game.
“But what I would say is Pakistan have been a great cricket nation for many years. I think there's about 50, 60 players in the auction, and it would be a shame not to see some of them in there.”
Pakistan players who registered for The Hundred auction
A total of 67 male and female players from Pakistan have registered for The Hundred auction in London. This includes most of Pakistan’s men’s T20 World Cup squad. In previous seasons, players such as Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf have taken part in the competition.
Pakistan players ignored in IPL and SA20 as well
Pakistan players have not featured in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Similarly, no Pakistan cricketer has played in SA20 since it began in 2023, as all six teams are owned by IPL-linked groups.
In the UAE’s ILT20 as well, franchises connected to MI London and Southern Brave have not signed any Pakistan players in four seasons.
Brook on Pakistan players missing The Hundred
Brook said excluding Pakistan players would be a loss for the tournament.
“There's some amazing cricketers and, yeah, and they bring some great crowds as well. So it would be a shame to not see some of the Pakistan players in there and make the tournament and competition even better,” he added.
The next season of The Hundred will run from July 21 to August 16, with the player auctions scheduled for March 11 and 12.