IPL-backed The Hundred franchises deny exclusion of Pakistani cricketers

Coaches of The Hundred franchises with Indian Premier League (IPL) backing have stated they have received no instructions to avoid signing Pakistani players, despite a historic trend of such exclusions and a disappointing auction for the nation's cricketers.

In February, BBC Sport reported that the four teams with IPL investment—Southern Brave, MI London, Manchester Super Giants and Sunrisers Leeds—were expected to refrain from selecting Pakistani players, mirroring a de facto ban observed in India.

In response, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and all eight Hundred franchises issued a joint statement, asserting that "players must not be excluded on the grounds of nationality".

Speaking ahead of the men's auction, coaches from two of the IPL-linked teams maintained that they have been given full autonomy over recruitment.

Adi Birrell, head coach of the women's Sunrisers Leeds team—which is part of a global network that includes franchises in India and South Africa—confirmed he had never been directed away from Pakistani players.

"No, I haven't," he said. "I'm sure there will be some interest in some players tomorrow." When asked if he anticipated bids from IPL-backed teams, he added, "I think so, but I don't know. I presume so. I haven't heard that they won't bid for them".

His counterpart at Southern Brave, women's head coach Jonathan Batty, echoed the sentiment.

"The only thing I've been told is 'sign the best players to make this the best squad you possibly can'," Batty explained. "We've had no other instructions than that and we've had total autonomy on who we sign. That's how it's been with the women's team".

Despite these assurances, the results of the auctions have been stark. On Wednesday, the two Pakistani players in the women's auction—including the world's top-ranked T20I bowler, Sadia Iqbal—went unsold, with no bids placed by any of the eight teams.

The focus now shifts to Thursday's men's auction, where 17 Pakistani players were initially in the pool, including fast bowlers Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi. However, in a late development on Wednesday night, paceman Shaheen Afridi withdrew from the process.

Historically, the pattern of exclusion extends beyond the Hundred. Sunrisers Leeds' sister franchise in South Africa's SA20, Sunrisers Eastern Cape, is one of six teams in that competition. All six are linked to IPL ownership groups, and notably, none have ever fielded a Pakistani player.

Furthermore, Mo Bobat, director of cricket for London Spirit (a franchise not owned by an IPL team but with soft links to Royal Challengers Bangalore), pointed to the fierce competition for places.

"There are hundreds of overseas players that have registered for the auction and there are only 16 overseas slots, so there are going to be a lot of disappointed overseas players," Bobat said. "We're considering all players from everywhere because we want to be as strong as possible".

The auctions, a first for both The Hundred and major British sport, are a result of the recent £500m sale of stakes in the eight teams.

As the men's auction gets underway, the cricketing world will be watching closely to see if actions align with the words of inclusivity.

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