Pakistan opening batter Sahibzada Farhan is one of the 63 players from the country to have signed up for the upcoming Hundred auction. However, whether he gets picked up remains to be seen. Last week, a BBC report claimed that the four teams with Indian owners would not sign any players from Pakistan, and that cricketers from the country would be limited to teams with no Indian involvement.
Indian ownership came into effect on October 1, 2025, and four teams have some form of Indian stake: MI London (Reliance), Southern Brave (GMR), Manchester Super Giants (RPSG Group), and SunRisers Leeds (Sun Group).
However, despite the reports of Pakistan players being snubbed by the Indian owners, 63 players from the country have signed up for the auction, set to take place on March 11 and 12. And Farhan is hopeful of getting picked.
“I have a lot of hope, every player wants to play for every league, and the Hundred is one of the best leagues. So hope for the best,” Farhan told reporters in the pre-match conference ahead of the T20 World Cup Super 8s match against England.
Since the inaugural season in 2008, no Pakistan player has been involved in the IPL, and no player from the national team has been picked in South Africa’s SA20 since all the sides are owned by Indians. The teams that have Indian investment in the ILT20 have also overlooked Pakistan players.
When asked what he makes of Pakistani players not being picked by teams that have Indian owners, Farhan said, “See, it’s not in our hands to decide who will pick us or not. That is not in our hands. Wherever we get a chance, those who are interested can pick us, and we are ready to play in that league. And we are not interested in playing with the people, the way you have spoken.”
ECB writes to all the teams
According to the BBC, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has already written to all the Hundred teams, reminding the owners of their responsibility. Ever since reports surfaced that Pakistani players may have been snubbed, much criticism has been directed at the organisers for not doing enough to keep everyone involved.
“There are some amazing cricketers and, yeah, they bring some great crowds as well. So it would be a shame not to see some of the Pakistan players in there and make the tournament and competition even better,” Brook told reporters.
Earlier, England white-ball captain Harry Brook had also said that it would be a shame if Pakistan players were not involved in the Hundred, which is set to be played from July 21 to August 16 in the UK.
