The recently concluded The Hundred Draft saw a complete snub of Pakistani players, with all 50 cricketers, including big names like <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/naseem-shah">Naseem Shah</a>, Saim Ayub, and Shadab Khan, going unsold. Despite the presence of 45 male and five female cricketers in the draft pool, none found takers, raising speculation over the reasons behind this exclusion.
Pakistan&rsquo;s top players had placed themselves in premium price categories, yet none were selected. Naseem Shah &amp; Shadab Khan &ndash; $155,000 (top bracket), Saim Ayub &ndash; $102,000 (approximately). Similarly, women&rsquo;s cricketers Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana, Yusra Amir, Iram Javed, and Jaweria Rauf also failed to attract bids.
<h2>Possible reasons for snub</h2>
1. Growing influence of IPL owners in The Hundred One of the key factors behind this widespread snub could be the increasing presence of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/indian-premier-league">Indian Premier League</a> (IPL) franchise owners in The Hundred. Currently, several teams in the tournament are either fully or partially owned by IPL stakeholders:
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Oval Invincibles &ndash; Owned by Mumbai Indians</li>
<li>Manchester Originals &ndash; Lucknow Super Giants</li>
<li>Northern Superchargers &ndash; Sunrisers Hyderabad</li>
<li>Southern Brave &ndash; Delhi Capitals</li>
</ul>
Beyond IPL franchises, other Indian-origin businessmen have also invested in The Hundred:
<ul style="list-style-type: square;">
<li>Welsh Fire &ndash; 50% stake owned by Sanjay Govil, an Indian-American entrepreneur London Spirit &ndash; 49% stake acquired by Cricket Investor Holdings Limited, a consortium of Silicon Valley tech entrepreneurs</li>
<li>Given the long-standing cricketing rivalry between India and Pakistan and the IPL&rsquo;s exclusion of Pakistani players since 2009, this ownership factor may have played a role in franchises steering clear of Pakistan cricketers.</li>
</ul>
2. Pakistan&rsquo;s recent struggles in white-ball cricket Another major factor could be Pakistan&rsquo;s inconsistent performances in white-ball formats over the past year. With underwhelming results in ODIs and T20Is, and key players struggling to make an impact in global leagues, teams might have preferred more in-form players from other nations.
3. PCB&rsquo;s NOC issues &amp; player availability concerns In recent years, Pakistani players have faced No Objection Certificate (NOC) issues from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/pakistan-cricket-board">Pakistan Cricket Board</a> (PCB). Last year, players like Naseem Shah and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/shaheen-afridi">Shaheen Afridi</a> had difficulties securing NOCs, leading to uncertainty about their availability for The Hundred. Teams may have hesitated to invest in players who could face last-minute withdrawal issues due to PCB regulations.
<h2>What this means for Pakistan cricket</h2>
The complete exclusion of Pakistani players from The Hundred Draft signals a worrying trend for Pakistan cricket. While commercial and ownership factors may have played a part, the lack of demand for Pakistani players in top leagues could also point to deeper issues related to performance, board policies, and global cricketing politics.
With The Hundred growing in stature, this snub could push Pakistan&rsquo;s cricketers and PCB to reassess their approach to international leagues and player management to ensure better representation in future drafts.
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Cricket: Despite the presence of 45 male and five female cricketers in the draft pool, none found takers, raising speculation over the reasons behind this exclusion

The recently concluded The Hundred Draft saw a complete snub of Pakistani players, with all 50 cricketers, including big names like Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, and Shadab Khan, going unsold. Despite the presence of 45 male and five female cricketers in the draft pool, none found takers, raising speculation over the reasons behind this exclusion. Pakistan’s top players had placed themselves in premium price categories, yet none were selected. Naseem Shah & Shadab Khan – $155,000 (top bracket), Saim Ayub – $102,000 (approximately). Similarly, women’s cricketers Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana, Yusra Amir, Iram Javed, and Jaweria Rauf also failed to attract bids. Possible reasons for snub 1. Growing influence of IPL owners in The Hundred One of the key factors behind this widespread snub could be the increasing presence of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise owners in The Hundred. Currently, several teams in the tournament are either fully or partially owned by IPL stakeholders: Oval Invincibles – Owned by Mumbai Indians Manchester Originals – Lucknow Super Giants Northern Superchargers – Sunrisers Hyderabad Southern Brave – Delhi Capitals Beyond IPL franchises, other Indian-origin businessmen have also invested in The Hundred: Welsh Fire – 50% stake owned by Sanjay Govil, an Indian-American entrepreneur London Spirit – 49% stake acquired by Cricket Investor Holdings Limited, a consortium of Silicon Valley tech entrepreneurs Given the long-standing cricketing rivalry between India and Pakistan and the IPL’s exclusion of Pakistani players since 2009, this ownership factor may have played a role in franchises steering clear of Pakistan cricketers. 2. Pakistan’s recent struggles in white-ball cricket Another major factor could be Pakistan’s inconsistent performances in white-ball formats over the past year. With underwhelming results in ODIs and T20Is, and key players struggling to make an impact in global leagues, teams might have preferred more in-form players from other nations. 3. PCB’s NOC issues & player availability concerns In recent years, Pakistani players have faced No Objection Certificate (NOC) issues from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Last year, players like Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi had difficulties securing NOCs, leading to uncertainty about their availability for The Hundred. Teams may have hesitated to invest in players who could face last-minute withdrawal issues due to PCB regulations. What this means for Pakistan cricket The complete exclusion of Pakistani players from The Hundred Draft signals a worrying trend for Pakistan cricket. While commercial and ownership factors may have played a part, the lack of demand for Pakistani players in top leagues could also point to deeper issues related to performance, board policies, and global cricketing politics. With The Hundred growing in stature, this snub could push Pakistan’s cricketers and PCB to reassess their approach to international leagues and player management to ensure better representation in future drafts. (With inputs from agencies)

All 50 Pakistan cricketers overlooked in The Hundred Draft – Here's why

Australian stars Ashleigh Gardner and Asam Zampa&nbsp;headline a group of eight players who have signed up for Birmingham Phoenix in next year’s inaugural The Hundred competition.

Leg-spinner Zampa, who is ranked five in the ICC men’s T20 bowler rankings, and all-rounder Gardner, who won the ICC women’s T20 World Cup earlier this year, join a further six locally-based players from Warwickshire and Worcestershire in committing to Birmingham Phoenix.

Warwickshire batsman Adam Hose and fast bowler Henry Brookes, alongside Worcestershire seamer Pat Brown, have signed up for the Birmingham Phoenix men’s team. Warwickshire and Central Sparks batters Ria Fackrell, Eve Jones and Marie Kelly have also joined the Edgbaston-based outfit.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/addition-of-2-new-ipl-teams-set-to-be-approved-at-bcci-agm-reports-347137" hreflang="en">Addition of 2 new IPL teams set to be approved at BCCI AGM: Reports</a>

Adam Zampa&nbsp;said: “I’m over the moon to know that I’m staying with Birmingham Phoenix and to help this new team mount a serious challenge in this first year of The Hundred.

“Birmingham is a fantastic city and I’m really looking forward to calling Edgbaston home. Hopefully we can welcome crowds and our new fans to the ground because, having played against England at Edgbaston, I know that the atmosphere there is awesome.”

Ashleigh Gardner&nbsp;said: “We’ve got the makings of an excellent Birmingham Phoenix squad and I can’t wait to get going in next year’s competition and to continue working with head coach Ben Sawyer, who I know so well from Sydney Sixers and the Australia women’s team.

“Speaking to players around the world, there’s so much excitement around The Hundred and it’s fantastic to see so many of the best players coming for this first competition. I believe that we’ve got a great chance of going all of the way and bringing the trophy back to Birmingham.”

Birmingham Phoenix announced last month that Birmingham-born England all-rounder Moeen Ali will captain the men’s team in 2021 with leading New Zealand all-rounder Sophie Devine appointed women’s team captain.

They will be joined by fellow England stars and Birmingham’s own all-rounder Chris Woakes and wicketkeeper-batter Amy Jones in the men’s and women’s squads respectively. Warwickshire and England men’s Test batsman Dom Sibley was also announced within the Phoenix squad last month.

Further players will be announced in the coming weeks.

Australian stars Ashleigh Gardner and Asam Zampa headline a group of eight players who have signed up for Birmingham Phoenix in next year’s inaugural The Hundred competition.

Australian stars Ashleigh Gardner and Asam Zampa headline a group of eight players who have signed up for Birmingham Phoenix in next year’s inaugural The Hundred competition. Leg-spinner Zampa, who is ranked five in the ICC men’s T20 bowler rankings, and all-rounder Gardner, who won the ICC women’s T20 World Cup earlier this year, join a further six locally-based players from Warwickshire and Worcestershire in committing to Birmingham Phoenix. Warwickshire batsman Adam Hose and fast bowler Henry Brookes, alongside Worcestershire seamer Pat Brown, have signed up for the Birmingham Phoenix men’s team. Warwickshire and Central Sparks batters Ria Fackrell, Eve Jones and Marie Kelly have also joined the Edgbaston-based outfit. ALSO READ: Addition of 2 new IPL teams set to be approved at BCCI AGM: Reports Adam Zampa said: “I’m over the moon to know that I’m staying with Birmingham Phoenix and to help this new team mount a serious challenge in this first year of The Hundred. “Birmingham is a fantastic city and I’m really looking forward to calling Edgbaston home. Hopefully we can welcome crowds and our new fans to the ground because, having played against England at Edgbaston, I know that the atmosphere there is awesome.” Ashleigh Gardner said: “We’ve got the makings of an excellent Birmingham Phoenix squad and I can’t wait to get going in next year’s competition and to continue working with head coach Ben Sawyer, who I know so well from Sydney Sixers and the Australia women’s team. “Speaking to players around the world, there’s so much excitement around The Hundred and it’s fantastic to see so many of the best players coming for this first competition. I believe that we’ve got a great chance of going all of the way and bringing the trophy back to Birmingham.” Birmingham Phoenix announced last month that Birmingham-born England all-rounder Moeen Ali will captain the men’s team in 2021 with leading New Zealand all-rounder Sophie Devine appointed women’s team captain. They will be joined by fellow England stars and Birmingham’s own all-rounder Chris Woakes and wicketkeeper-batter Amy Jones in the men’s and women’s squads respectively. Warwickshire and England men’s Test batsman Dom Sibley was also announced within the Phoenix squad last month. Further players will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Hundred: Aussie stars Gardner and Zampa lead eight players committing to Birmingham Phoenix

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All 50 Pakistan cricketers overlooked in The Hundred Draft – Here's why

The Hundred: Aussie stars Gardner and Zampa lead eight players committing to Birmingham Phoenix