The expanding footprint of Indian Premier League ownership in global cricket is casting a shadow over player recruitment in England’s flagship white-ball competition. Four IPL-linked franchises in The Hundred are not expected to sign Pakistan players at next month’s auction, scheduled for March 11-12, according to reports by BBC Sport and The Telegraph.
The development centres on Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds — all of whom are either fully or partially owned by entities that control IPL teams. Pakistani players have not featured in the IPL since 2009 amid diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan, and similar patterns are now emerging in other franchise leagues with Indian investment.
Auction dynamics under scrutiny as private investment reshapes The Hundred
The upcoming season of The Hundred, scheduled from July 21 to August 16, will be the first following the ECB’s sale of 49% stakes in each franchise — a process that raised over £500m in private investment. While host counties retained or sold portions of their remaining 51%, the ECB continues to oversee the competition, supported by a new board featuring team representatives.
Against that backdrop, the auction pool reflects significant global diversity. An ECB spokesperson said: “The Hundred welcomes men’s and women’s players from all over the world and we would expect the eight teams to reflect that.” The same spokesperson added: “Almost 1,000 cricketers from 18 nations have registered for The Hundred auction, with representation on the longlist of over 50 players respectively from Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan and West Indies.”
Despite that inclusivity message, multiple reports indicate that interest in Pakistan players from the four IPL-linked teams is unlikely. Messages seen by BBC Sport suggested that a senior ECB official indicated to an agent that his Pakistan-based clients would attract interest primarily from teams not connected to IPL ownership. This sentiment has also been confirmed to cricexec separately by other agents.
James Sheridan, deputy chair of Manchester Super Giants, rejected suggestions of targeted exclusion, telling BBC Sport: “The only conversations we’ve had is to pick the two best squads to give us the best possible chance of winning the two competitions,” referring to the Men’s and Women’s squads.
Agents point to broader global pattern
Concerns extend beyond The Hundred. No Pakistan players have appeared in South Africa’s SA20 since its launch in 2023, where all six teams are IPL-owned. Similarly, in the UAE’s ILT20, franchises controlled by the Mumbai Indians’ and Delhi Capitals’ owners have not signed Pakistani cricketers across four seasons, despite recruiting from at least 15 other nationalities.
An agent representing Pakistani players told Telegraph Sport: “It’s a given, they have been doing the same all around the world. Now that they are in the Hundred, I don’t see any different.” The same agent added: “I’ve personally reached out to franchises in ILT, MLC, SA20 and now the Hundred. They would love to have Pakistanis but due to political pressure back in India, they will never risk going against the government. They will never admit in writing.”
Another prominent agent emphasised that players were seeking parity rather than preferential treatment, telling BBC Sport: “Our players do not seek favours, they seek a fair field,” before adding, “I hope The Hundred does not mirror patterns we are seeing in some other franchise ecosystems. I hope I am proven wrong.”
Pakistan’s men are currently ranked sixth in the ICC T20 standings, with the women’s side eighth. Two Pakistan internationals — Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim — featured in last year’s tournament before new investors assumed control, while players such as Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf have appeared in earlier editions. No Pakistan woman has played in The Hundred to date.
Governance, regulation and accountability questions emerge
The ECB retains regulatory oversight of The Hundred, which falls under the jurisdiction of the independent cricket regulator established after the 2023 Equity in Cricket report found discrimination to be widespread within the English game.
Last year, ECB chief executive Richard Gould had publicly indicated that The Hundred was designed to be open to players from every cricketing nation and emphasised that anti-discrimination safeguards were embedded within the tournament’s operating framework. His comments came amid the transition to private investment and were positioned as a reminder that recruitment decisions must align with the competition’s inclusivity standards.
The County Cricket Members’ Group also addressed the issue, stating: “We expect the relevant county boards and the ECB to hold private partners accountable if there is any reason to believe the non-selection of Pakistan players was a blanket decision based on nationality.”
Demographic factors add another layer to the debate. According to census data, 12% of Greater Manchester’s population and 4% in Leeds identify as Pakistani — cities whose local teams now sit within the ownership structures in question.
While there is no formal confirmation of a written policy preventing Pakistan players from being signed, reports suggest an informal reluctance within IPL-linked ecosystems. The ECB, for its part, maintains that the competition remains open to global talent.
With the auction approaching and almost 1,000 players registered, The Hundred’s recruitment decisions will be closely watched — not just for squad balance, but for what they signal about the evolving influence of IPL capital across the global franchise landscape.
