Pakistani cricketers find themselves at the centre of yet another transnational cricket-politics storm, this time in a tournament not even played in South Asia. A BBC investigation reported that the four franchises in England’s Hundred competition linked to Indian Premier League owners were “not considering” Pakistan players for the upcoming draft, an “unwritten rule” that mirrors what has already become standard practice for Indian‑owned teams in other leagues.

For a country whose players helped build the glamour and skills of modern white‑ball cricket, this pattern is not a mere selection quirk. It is India’s informal Pakistan boycott exported into other foreign leagues, riding on the financial muscle of Indian Premier League owners and a political climate in New Delhi that treats punishing Pakistan cricketers as profitable domestic politics.

What is the controversy about? 

The Hundred is the England and Wales Cricket Board or ECB’s 100‑ball franchise tournament with eight city‑based teams. Four of those Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds are fully or partly owned by the same corporate groups that run IPL franchises, after the ECB sold stakes in the Hundred teams last year. This resulted in the eight sides being valued at almost £1 billion.

The BBC reported that a senior official at the ECB had informed some players’ agents that interest in Pakistani players would be limited to the four Hundred sides run by non-IPL owners. It is this allegation of a blanket nationality‑based veto by Indian‑linked owners in an English league that has turned a franchise draft into a political flashpoint.

Isn’t this outright discrimination?

If teams exclude players solely because they are from Pakistan that is discrimination in plain language. The ECB’s own policies say squad choices should be based on cricketing reasons and availability, not on nationality or ethnicity. A private “no Pakistanis” rule, even if unwritten, sits squarely against that.

The catch is that the discrimination lives in practice, not on paper. Owners do not send emails saying: “we will not sign Pakistanis”. They just never bid for them, then point to “team balance”, “workload management” or “availability” when challenged. The effect is identical to a formal ban but engineered so that it is almost impossible to prove intent.

Photo:www.thehundred.com

Is the ECB helpless then?

After the controversy erupted, the ECB warned The Hundred’s franchise owners against discriminating against Pakistani cricketers. Amid concerns of a “shadow ban,” an official ECB email warned that any evidence of bias will trigger disciplinary action.

This action could come from the ECB itself, whose officers are duty bound to report discrimination if they see it, but it is more likely to come from Chris Haward, the independent Cricket Regulator. Leading a team of 35 officers, Haward is tasked with ensuring recruitment remains meritocratic and legally compliant.

How did it become so big? 

The story blew up because it combines three powerful things money, geopolitics and England’s own rhetoric about inclusion. Over the last few years, IPL team owners have........

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