Indian politics is beginning to cast a shadow over England's league The Hundred, with growing fears that Pakistani players could be sidelined by franchises with Indian Premier League (IPL) ownership links.

 

According to a British broadcaster, teams in The Hundred with IPL-affiliated ownership may avoid picking Pakistani cricketers altogether. Only franchises without IPL stakeholders are expected to consider Pakistani players for selection.

 

A senior official from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) reportedly informed a player agent that IPL-owned teams within The Hundred could stay away from Pakistani players. 

 

One agent went further, telling the broadcaster that avoiding Pakistani players has effectively become an unwritten rule for franchises operating under Indian ownership.

 

Four of The Hundred's eight teams, namely Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Sunrisers Leeds and Southern Brave, have IPL franchises holding 49 percent ownership stakes in them. That means half the tournament's teams could potentially shut their doors to Pakistan's cricketers before the auction even begins.

 

The broadcaster also noted that the same trend has already surfaced in South Africa's SA20 and the UAE's ILT20, suggesting this is not an isolated concern but a pattern emerging across franchise cricket.

 

The Hundred player auction takes place on March 11 and 12, with several Pakistani cricketers including Haris Rauf among those in the player pool.