The India-Pakistan row has not slowed down. It has escalated as reports are arising that some ‘The Hundred’ franchisees are Indian-owned sides, so Pakistan cricketers are not being taken into consideration for next month’s auction. For the upcoming season, four of the franchises will be owned by owners from the IPL.
Pakistan players have been banned from playing in the IPL since 2009, due to tensions between the two countries. However, the reports are just in the state of rumours as nothing has been confirmed yet, as the new owners are warned by ECB chief executive Richard Gould that he expects “players from all nations to be selected for all teams.”
Michael Vaughan opposes the stance on anti-Pakistan sentiment
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has also voiced his concern over the matter and has tweeted, saying, “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.”
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 .. https://t.co/IYysTSIYHt
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) February 20, 2026
One agent who represents Pakistani cricketers told Telegraph Sport: “It’s a given, they have been doing the same all around the world. Now that they are in the Hundred, I don’t see any difference.
“I’ve personally reached out to franchises in ILT, MLC, SA20 and now the Hundred. They would love to have Pakistanis but due to political pressure back in India, they will never risk going against the government. They will never admit in writing.”
“Another agent reaffirmed a de facto ban on Pakistani players. No one is officially going to draw that line in the sand but we all know Pakistan players have zero chance at Indian-owned franchises for the most part. That’s always the case with those teams.”
PAK players to feature in Hundred?
Only two Pakistani players, Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim, appeared in last year’s Hundred, before private investors took over the ownership. The Pakistan players are having a concern from the Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave, and Sunrisers Leeds, who are partially owned by the IPL franchise, as they might take the same step as the IPL.
Except for the Hundred, the SA 20, ILT20, and MLC have IPL owners, so as of now, no such actions have taken place in these competitions. It has been reported that BBL will also be handed over to some owners who will also sell their franchises to Indian owners by next year. It will really be difficult for the Pakistan players to feature in the above-mentioned leagues.
KKR is open to signing Pakistan players
New Zealand is set to launch a new league, which will be controlled by Indian owners as well. The IPL and Indian based owners are trying to run a monopoly in the cricketing circuit. This showcases the power of BCCI and the Indian based owners who have gained so much attraction from the cricketing fraternity across the world.
The Indian business owners are yet to reply to the matter. However, the Knight Riders franchise group, who own Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL and teams in the Caribbean, UAE, and USA, is open to signing Pakistan players despite the others opposing it.
Also Read: Pakistan cricketers facing global ban! Full list of leagues where Indian owners are shutting doors
