India-Pakistan sports relations affect worldwide league cricket:Indian franchises unwilling to offer opportunities to PAK players

The auction for ‘The Hundred’ league is set to start in England on March 11-12. 711 cricketers from 18 countries have registered. Among them, 63 are from Pakistan. However, it is being reported that teams with investment from Indian companies are not considering taking Pakistani cricketers. These circumstances are a result of the ongoing tension between the two nations. No Pakistani has been part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2009. The same effect is visible in England. 4 out of 8 Franchises of The Hundred Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave, and Sunrisers Leeds have partial or full ownership by IPL teams. An agent stated that not selecting Pakistani players in T20 leagues with Indian investment has become an ‘unwritten rule’. A senior official of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has indicated to an agent that only those teams will be interested in Pakistani cricketers which are not directly associated with IPL owners. When new investors had not taken control last season, international stars like Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim played, while Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, and Haris Rauf had also been part of this tournament before. Fear of local fans’ disappointment, too; 4-12% of the population in big cities is of Pakistani origin In 2018, the ECB introduced the ‘South Asian Action Plan’ under the leadership of Vikram Banerjee. Its objective was to increase the participation of South Asian communities in 10 major cities. According to census data, 12% of Greater Manchester’s population and 4% of Leeds’ population identify themselves as being of Pakistani origin. Now, the teams with Indian ownership represent these very cities (Manchester, Leeds, and London). In such a situation, these fans will not see any Pakistani representation in their local team. The County Cricket Members Group has clarified that if there is a collective decision not to select players based on nationality, then the concerned boards and the ECB should determine the accountability of private partners. English cricket, already facing allegations of inequality, will see the controversy deepen. The 2023 ‘Equity in Cricket’ report found discrimination to be ‘widespread’ in English cricket. Tom Moffat, chief executive of the global players’ union ‘World Cricketers Association’, says that every player should have the right to equal opportunity, and recruitment decisions should be based on principles of respect. Emerging trend in foreign T20 leagues, no opportunities for Pakistani players