The performance of the Pakistani team in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 may be the same, but there is a different uproar regarding its players outside the tournament. The reason for this is a report of Pakistani players not being bought in the auction which is going to be held for the first time in England's franchise tournament 'The Hundred'. It was claimed that franchises with Indian owners would not buy Pakistani players in the auction. Since then, it is constantly under the scanner and now MI London, associated with the Mumbai Indians franchise, has assured not to do so.
A statement was issued on social media on the night of Tuesday 24 February by MI London, a franchise of Reliance Group of famous Indian industrialist Mukesh Ambani. In this, the franchise said, "MI London is committed to ensuring that The Hundred tournament remains inclusive and open to all. Players should not be excluded on the basis of their nationality. Together with the other 7 teams, we commit that selection will be made on the basis of performance, availability and the needs of each team."
MI London is committed to ensuring The Hundred is a competition that it is inclusive, welcoming and open to all.
Players must not be excluded on the grounds of their nationality.
Besides the other seven teams, we commit to selection being based solely on cricketing. pic.twitter.com/oOZgJJX3cA
— MI London (@MILondonCricket) February 24, 2026
This statement of MI London has come at a time when the England Cricket Board had also written a letter to all the franchises instructing them not to discriminate on the basis of nationality. Besides, ECB itself also issued a statement denying the possibility of any kind of discrimination in its tournament and said that this league will provide equal opportunities for all players. The board said in its statement, “The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and all eight teams of ‘The Hundred’ confirm that they are fully committed to keeping ‘The Hundred’ an inclusive, welcoming and open tournament for all.”
The ECB also said that it has made rules to deal with discrimination. According to the statement, "The ECB is committed to ensuring that there is no room for discrimination, and has put in place strict measures to tackle any such conduct. Players should not be excluded on the basis of their nationality."
Let us tell you that last year ECB had sold its stake in all the 8 franchises of the league. Out of this, Sunrisers Hyderabad bought shares in the team of Leeds, Lucknow Super Giants in Manchester team, Mumbai Indians in Oval Invincibles and GMR Group of Delhi Capitals bought shares in Southern Brave.
