KEY POINTS
- 67 Pakistan cricketers register for The Hundred auction amid fears of IPL-style ‘shadow ban’.
- Shaheen Afridi among six Pakistanis at £100k base price; Babar Azam and Rizwan skip.
- BBC report alleges IPL-owned teams may boycott Pakistani players; ECB faces scrutiny.
- Michael Vaughan slams potential exclusion, urges ECB to enforce inclusivity.
ISLAMABAD: Sixty-seven Pakistani cricketers, including 63 men and four women, have signed up for The Hundred auction set for March 11-12, even as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) faces mounting scrutiny over concerns that new Indian investors might enforce an unofficial IPL-style ‘shadow ban’ on players from Pakistan.
Star fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi leads a formidable contingent of Pakistan talent, with five other players, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Muhammad Nawaz, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah, also setting their base price at the highest entry point of £100,000.
Notable absentees from the list include former captain Babar Azam and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan.
While neither has previously played in the competition, both had entered the draft in 2024.
Pakistan’s Test series against West Indies scheduled for August may keep some red-ball specialists occupied, but white-ball only players remain available during The Hundred window.
IPL Ownership Controversy
The registration list emerges against the backdrop of a controversial BBC report from March 19 alleging that no IPL-owned Hundred team would bid for Pakistani players in the upcoming auction.
According to the report, a “senior ECB official” communicated to an agent that interest in Pakistani players would be restricted to teams not under IPL ownership.
Pakistan players have been absent from the IPL since 2008, and few features in foreign franchises owned by IPL entities.
Currently, four IPL franchises hold significant stakes in Hundred teams:
- Lucknow Super Giants’ parent company owns 70% of Manchester Super Giants
- Sun Group (Sunrisers Hyderabad) holds 100% ownership of Sunrisers Leeds
- Ambani family (Mumbai Indians) owns 49% of MI London
- GMR Group (Delhi Capitals) owns 49% of Southern Brave, while also holding a majority stake in Hampshire CCC
ECB’s Position and Response
Last year, ECB chief executive Richard Gould expressed confidence that “players from all nations would be selected for teams” in The Hundred, noting that anti-discrimination policies were implemented following the ECB’s sale of shares in the six teams.
An ECB spokesperson reiterated this stance in response to the BBC report: “The Hundred welcomes men’s and women’s players from all over the world and we would expect the eight teams to reflect that.”
The situation drew a sharp response from former England captain Michael Vaughan, who posted on X: “The ECB need to act fast on this, they own the league and this should not be allowed to happen. The most inclusive sport in the country is not one that allows this to happen.”
Auction Process and Pakistan Contingent
Ahead of the March 11-12 auction, each of the eight teams will submit a list of 75-100 players they are most interested in signing.
A consolidated short-list of approximately 200 players will then be compiled to go under the hammer.
The Pakistan men’s contingent features a mix of established stars and emerging talent.
Apart from the six top-tier players at £100,000, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, Zaman Khan, Usman Tariq have registered at £75,000, while Salman Ali Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Sahibzada Farhan, Usama Mir, Hasan Nawaz, and Imad Wasim are among those listed at £50,000.
A further 43 players have registered at the base price of £31,000, including notable names such as Iftikhar Ahmad, Haider Ali, Shahnawaz Dahani, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Hasnain, Ihsanullah, Azam Khan, Shan Masood, Abdullah Shafique, Khushdil Shah, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, and Imam-ul-Haq.
Women’s Contingent
Four Pakistani women cricketers have also registered for The Hundred women’s auction, all at the £15,000 base price: Muneeba Ali, Diana Baig, Sadia Iqbal, and Fatima Sana.
As the auction approaches, all eyes will be on whether the IPL-owned franchises adhere to the ECB’s inclusivity expectations or whether geopolitical considerations influence player selections in cricket’s newest and most lucrative domestic competition.
