Former England captain Michael Vaughan has called on the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to intervene after reports emerged that Indian Premier League-owned franchises may exclude Pakistani players from the upcoming Hundred auction.
Vaughan took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticize the reported ban. “The ECB needs to act fast on this. They own the league and this should not be allowed. The most inclusive sport in the country is not a sport that allows this,” he wrote.
The controversy highlights growing concerns about political tensions affecting cricket’s franchise model, with strained India-Pakistan diplomatic relations potentially dictating player selection for England’s home tournament. The Hundred’s eight-franchise structure includes four teams that are at least partially owned by IPL entities, raising questions about selection procedures.
This was reported by the Press Trust of India on Thursday Pakistani cricketers could lose contracts from franchises that co-own IPL teamswith teams reportedly not considering them for the March auction. Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds are among the IPL-linked franchises in The Hundred.
EXCLUSION PATTERN
The reported suspension follows a worrying trend across IPL-affiliated leagues. No Pakistani cricketer has featured in South Africa’s SA20 since its launch in 2023, with all six teams owned by IPL-affiliated franchise groups. Similarly, in the ILT20 in the UAE, franchises controlled by the owners of MI London and Southern Brave have not signed a single Pakistani player in four seasons.
Pakistani players have featured prominently in The Hundred before. Imad Wasim represented Northern Superchargers last season, now renamed Sunrisers Leeds. Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf have also appeared in the competition, although no female cricketer from Pakistan has yet appeared.
ECB chief Richard Gould said last year that he expected “players from all countries to be selected for all teams” in The Hundred, according to PTI. Gould emphasized that the organizers had put in place a “clear anti-discrimination policy” to ensure fairness.
The upcoming edition features a significant increase in player salaries, so a potential ban is financially damaging for Pakistan’s cricketers. The ECB has not yet responded to Vaughan’s call for intervention.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
February 20, 2026