A total of 50 players – 45 men and five women – had registered for The Hundred draft ahead of the fifth season of ECB’s flagship white-ball competition. However, the fact that not one of them landed a deal with any of the eight franchises raised eyebrows in the wider cricketing community.
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The player draft for the fifth season of The Hundred took place on Wednesday, and England all-rounder Jamie Overton was among the top picks as London Spirit secured him for £200,000. Also featuring among the top picks were former England left-arms seamer David Willey (Trent Rockets), New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell (Southern Brave) and Afghanistan left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad (Manchester Originals).
Former Australian opener David Warner too is set to make his maiden appearance in the England and Wales’s (ECB) flagship white-ball event after getting picked by Southern Brave for £120,000.
The first pick from a huge pool of domestic talent 🏡
Jamie Overton is locked in for London Spirit! 🔐#TheHundredDraft | @tyrrells pic.twitter.com/YOOu9H7tqZ
— The Hundred (@thehundred) March 13, 2025
However, legendary English pacer James Anderson went unsold at the draft, as did Rocky Flintoff – son of iconic all-rounder Andrew Flintoff.
What was also surprising was the fact that none of the 50 Pakistanis that had registered for The Hundred 2025 draft were picked.
Why Pakistanis were snubbed in The Hundred 2025 draft
Of the 50 Pakistanis that had registered for The Hundred draft, 45 had applied for the men’s draft and five for the women’s draft. While limited slots and options could be the reason why Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana, Yusra Amir, Iram Javed and Jaweria Rauf in the women’s draft, the fact that not one of the 45 male players got included in a franchise certainly raises eyebrows.
Then again, it’s worth remembering that privatisation of the league could be a reason behind the Pakistanis’ snub. The ECB had invited private investments into all the eight franchises that are part of the league, and four of them went to existing IPL franchises.
Mumbai Indians owners Reliance Industries acquired a 49 per cent stake in the Oval Invincibles while the Sanjiv Goenka-led RPSG Group, which owns the Lucknow Super Giants franchise, bought a 70 per cent stake in Manchester Originals.
Looking ahead to the new season of #TheHundred with confidence. Our #ManchesterOriginals squads bring a strong mix of talent and experience – ready to take on the challenge. pic.twitter.com/gnR7HEJFLc
— Dr. Sanjiv Goenka (@DrSanjivGoenka) March 13, 2025
Sun Group, which owns Sunrisers Hyderabad, acquired a 100 per cent stake in Northern Superchargers while Delhi Capitals co-owners GMR Group bought a 49 per cent stake in Southern Brave besides taking over host county Hampshire.
Now it’s worth remembering that Pakistani players have not played in the IPL since the inaugural edition in 2008 – in which Shoaib Akhtar had represented Kolkata Knight Riders and Shahid Afridi was part of the Deccan Chargers squad.
The 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, however, not only led to a breakdown in relations between India and Pakistan, it also led to India halting bilateral cricketing relations with Pakistan. Former cricketers such as Wasim Akram and Rameez Raja remained part of the IPL for a few more years in the capacity of a coach and commentator, but that too would come to an end later.
South Africa’s premier T20 league SA20 features six franchises that are all owned by IPL franchises, and does not feature a single Pakistani. So even though there hasn’t been any official announcement on the matter, either by the franchises or by the ECB, the privatisation could be the reason behind the Pakistanis getting snubbed from yet another private league.
Pakistan’s international schedule to blame?
While the privatisation certainly appears to be a likely reason for the Pakistani players getting snubbed, it could also be due to concerns over their availability during the fifth season. 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. The players will also have to make themselves available for the preparatory camp for the Asia Cup, which gets underway from the second week of September.
The franchise owners might have kept their availability in mind before making a decision on whether to pick them or not.