The growing influence of the Indian Premier League (IPL) may have extended to England, as Pakistani cricketers remained unselected from the recently concluded men’s draft for the fifth season of The Hundred — England’s flagship white-ball competition. Of the eight participating teams, four are now partially or fully controlled by IPL franchise owners.
A total of 50 Pakistani cricketers — 45 men and five women — had registered for the draft held on Wednesday, but none were picked. While the limited slots available could explain why female cricketers Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana, Yusra Amir, Iram Javed, and Jaweria Rauf went unsold, the complete omission of Pakistani male players has raised questions.
Pakistani players have been absent from the IPL since its inaugural season in 2008, and a similar trend is evident in other IPL-owned leagues like South Africa’s SA20, which also excludes Pakistan cricketers.
Neither The Hundred franchises nor the ECB have released official statements addressing this matter.
One plausible reason for their exclusion could be the recent privatisation of The Hundred, with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) allowing private investment into its franchises.
Four teams are now partly or fully controlled by Indian Premier League (IPL) owners. Mumbai Indians’ parent company, Reliance Industries, has a 49 per cent stake in Oval Invincibles, while the Lucknow Super Giants’ RPSG Group owns 70 per cent of Manchester Originals.
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s owners, Sun Group, have taken full control of Northern Superchargers, and Delhi Capitals’ co-owners, GMR Group, now own a 49 per cent stake in Southern Brave alongside Hampshire.
Another factor could be player availability. Pakistan’s international commitments during the tournament’s window include an away series against the West Indies (ODIs and T20Is) from late July to mid-August, a home T20I series against Afghanistan, and a potential series against Bangladesh.
Franchise owners may have factored this into their decisions before finalising their squads.
England all-rounder Jamie Overton emerged as one of the top picks, secured by London Spirit for £200,000.
Other notable selections included former England left-arm seamer David Willey (Trent Rockets), New Zealand’s Michael Bracewell (Southern Brave), and Afghanistan’s Noor Ahmad (Manchester Originals).
Australian great David Warner is also set to make his debut in the tournament after being picked by Southern Brave for £120,000.
Legendary England pacer James Anderson went unsold, as did Rocky Flintoff, son of former all-rounder Andrew Flintoff.
