'A shame' if Pakistan players excluded from Hundred

England limited-overs captain Harry Brook said it would be "a shame" if Pakistan players were excluded from playing in The Hundred this year.

Sources have told BBC Sport that Pakistan players are not being considered by the four Indian-owned sides for the auction, which will take place on 11 and 12 March.

Yorkshire batter Brook has already been signed by Indian-owned Sunrisers Leeds, previously known as Northern Superchargers, and will be the tournament's highest-paid player after receiving a fee of £465,000.

He captained the Superchargers in the past two seasons but revealed he will not do so this year.

"My main focus at the minute is to play the T20 World Cup," said the 26-year-old, speaking a day before England's Super 8s match against Sri Lanka.

"That part of The Hundred is above me and whatever they decided to do is up to them.

"Pakistan have been a great cricket nation for many years and have some awesome players, some of the best players in the world.

"It would be a shame not to see some of them in The Hundred."

Sixty-three male and four female players from Pakistan have signed up for The Hundred auction.

In messages seen by the BBC, a senior official from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) indicated to an agent that interest in his Pakistan players would be limited to sides not linked to the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Four of the eight franchises - Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds - are now at least part-owned by companies that control IPL teams.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan said on Friday that the ECB "need to act fast" because omitting players based on their nationality "should not be allowed to happen".

Players from Pakistan have not featured in the IPL since 2009 because of diplomatic tensions between Pakistan and India, and a refusal to sign players in The Hundred would follow the trend elsewhere in the franchise world.

No Pakistan players have featured in South Africa's SA20, which launched in 2023. All six of its teams are owned by IPL franchise groups - including the four now involved in The Hundred.

In the United Arab Emirates' ILT20, franchises controlled by the owners of MI London and Southern Brave have not signed a Pakistan player across four seasons, but have recruited cricketers from 15 other nationalities.

By contrast, American-owned ILT20 side Desert Vipers have signed eight Pakistan players over the same period.

Brook, who will have another busy schedule this summer as a multi-format England player, said he has already told Sunrisers he will not continue as captain.

"I am staying away from that stuff and will let the head coach and whoever is in charge control that," he said.

In response to the BBC's initial story, an ECB spokesperson said: "The Hundred welcomes men's and women's players from all over the world and we would expect the eight teams to reflect that.

"Almost 1,000 cricketers from 18 nations have registered for The Hundred auction, with representation on the longlist of over 50 players respectively from Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan and West Indies."

Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit, Trent Rockets and Welsh Fire are the four Hundred teams not owned by IPL franchises.