Hundred teams co-owned by IPL franchises may not consider Pak players in auction

Pakistan cricketers could miss out on contracts with franchises owned by teams from the Indian Premier League in the upcoming season of The Hundred, with reports suggesting that these teams have chosen not to consider them for next month's player auction.

The upcoming season of The Hundred, scheduled from July 21 to August 16, is set to witness a significant rise in player salaries following private investment into the tournament. However, Pakistani cricketers are unlikely to benefit from the financial windfall, as franchises from the IPL have not engaged them since 2009 owing to strained diplomatic relations between the two neighbouring nations.

"A senior official from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) indicated to an agent that



interest in his Pakistan players would be limited to sides not linked to the IPL," said BBC in a report on Thursday.

The Hundred is an eight-franchise tournament, with Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds among the teams that are at least partly owned by entities that also control franchises in the IPL.

"Another agent described the situation as 'an unwritten rule' across T20 leagues with Indian investment," the report added.

Last year, Richard Gould, the ECB chief executive, had reportedly said he expected "players from all nations to be selected for all teams" in The Hundred, while also stressing that the organisers had implemented "clear anti-discrimination policies" to ensure fairness.