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MI London issues STRONG statement amid claims of Pakistani player boycott in The Hundred, says…

MI London breaks silence after reports suggested IPL-linked teams would avoid Pakistani players in The Hundred auction.

user-circle cricketcountry.com Written by Srijal Upadhyay
Published: Feb 25, 2026, 02:23 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 25, 2026, 02:23 PM (IST)

Reports a few days ago claimed that Indian-owned franchises in England’s The Hundred league had decided not to buy Pakistani players in this year’s auction. It was said that four IPL-linked teams would skip Pakistani players completely. But now MI London has come out with a strong statement.

MI London’s official statement

MI London wants to make sure that ‘The Hundred’ is a tournament where everyone is welcome and all players get equal opportunity. No player will be excluded based on their country or nationality. Like the other seven teams, we are fully committed to selecting players only on the basis of their skill, availability and team needs,” MI London posted on their social media handle.

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This makes it clear that MI London will not boycott Pakistani players in The Hundred.

Many Pakistani stars in the auction

The Hundred auction will have almost 1,000 players from around the world. Pakistan has many big names registered, including stars like Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Imad Wasim.

MI London’s statement came after the England Cricket Board (ECB) also spoke on the matter.

What the England Cricket Board said

The ECB released a clear message: “England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and all eight teams in ‘The Hundred’ confirm that they are fully committed to keeping The Hundred an inclusive, welcoming and open tournament for everyone. The ECB is committed to ensuring there is no place for discrimination, and strict rules are in place to deal with any such behaviour. Players should not be excluded based on their nationality.”

It is worth noting that four franchises in The Hundred have ownership links with IPL teams: Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians, and Delhi Capitals.

This issue had created a lot of talk earlier, but both MI London and the ECB have now made it clear that selection will be based purely on cricket ability and team requirements. No player will be left out because of their country.

The Hundred auction is expected to see strong participation from Pakistani talent, and the focus will now be on fair selections for all.

Also Read: Pakistani players ignored in The Hundred? PCB raises concerns with ECB over IPL owned teams