London, Feb 21: Former England captain Michael Vaughan has requested the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to step in after reports emerged that the Indian Premier League-owned franchises may exclude Pakistan players from the upcoming auction for the next edition of The Hundred.The debate over the increasing role of franchise ownership structures in cricket globally has been reignited by the current controversy. As a result, this has raised many questions on whether the players’ selection policy when it comes to signing players will be affected by political tensions, given the current state of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and India.
Vaughan took on X (formerly Twitter) to post, “The ECB needs 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,” he wrote.
Of the eight franchises competing in ‘The Hundred’, four teams have some form of ownership from the Indian Premier League (IPL). This has caused speculation about whether player selection policies may be accountable for the long history of no Pakistani players being part of the IPL.
Although there is no definitive proof that no Pakistani players will participate in ‘The Hundred’, this has created anxiety among administrators observing from the sidelines.
Pakistani cricketers have played in The Hundred before without issues. Imad Wasim played for Northern Superchargers last season, which has now been renamed Sunrisers Leeds. Other notable Pakistani players like Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, and Haris Rauf have also participated in earlier editions. However, no Pakistani woman cricketer has taken part in the tournament yet.
Richard Gould, chief executive of England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), has previously emphasised the ECB’s commitment to inclusiveness. In previous statements, he has expressed confidence and support for the selection of players from all countries.