"It would be a shame not to see some of the Pakistan players."
England captain Harry Brook recently expressed deep concern regarding the potential exclusion of Pakistani cricketers from the Hundred competition.
He stated that it would be a shame if these talented players were shut out by franchises.
This controversy follows recent reports suggesting that Pakistani stars might be overlooked during the player auction in March 2026.
Brook addressed this issue while preparing for an opening Super Eight match against Sri Lanka in Kandy.
The young captain is scheduled to represent the Indian owned Sunrisers Leeds franchise during the upcoming edition this year.
Brook said: “Our main focus now is what’s coming up in the T20 World Cup. It’s not really any of our business, to be honest.
“But what I would say is Pakistan have been a great cricket nation for many years.”
Long-standing political tensions have limited the border rivals to only playing each other during major international cricket events.
Their recent showdown in Colombo only proceeded after the Pakistan team decided to call off a previously threatened boycott.
Brook highlighted the quality of the athletes by saying: “I think there’s about 50, 60 players in the auction.
“So it would be a shame not to see some of the Pakistan players in there and make the tournament and competition even better.”
He believes these amazing cricketers bring great crowds and help make the entire competition much better for all fans.
Former skipper Michael Vaughan urged the England and Wales Cricket Board to act fast on these very serious allegations.
Vaughan believes the governing body must investigate whether political tensions are unfairly influencing the selection of the global athletes.
He noted that the most inclusive sport in the country should not allow such exclusion to ever take place.
“The ECB need to act fast on this … they own the league, and this should not be allowed to happen.”
The newly renamed Sunrisers Leeds franchise is currently owned by the prominent Indian conglomerate known as the Sun Group.
They are one of four franchises in the league that have direct connections to the famous Indian Premier League.
Other teams with similar links include the Manchester Super Giants and the Southern Brave, along with the MI London.
Reports suggest that politics led to an effective ban on Pakistani players in the Indian league since the year 2009.
The national governing body has been unable to substantiate the claims regarding the player auction.
A spokesperson for the board said: “The Hundred welcomes men’s and women’s players from all over the world and we would expect the eight teams to reflect that.”
The cricketers Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim were the only representatives from their country during the previous cricket season.
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