Hundred | Pakistan

England captain Harry Brook said on Saturday that it would be “a shame” if Pakistani players were shut out of England’s domestic white-ball Hundred competition by Indian-owned franchises. Former England skipper Michael Vaughan on Friday urged the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to “act fast” on BBC reports that Pakistani players will be “overlooked” in the player auction next month. Ahead of England’s opening Super Eights clash against Sri Lanka in Kandy on Sunday, Brook — who will play for Indian-owned Sunrisers Leeds in the Hundred this year — was asked about the issue. “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,” said Brook. “But what I would say is Pakistan have been a great cricket nation for many years.” Long-standing political tensions between India and Pakistan have led to the border rivals only playing each other in international cricket events. Their Colombo showdown at the ongoing T20 World Cup only went ahead after Pakistan...

• BBC, Telegraph reports say Indian-owned franchises won’t bid for Pakistani players • Former England captain Vaughan says ECB should not allow this to happen FORMER captain Michael Vaughan has urged the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to “act fast” on reports that Pakistani players will be overlooked by Indian-owned teams in the domestic Hundred competition. The issue could be a factor during next month’s player auction for English cricket’s Hundred, a 100 balls-per-side competition featuring eight franchises rather than the traditional 18 first-class counties. BBC Sport and The Telegraph have reported that with four of the eight franchises in the upcoming tournament owned by companies that control teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL), it is “an unwritten rule” that Pakistani players would not be considered for those team. According to the BBC, a senior ECB official indicated to an agent that interest in his Pakistan players would be limited to sides not linked to the IPL. Vaughan, referencing the ...

Former captain Michael Vaughan has urged the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to “act fast” on reports that Pakistani players will be overlooked by Indian-owned teams in the domestic Hundred competition. Longstanding political tensions between India and Pakistan have led to the border rivals only playing each other in international cricket events, although their recent Colombo showdown at the ongoing T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka only went ahead after Pakistan called off a boycott. It has been claimed that politics has also led to an effective ban on Pakistani players participating in the Indian Premier League, world cricket’s most lucrative T20 franchise competition. And with several IPL owners now owning teams in several different countries, opportunities for Pakistani cricketers to participate in various leagues are in danger of being reduced further. The BBC has now reported that the issue could be a factor during next month’s player auction for English cricket’s Hundred, a 100 balls-per-side ...