The ECB and the eight Hundred teams have released a joint statement following reports that sides linked to the Indian Premier League would decline to sign players from Pakistan.
In the statement, the eight teams committed “to selection being based solely on cricketing performance, availability, and the needs of each team.” “Players must not be excluded on the grounds of their nationality,” they added, with the ECB warning of robust action in the face of any discrimination.
The BBC reported over the weekend that an ECB official had communicated to a player agent that his Pakistani players would only be considered by the four non-IPL owned teams. This is in line with selection policies in other competitions with IPL involvement. In the SA20, in which all six sides are linked to IPL teams, no Pakistan player has featured as yet. In the ILT20, 2025 title winners Desert Vipers were the only side to sign Pakistan players, and the only side without a link to an IPL team.
READ: Mark Butcher on Hundred Pakistan shadow ban: ECB has made itself hostage to outside influences
In the Hundred, four of eight teams are owned in part or full by IPL team owners. Since the BBC’s report, the Hundred’s player list for its inaugural auction has been released, with 67 Pakistani players featuring. It was since reported, again by BBC, that the ECB had reminded the Hundred team owners of their commitment to inclusion, with the joint statement claiming that the ECB and eight teams will “continue working proactively to ensure that the competition is a benchmark for inclusivity”.
Read the statement from the ECB and eight Hundred teams in full:
"The England and Wales Cricket Board and all eight of The Hundred team franchises reaffirm their commitment to ensuring The Hundred continues to be a competition that is inclusive, welcoming and open to all.
"The Hundred was established to reach new audiences, grow the game of cricket and ensure that everyone – regardless of their ethnicity, gender, faith, nationality or other – can feel they belong in our sport. This has been a guiding principle from the outset and remains at the heart of everything we do.
"As the governing body responsible for running the tournament, the ECB is committed to ensuring there is no place for discrimination, and has regulations in place to take robust action to tackle any such conduct. Players must not be excluded on the grounds of their nationality.
"All eight teams commit to selection being based solely on cricketing performance, availability, and the needs of each team.
"This reflects the broader commitment of the ECB to make cricket the most inclusive sport, creating opportunities, breaking down barriers and ensuring that players from all backgrounds have a fair and equal pathway to the top of the game.
"We want The Hundred to feature the very best talent from across the world, and will continue working proactively to ensure that the competition is a benchmark for inclusivity."
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