England's Harry Brook voices concern that political tensions could prevent talented Pakistani cricketers from participating in The Hundred, a move he believes would diminish the competition.
Key Points
- Reports suggest Indian-owned franchises may avoid picking Pakistan players due to political tensions.
- Harry Brook highlights Pakistan's rich cricket history and the value their players bring to tournaments.
- Many Pakistan players have registered for The Hundred auction, including members of their T20 World Cup squad.
- The IPL and other leagues have seen limited or no participation from Pakistani players in recent years.
It would be "a shame" if Pakistan cricketers are excluded from the The Hundred, England's limited-over skipper Harry Brook said on Saturday.
There have been reports that Indian-owned The Hundred franchises -- Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds -- may refrain from picking Pakistan players at the auction amid concerns over potential political backlash in India due to ongoing tensions between the two neighbours.
"Our main focus now is what's coming up in the T20 World Cup. It's not really any of our business, to be honest," Brook, who has been signed by Indian-owned Sunrisers Leeds, said ahead of his team's Super Eights clash against Sri Lanka.
"But what I would say is Pakistan have been a great cricket nation for many years. I think there's about 50, 60 players in the auction, and it would be a shame to not see some of them in there."
Pakistan Players and The Hundred Auction
As many as 67 male and female cricketers from Pakistan, including almost the entire men's T20 World Cup squad, have registered for The Hundred auction to be held in London.
Several Pakistan players, including Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf, have featured in The Hundred.
The IPL has not featured Pakistani players since the 26/11 terrorist attack in 2008.
No Pakistan cricketer has featured in SA20 since its launch in 2023, with all six teams owned by franchise groups linked to the IPL.
Similarly, in the UAE's ILT20, franchises controlled by the owners of MI London and Southern Brave have not signed a single Pakistan player across four seasons.
"There's some amazing cricketers and, yeah, and they bring some great crowds as well. So it would be a shame to not see some of the Pakistan players in there and make the tournament and competition even better," Brook added.
The upcoming season of The Hundred is scheduled from July 21 to August 16, while the player auctions are slated for March 11 and 12.
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