Brook Comments on Pakistan Players' Participation in The Hundred
England limited-overs captain Harry Brook stated it would be "a shame" if Pakistan players were excluded from participating in The Hundred this year.
Sources have informed that Pakistan players are not being considered by the four Indian-owned franchises for the upcoming auction, scheduled for 11 and 12 March.
Brook, a Yorkshire batter, has already been signed by the Indian-owned Sunrisers Leeds, formerly Northern Superchargers, and will be the highest-paid player in the tournament with a fee of £465,000.
Having captained the Superchargers in the previous two seasons, Brook revealed he will not serve as captain this year.
"My main focus at the minute is to play the T20 World Cup," said the 26-year-old, speaking a day before England's Super 8s match against Sri Lanka.
"That part of The Hundred is above me and whatever they decided to do is up to them.
"Pakistan have been a great cricket nation for many years and have some awesome players, some of the best players in the world.
"It would be a shame not to see some of them in The Hundred."
IPL-Linked Teams Not Considering Pakistan Players
A total of 67 Pakistan players have registered for The Hundred auction, comprising 63 male and four female players.
According to messages seen by the BBC, a senior official from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) indicated to an agent that interest in Pakistan players would be limited to franchises not linked to the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Four of the eight franchises—Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave, and Sunrisers Leeds—are at least partially owned by companies that also control IPL teams.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan commented on Friday that the ECB "need to act fast" because excluding players based on nationality "should not be allowed to happen."
Players from Pakistan have not participated in the IPL since 2009 due to diplomatic tensions between Pakistan and India. A refusal to sign Pakistan players in The Hundred would continue a similar pattern seen in other franchise leagues.
No Pakistan players have featured in South Africa's SA20 league, which launched in 2023. All six teams in that league are owned by IPL franchise groups, including the four now involved in The Hundred.
In the United Arab Emirates' ILT20, franchises controlled by the owners of MI London and Southern Brave have not signed any Pakistan players over four seasons, although they have recruited cricketers from 15 other nationalities.
By contrast, the American-owned ILT20 side Desert Vipers have signed eight Pakistan players during the same period.
Brook Steps Down as Captain, Focuses on England Duties
Brook, who will have a busy summer as a multi-format England player, confirmed he has informed Sunrisers Leeds that he will not continue as captain.
"I am staying away from that stuff and will let the head coach and whoever is in charge control that," he said.
In response to the BBC's initial report, an ECB spokesperson stated:
"The Hundred welcomes men's and women's players from all over the world and we would expect the eight teams to reflect that.
Almost 1,000 cricketers from 18 nations have registered for The Hundred auction, with representation on the longlist of over 50 players respectively from Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan and West Indies."
The four Hundred teams not owned by IPL franchises are Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit, Trent Rockets, and Welsh Fire.
