A total of 50 Pakistani Players, including 45 men and 5 women cricketers, had put their names in the Hundred Drafts along with 28 Bangladesh Players.

However, none of them were selected, raising concerns and speculation over the Pakistan players snubbed The Hundred draft.

What is the real reason behind Pakistan and Bangladesh players not being picked in The Hundred this year?

The franchise T20 leagues are the most lucrative cricket avenues for players to earn from the game. Pakistan, Bangladesh, West Indies, and smaller cricketing boards earn less from just playing international cricket.

Indian Premier League, The Hundred and The Big Bash League are the big 3 Rich franchise sports in the game.

The Hundred is England Cricket Board’s flagship white ball Franchise cricket. This is the fifth season of the league.

The Hundred Tournament & Draft Picks

The Hundred tournament comprises of eight teams, with seven based in England and one in Wales.

During the  Hundred 2025 team selection, players from England, Australia, and New Zealand were in high demand, while Pakistan cricketers The Hundred draft entrants remained unsold.

Hundred Picks

• England’s Jamie Overton was among the top picks as London Spirit secured him for £200,000.

• Other players included England’s left-arm seamer David Willey (Trent Rockets), New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell (Southern Brave), and Afghanistan left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad (Manchester Originals).

• Recently retired David Warner also found a buyer and was picked by Southern Brave for £120,000.

Despite Pakistan cricket news being abuzz with speculation over their stars being left out, no official reasoning was provided by The Hundred franchise decisions.

The Indian Angle to The Hundred

The Cash-Rich Indian Premier League Franchises are now in The Hundred.

Four IPL franchises won bids to buy stakes in 4 Hundred teams. Mumbai Indians, Lucknow SuperGiants, SunRisers Hyderabad, and Delhi Capitals placed the winning bids and bought Oval Invincibles, London Spirit, Northern Superchargers, and Southern Brave, respectively.

In Short

• 4 IPL teams have bought franchises in The Hundred
• IPL teams have expanded their reach in South African league and in The Hundred.

IPL teams have stakes in the CPL, SA20, and even the MLC.

Reasons floated for Pakistani snub in The Hundred 2025 draft

While it was understandable of the Bangladesh players not to be drafted, Pakistan still had some world-class players in their squad like Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Babar Azam and Rizwan. Some of the big names were expected to be drafted in The Hundred

1.   Recent Form 

• While Pakistan Cricket is going through the worst phase of their cricketing history, both on and off the field, and the constant shakeups in their administration have affected their performances in all formats of the game.

2.   Poor ICC Performance

• Pakistan’s recent performances in the last 2 ICC events have been poor, and they are currently no longer considered as Asian Giants. Afghanistan Cricket, over the years, has surpassed them as the second-best team in Asia.

3. Limited Slots and Options

• Limited slots and options available in the women’s game that restricted Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana, Yusra Amir, Iram Javed and Jaweria Rauf to be picked in the women’s draft.

4. Pakistan’s International Commitments

• Pakistan’s International commitment during the Hundred was also given as the reason. Pakistan are scheduled to tour West Indies for three ODIs and as many T20Is, starting from the last week of July to mid-August.They also also scheduled to face Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series at home and could also play Bangladesh around the same time.

5. Administrative Hassles & NOCs

• Administrative hassle in Pakistan cricket with players facing challenges to obtain No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)in the last Hundred season, which curtailed their participation in the league.

The franchises might have considered these reasons before taking the call of not considering them in the draft.

The Real Reason for the Royal Snub

Pakistan players’ participation in Hundred, as it has in the South African league, was expected to be affected in IPL-owned teams considering their history in the Indian Premier League and the bitter relationship between the two countries after the Mumbai Terror Attack.

The 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, put a complete break in relationships between the two countries, and India had snubbed all cricketing ties with Pakistan except in ICC events.

This also led to India’s stopping all bilateral tournaments.

All Pakistan players who had played the initial IPL year were snubbed by all franchises immediately after the Mumbai Terror attack.

This led to Pakistan cricketers’ exclusion from IPL. The Franchises continued their stand of not including any Pakistani player in South Africa’s premier T20 league SA20.

Six franchises in the SA 20  are all owned by IPL franchises. A Similar scenario is seen in The Hundred

IN SHORT 

• No Pakistani players have played in the IPL since 2008.
• Pakistan players were excluded from SA20, where all teams are owned by IPL franchises.
• Now, The Hundred 2025 team selection has seen a similar trend.

While there is no official statement made, it is clear why the Pakistanis are snubbed.

With IPL owners expanding their reach globally, it is unlikely that Pakistan players snubbed The Hundred will get a chance in future editions either.

Bangladesh too getting the boot in the IPL

In a surprising move, Bangladesh players also remained unsold in The Hundred 2025 draft. In the recent IPL Mega auction, no Bangladesh player was selected. Many felt that it was a direct reaction to Bangladesh’s Anti-India and anti-Hindu rhetoric.

Along with Pakistan players, Bangladesh players were also given the royal boot in The Hundred Drafts.