London, UK – Web Desk: Political tensions between India and Pakistan are reportedly influencing England’s domestic cricket tournament, The Hundred, with concerns that some teams may avoid selecting Pakistani players.
According to a report by the British broadcaster BBC, franchises linked to the Indian Premier League (IPL) are likely to refrain from picking Pakistani players. An official from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) reportedly informed a player agent that teams with IPL ownership could keep Pakistani players at a distance.
Of the eight teams in The Hundred, four are partially owned (49%) by IPL franchises, including Manchester Originals, MI London, Sunrisers Leeds, and Southern Brave, all backed by Indian investors. This unofficial trend of excluding Pakistani players has also been seen in South Africa’s SA20 and the UAE’s ILT20 tournaments.
This year’s The Hundred player draft will take place on March 11–12, with Pakistani cricketers, including Haris Rauf, expected to be part of the auction.
The development raises questions about the intersection of geopolitics and international cricket, with players’ opportunities potentially limited by franchise ownership and political considerations.
