- 67 Pakistan players have submitted themselves for upcoming auction
- Independent cricket regulator could get involved if evidence of discrimination emerges
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has written to every team in The Hundred to remind them of their responsibilities amid claims Pakistan players could be frozen out by the Indian-owned franchises.
It was reported by the BBC earlier this week that Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds would not consider any Pakistan cricketers at The Hundred auction from 11th to 12th March.
But it is understood the ECB sent an email to the eight sides on Sunday, warning them that action would be taken if there is any evidence of discrimination, including ignoring players based on nationality.
If any proof is forthcoming then the matter will likely be referred to the independent cricket regulator although the ECB, which oversees the 100-ball competition, may take separate action, too.
The four franchises featured in the BBC’s report all have ties to existing Indian Premier League (IPL) team ownership groups. MI London, formerly known as Oval Invincibles, is owned by Reliance Industries, which also own the Mumbai Indians team.
Meanwhile, Manchester Super Giants is owned by Sanjiv Goenka’s RPSG Group, which also controls the IPL’s Lucknow Super GiantsSunrisers Leeds is controlled by The Sun Group, owners of Sunrisers Hyderabadand the Southern Brave is run by GMR Group, which runs the Delhi Capitals.
Longstanding geopolitical tensions between the two Asian nations have cast a shadow over cricket for many years, with an effective blanket ban on Pakistan players at the IPL being in place since 2009.
Opportunities for Pakistan players have been squeezed further by several IPL owners taking charge of domestic franchises abroad – such as South Africa’s SA20 and the ILT20 in the United Arab Emirates.
A total of 67 Pakistan players – 63 men and four women – have submitted themselves for next month’s auction in The Hundred, including Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah.
There are 964 players in the auction, from which the franchises must submit a list of 75 to 100 they are keen on, with the ECB last week putting forward a shortlist of around 200 to go under the hammer.
There were no Pakistan players selected at last year’s auction – before the new investors assumed control – although left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir and all-rounder Imad Wasim featured as replacements.
That was largely down to Pakistan’s busy summer schedule, rendering their high-profile players unavailable for some of the tournament, and it is a similar situation this year. Pakistan have two Tests in the West Indies during the tournament and then play the first of three Tests against England three days after The Hundred final.
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