ECB warn IPL-owned Hundred franchises [Source: x]The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is planning to take a strict action against The Hundred franchises if they are found to be discriminating against players based on their nationality. In a strongly-worded letter sent to all franchises from the ECB, the board has urged team owners to select players on the basis of “cricketing rationale”. Notably, ECB’s letter was sent to the team owners shortly after several reports indicated that the Hundred franchises with IPL or India ties were planning to exclude Pakistan players for the upcoming 2026 season. ECB threatens IPL-owned Hundred franchises before 2026 season The Hundred CEO Vikram Banerjee has urged all teams to pick players on sporting merit without discriminating anyone for their nationality. The ECB also sent a letter to all Hundred team owners, specifically to the franchises with India and IPL ties, and vowed to take a strict action against them if said owners are found to be discriminating any player on political grounds. Also Read- Mohsin Naqvi's PCB Challenges The Hundred Franchises Over Pakistan Players' ExclusionThe ECB letter states, “Player selection must always be based on cricketing rationale, availability and team performance strategy/needs. No one should be denied a place in The Hundred because of their nationality, and it is within the powers of the Cricket Regulator to investigate should it receive any evidence of a team adopting a policy of excluding players based on nationality.” “Our competition will thrive when the best available talent - domestic and international - is given the opportunity to perform, inspire, and elevate the standard of the tournament.” Pakistan players already not a common sight in The Hundred Regardless of the ECB letter and the preceding ‘Pakistan boycott’ report, Pakistan cricketers are already not a common sight in The Hundred. Since the inaugural edition of the tournament, not a single women’s player has been picked in any Hundred franchise. Over the five seasons so far, only nine Pakistan men’s players have been picked by Hundred franchises, including Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan among a handful of others. 63 Pakistan players sign up for auction despite snub reports Despite the growing uncertainty, as many as 63 Pakistan cricketers have signed up for The Hundred 2026 auction, scheduled to be held on March 11 and March 12 next month. Current T20I captain Salman Agha, pace maverick Shaheen Afridi are just some of the top ‘Men in Green’ stars placing themselves up for potential bids among 960 global cricketers. Why are India-owned franchises planning to ignore Pakistan players Earlier this month, several reports indicated that India-owned Hundred franchises with IPL ties are planning to ignore Pakistan players in their squads for the upcoming Hundred 2026 season. Unfortunately for Pakistan cricketers, six of the eight Hundred franchises have Indian connections, and four of them have direct IPL links. The Hundred franchises with IPL links are Manchester Super Giants (sister franchise of Lucknow Super Giants), Sunrisers Leeds (Sunrisers Hyderabad), MI London (Mumbai Indians), and Southern Brave (Delhi Capitals). The other two Hundred franchises that have Indian connections are Welsh Fire (owned by US-based Sanjay Govil) and London Spirit (owned by US-based tech investors). The alleged reluctance to consider Pakistan players is understood to be linked to the broader geo-political strain between India and Pakistan. The dynamic between the two nations has further worsened following the deadly terrorist attack that took place in Pahalgam, India last year. Nonetheless, The Hundred 2026 season is set to launch on July 21 later this year. All eyes will now be on the March auction to see whether player selections align with ECB’s latest directive.Also Read- Harry Brook’s Captain’s Knock Rips Off Pakistan As England Qualify For T20 World Cup Semi-Final
