Published: Feb 21, 2026, 04:29 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 21, 2026, 04:29 PM (IST)
England limited-overs captain Harry Brook said it would be “a shame” if Pakistan cricketers are left out of The Hundred due to political tensions with India.
Reports suggest that Indian-owned franchises – Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave, and Sunrisers Leeds – might avoid picking Pakistani players in the upcoming auction because of possible backlash in India amid the ongoing issues between the two countries.
Brook, who plays for Indian-owned Sunrisers Leeds in The Hundred, spoke about the matter ahead of England’s Super 8 clash against Sri Lanka.
“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 said.
“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.”
As many as 67 male and female cricketers from Pakistan have registered for The Hundred player auction in London. This includes almost the entire men’s T20 World Cup squad.
Many Pakistan stars have played in The Hundred before, including Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, and Haris Rauf.
Pakistan cricketers have not featured in the IPL since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
In South Africa’s SA20 (since 2023), no Pakistan player has been signed by any of the six teams, all of which are owned by groups linked to IPL franchises.
In the UAE’s ILT20, franchises owned by the same groups behind MI London and Southern Brave have not picked a single Pakistan player in four seasons.
Brook stressed that leaving out Pakistan players would hurt the competition.
“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,” he added.
The next season of The Hundred runs from July 21 to August 16, with the player auction set for March 11 and 12.
Brook’s comments come at a time when Pakistan’s participation in major leagues is under scrutiny due to geopolitical issues, but he hopes to see their talented players get a fair chance in The Hundred.
