Pallekele, Feb 21 (IANS) England white ball captain Harry Brook broke his silence on reports claiming that Pakistan players are set to be ignored by Indian owned franchises in the Hundred auction, which will be held on March 12.

Speaking ahead of England’s first T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8s match against the co-hosts, Sri Lanka, at the Pallekele International Stadium, Brook came out in support of the Pakistan players and felt that it would be shameful if they were not picked for the tournament. The 27-year-old also lauded Pakistan’s players for their talent and their ability to pull crowds.

“Pakistan have been a great cricket nation for many years. I think there’s about 50, 60 players in the auction, and it would be a shame not to see some of them in there,” Brook said in the pre-match press conference.

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

Sixty-three male and four female cricketers have reportedly registered for the Hundred auction. The list includes almost all members of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad.

There are four teams in The Hundred with some form of Indian investment: MI London, Manchester Super Giants, Southern Brave, and SunRisers Leeds. According to a BBC report, player agents have been informed that Pakistan players’ participation will be restricted to teams with no Indian investment.

Earlier, former England captain Michael Vaughan requested the England and Wales Cricket Board on Friday to step in after reports emerged that the Indian Premier League owned franchises may exclude Pakistan players from the upcoming auction.

Vaughan took to X, formerly Twitter, to post, “The ECB needs to act fast on this. They own the league, and this should not be allowed to happen. The most inclusive sport in the country is not one that allows this to happen,” he wrote.

Pakistani cricketers have played in The Hundred before without issues. Imad Wasim played for Northern Superchargers last season, which has now been renamed SunRisers Leeds. Other notable Pakistani players like Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, and Haris Rauf have also participated in earlier editions. However, no Pakistani woman cricketer has taken part in the tournament yet.

— IANS

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