Michael Vaughan orders ECB to punish Indian owners for blocking Pakistan players from The Hundred

Former England captain Michael Vaughan said that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) must ensure Pakistan players are part of the Hundred 2026. Vaughan stated that the board should not allow Indian franchise owners to dictate terms, adding that Pakistan players must be included in the tournament.

According to a report from the BBC on Thursday, Pakistan players may only be allowed to play for Hundred teams with no Indian ownership. Notably, Indian-owned franchises in the ILT20 and SA20 have avoided signing players from Pakistan, and the same approach is now expected in the Hundred.

There are four teams in the Hundred with Indian owners: MI London, Manchester Super Giants, Southern Brave, and SunRisers Leeds. Indian ownership of these franchises began in October last year.

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ECB Board Has to Act Quickly - Michael Vaughan on Indian Owners and Pakistan Players

In a column for The Telegraph, Michael Vaughan said that the England and Wales Cricket Board must not allow outside influence in the Hundred. Vaughan stated that the ECB must protect the values the competition was built on.

“The Hundred was set up to be an inclusive competition designed to appeal to a different audience, which is why the England and Wales Cricket Board has to act quickly if reports are true that new Indian owners will not select Pakistani players,” Michael Vaughan wrote.

More than 50 Pakistan players registered for the auction for the Hundred on Friday, including Salman Ali Agha, Usman Tariq, and Shaheen Shah Afridi. However, there is still uncertainty over whether franchises with Indian ownership will select any of them at the auction.

Potential to Turn Away the Large Pakistan Population - Michael Vaughan

Michael Vaughan said that the tournament must connect with all cricket fans. Vaughan stated that this would send the wrong message and added that the England and Wales Cricket Board wants to make English cricket the most inclusive sport in the country.

“I am a huge fan of the Hundred, but it has to appeal to all supporters for it to have any credibility. This has the potential to turn away the large Pakistan population that lives in England and loves cricket."

"What message does that send about our game? If true, it makes a mockery of the stated aim of Richard Thompson, the ECB chairman, to make English cricket the most inclusive sport in the country,” he added.

Like to Hear a Proper Explanation from the ECB - Michael Vaughan

The cricketer-turned-commentator said there is no valid reason for Indian-owned teams to avoid picking Pakistan players in the Hundred. He stated that if both teams can play World Cup matches, then selecting Pakistan players in an overseas league should not be an issue.

“If no Pakistan players are signed by the Indian-owned franchises, then we have our answer. I would then like to hear a proper explanation from a senior ECB figure. We need to know if the owners indicated to the ECB they would not consider Pakistan players."

"Fundamentally, if India can play Pakistan in a World Cup match, then surely Indian owners can pick Pakistan players in a foreign league. I can understand it is too sensitive in the IPL, but this has exported the problem to other countries,” Vaughan wrote.

“You also wonder what precedent this could set. The ECB runs the Hundred but if this informal ban on Pakistan players happens then we know who really runs the competition and it is not the governing body."

"If they are not signed for political reasons we cannot allow that to happen in the UK because it will eventually affect our own players with Pakistani heritage. It will also damage Pakistan cricket as well, and we cannot be a part of that,” he concluded.

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