67 Pakistan players sign up for Hundred auction

Sixty-seven players from Pakistan are among those to have registered for next month’s Hundred auction, though England Test captain Ben Stokes has not signed up.

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

Former England captain Michael Vaughan said on Friday the England and Wales Cricket Board “need to act fast” because omitting players based on their nationality “should not be allowed to happen”.

“The most inclusive sport in the country is not one that allows this to happen,” he said.

Bowlers Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf, who have both played in previous seasons of The Hundred, are among the 63 men from Pakistan to register.

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 IPL.

Players from Pakistan have not featured in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2009 because of diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

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

An ECB spokesman 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.

In total, 964 players have signed up for the auction, which will be the first of its kind in the UK after the tournament moved away from a draft system after the external investment into the eight teams.

The men’s list includes England batter Joe Root, leg-spinner Adil Rashid, wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow and last year’s leading run-scorer Jordan Cox – all of whom were not retained by their franchises.

Stokes has not played in the competition since 2024, having skipped it last year to manage his workload.

Mark Wood, currently recovering from a knee injury after the Ashes, is not on the list, nor is veteran bowler James Anderson.

The overseas names include South Africa internationals Quinton de Kock, David Miller and Aiden Markram, plus West Indies internationals Jason Holder, Sherfane Rutherford and Shimron Hetmyer.

Pakistan’s Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz and Naseem Shah have also registered at the highest men’s reserve price of £100,000. Usman Tariq, Pakistan’s mystery spinner, is also on the list.

Squads will be made up of between 16 to 18 players, while there is a salary cap limit along with a salary collar – a minimum amount teams must spend.

The salary pot in the men’s competition for 2026 has risen by 45% to £2.05m per side, and the fund for women’s teams has increased by 100% to £880,000.

England internationals Em Arlott, Amy Jones, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn and Linsey Smith are among the women’s players to enter the draft at the £50,000 reserve price.

Davina Perrin, who scored a century aged 18 in last year’s eliminator, has set her reserve price at £37,500.

South Africa all-rounder Nadine de Klerk, New Zealand’s Sophie Devine, Australia’s Beth Mooney and India’s Richa Ghosh are the other women’s players in the highest bracket. India captain Harmanpreet Kaur is a notable absentee.

There are no Indians on the men’s list.