PALLEKELE: Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan on Tuesday expressed cautious optimism about featuring in The Hundred amid reports that Indian-owned franchises of the contest may overlook Pakistan players in next month’s auction.

Speaking on the eve of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup Super Eights clash against England in Pallekele, Sahibzada said that selection decisions were beyond the players’ control.

“It’s not in our hands to decide who will pick us or not,” the aggressive opener said. “Wherever we get a chance, whoever is interested can pick us and we are ready to play in that league.”

When asked about the broader trend of Pakistan players being excluded from franchises with strong Indian Premier League (IPL) links, Sahibzada responded pointedly: “And we are not interested to play with the people — the way you have spoken.”

ECB asks franchises to be wary of discrimination

The opener, however, said he remained hopeful of participating in the competition, describing The Hundred as one of the leading leagues in world cricket.

“Every player wants to play in every league … so hope for the best,” he added.

The issue has drawn attention following British media reports that four Indian-owned teams — Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds — are unlikely to consider Pakistan players in the player auction scheduled for March 11 and 12.

Pakistan cricketers have not featured in the IPL since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. A similar pattern has been observed in other IPL-linked competitions, including SA20 and the ILT20, where no Pakistan cricketers have appeared.

A total of 67 Pakistan players — 63 men and four women — have registered for the auction. The list includes prominent names such as Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Amir, all of whom have represented Pakistan in international cricket and appeared in previous editions of the tournament.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has written to all eight franchises, reminding them of their obligations under anti-discrimination policies. ECB chief executive Richard Gould previously said he expected “players from all nations” to be considered, noting that clear policies were in place.

While the ECB retains overall control of The Hundred despite the recent sale of stakes to private investors, it does not have the authority to compel teams to select specific players. Any proven discrimination could result in referral to the cricket regulator, ECB sanctions or other disciplinary action.

England white-ball captain Harry Brook recently termed any potential exclusion “a shame”.

“It would be a shame to not see some of the Pakistan players in there,” Brook said. “There’s some amazing cricketers and they bring some great crowds as well. So it would be a shame to not see some of the Pakistan players in there and make the tournament and competition even better.”

The upcoming season is scheduled to run from July 21 to August 16, with teams expected to submit their initial lists of interest ahead of the auction.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2026