England captain Harry Brook has said it would be a shame if Pakistan’s players were reportedly bounced from the upcoming edition this year. This was indicated by the latest BBC report four IPL owned teams playing in the hundred can overlook buying Pakistani players during the auction for the 2026 season, which will take place from July 21 to August 16.
The new Hundred season is expected to see a significant rise in player salaries after new private investment boosted the tournament’s finances. Four of the eight teams – Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds – now have part ownership from companies that also operate Indian Premier League franchises.
However, the Pakistani players are not expected to reap the rewards. Franchises owned by IPL stakeholders have not signed Pakistani cricketers since 2009, a situation largely linked to ongoing political tensions between India and Pakistan. Brook himself will play for Sunrisers Leeds, formerly known as the Northern Superchargers.
Speaking ahead of a press conference ahead of England’s Super 8 match against Sri Lanka, Brook said Pakistan is a great cricketing nation and its players can make a hundred with their quality and ability to draw crowds.
“Now we’re focused on what’s coming up for the T20 World Cup. It’s not our thing to be honest, but I’d say Pakistan has been a great cricketing 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 there. There are some amazing ones there, so they’d be great cricketers and it’s a shame to see some Pakistani players there and make the tournament and the competition even better.” Brook said.
NO PAKISTAN IN THE HUNDRED: WHAT’S NEXT?
Michael Vaughan has been vocal about how The England Cricket Board should step in to allow Pakistani players to participate in The Hundred and not allow IPL owners to block it.
“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 first ever Hundred auction will take place on March 11 (Women) and March 12 (Men) and it will be interesting to see if Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit, Welsh Fire and Trent Rockets sign up for players from Pakistan during the event.
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Published on:
February 21, 2026