Fast bowler Haris Rauf has been named a marquee player among 14 men from Pakistan in the final list for The Hundred men's auction. The inclusion comes amid concerns over potential exclusion by teams linked to the Indian Premier League due to political tensions. The England and Wales Cricket Board has emphasized that selections must not discriminate based on nationality.
The Hundred, England's domestic 100-ball cricket competition, is preparing for its inaugural player auction on 11 and 12 March 2026 in London. For the men's event on 12 March, the player list has been reduced to 247 from an initial 712 registrations. Among them are 14 players from Pakistan, the third-highest number from any overseas nation after 19 from South Africa and 18 from Australia.
Haris Rauf, aged 32, tops the Pakistani contingent as a marquee player with the highest reserve price of £100,000 and will be among the first 10 men auctioned. The full list of Pakistani players includes Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Tariq, Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Zaman Khan, Usama Mir, Imad Wasim, Akif Javed, and Salman Mirza.
Concerns arose after a BBC Sport report highlighted that four Hundred teams with ownership links to IPL franchises—MI London, Manchester Super Giants, Sunrisers Leeds, and Southern Brave—might avoid Pakistani players, mirroring restrictions in the IPL since 2009 due to India-Pakistan political tensions. Similar patterns have been observed in other leagues, such as no Pakistani signings in IPL-owned teams in South Africa's SA20 since 2023 or the UAE's ILT20 over four seasons.
In response, the ECB reminded franchises of their anti-discrimination responsibilities. A joint statement from the ECB and the eight teams affirmed: "All eight teams commit to selection being based solely on cricketing performance, availability, and the needs of each team. The ECB is committed to ensuring there is no place for discrimination, and has regulations in place to take robust action to tackle any such conduct. Players must not be excluded on the grounds of their nationality."
Prior to the auction, teams could retain or sign up to four players each, with squads set to comprise 16 to 18 players. The men's salary pot has increased 45% to £2.05 million per team, while women's funding has doubled to £880,000, with a minimum female salary of £15,000. Overseas player slots have risen to four per side. Notable absences include Moeen Ali, who received no nominations, and Ben Stokes, who did not register to focus on England Test captaincy.
