England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Richard Gould has assured that the participation of Pakistan players in The Hundred will remain unaffected despite Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises purchasing stakes in the tournament.
Four IPL franchises—Mumbai Indians, Lucknow Super Giants, SunRisers Hyderabad, and Delhi Capitals—have successfully acquired stakes in Oval Invincibles, London Spirit, Northern Superchargers, and Southern Brave, respectively. This move continues the trend of IPL teams expanding their presence in global cricket, having already invested in the CPL, SA20, and MLC.
According to an ESPNcricinfo report, Pakistan players have had limited exposure to IPL-owned teams in various franchise leagues over recent years. However, addressing concerns regarding their participation, Gould clarified that The Hundred would not see a decline in top Pakistan players.
“We’re aware of that in other regions,” Gould told ESPNcricinfo about the trend of Pakistan players being sidelined in IPL-owned teams elsewhere. “But that won’t be happening here,” he added, ensuring that their presence in The Hundred remains intact.
While discussing player availability, Gould acknowledged that the league would welcome Indian players if the opportunity arose. However, he emphasized that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) maintains a strict stance against allowing contracted Indian cricketers to participate in overseas leagues. Though some Indian players, such as Dinesh Karthik and Unmukt Chand, have joined foreign franchise leagues, this was only possible after they retired from Indian cricket.
“In terms of availability of Indian players, that is not factored into our plans. The BCCI’s position has been very clear. At some point, we’d love to see Indian players come and play in England. We currently see them, obviously, in bilaterals and actually quite a lot in county cricket. But that’s not something that we have predetermined through this process,” Gould explained.
The fifth edition of The Hundred is set to begin on August 5, with the final scheduled for August 31. The tournament will commence just a day after the conclusion of India’s five-match Test series against England.
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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
