Pakistan Players Missing from The Hundred 2026 Auction as IPL-Linked Teams Enforce Shadow Ban
Pakistan cricketers may remain unsold in The Hundred 2026 auction because of changes in team ownership. After the sale of the franchise, four teams are now owned by IPL franchises: Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave, and Sunrisers Leeds. These teams won’t target Pakistani players.
Pakistan Cricketers Likely to Miss Out as IPL-Linked Teams Stay Away at The Hundred 2026 Auction
The auction will take place in London. The women’s auction will take place on March 11, and the men’s auction will take place on March 12. A total of 1,000 players from 18 countries are up for auction, including Pakistan players. However, the IPL teams won’t target them. The reason is quite simple. Due to tensions between India and Pakistan, IPL teams don’t purchase Pakistani cricketers. This has also happened in other leagues where IPL teams are involved.
According to the BBC, an ECB spokesperson said that the four IPL-backed teams won’t target Pakistani players. In the previous seasons, Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim used to play in the Men’s Hundred. Players such as Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, and Haris Rauf have also played in the past. However, no Pakistani female cricketer has played in the Women’s Hundred.
🚨 NO PAKISTAN PLAYERS IN THE HUNDRED LEAGUE 🚨
— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) February 19, 2026
- Pakistan cricketers are not being considered by Indian owned teams for next month's The Hundred League auction. (BBC). pic.twitter.com/liDfNMtn4r
Gould had said last year that,
“I expect players from all nations to be selected for all teams. We haven’t had any need to have any discussions at this point. We have got very clear anti-discrimination policies within cricket in England. If those are not adhered to, our cricket regulator will take action,”
A similar trend is witnessed in other leagues as well. In SA20, IPL-owned teams do not select Pakistani players. In ILT20, only the American-owned Desert Vipers select Pakistani players. At present, Pakistani players might again have to wait due to some off-field reasons.
