The Hundred Draft Sees No Pakistan Players Picked, Despite 45 Registrations

Pakistan players have been participating in The Hundred since the tournament's inception. Players like Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf have represented various teams over the last four years. However, this year, despite a large number of registered players—including 45 from the women’s team—none were picked during the draft.

This situation has raised concerns about a “soft ban” on Pakistani players in The Hundred, particularly as most teams are now owned by Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises. This concern is rooted in the fact that since the inaugural season of the IPL in 2008, no Pakistani players have participated in that tournament, primarily due to the 2008 terror attack in India.

IPL-Invested Teams in The Hundred

• Oval Invincibles (Mumbai Indians)
  The Oval Invincibles are partially owned by Mumbai Indians.
• Manchester Originals (Lucknow Super Giants)
  Manchester Originals have partial investment from the Lucknow Super Giants.
• Northern Superchargers (SunRisers Hyderabad)
  Northern Superchargers are partly owned by the SunRisers Hyderabad franchise.
• Southern Brave (Delhi Capitals)
  Southern Brave is partially owned by the Delhi Capitals franchise.

The same pattern appears to be happening in the SA20 league, where no Pakistani players have been featured since the tournament has significant investments from IPL teams.

However, as reported by Wisden, the main reason for the lack of picks from Pakistan is their availability during The Hundred tournament. Pakistan is scheduled to play an international series against Bangladesh in August, which will likely involve many of their prominent players. Therefore, they were not available for selection in the draft.

ECB Chair Richard Gould has previously stated that the participation of Pakistani players in The Hundred would not be impacted by changes in ownership.

“We’re aware of that in other regions, but that won’t be happening here,” Gould affirmed last month.

Also Read: New Zealand vs Sri Lanka Live Dream11 Prediction: Sri Lanka Women tour of New Zealand 2025, 1st T20I