Michael Vaughan urges ECB to ‘act fast’ on Indian owners’ controversial stance ahead of The Hundred auctions

Michael Vaughan has called on the England and Wales Cricket Board to intervene urgently amid growing evidence that four Indian Premier League-backed franchises in The Hundred may refuse to bid for Pakistani players at next month’s auction. The former England captain posted on X: “The ECB needs to act fast on this. They own the league and this should not be allowed to happen. The most inclusive sport in the country is not one that allows this to happen.”

Vaughan’s intervention follows reports that Manchester Super Giants, Sunrisers Leeds, MI London and Southern Brave—each with IPL-linked investors—are poised to overlook more than 60 Pakistan-eligible cricketers who have entered the March 11-12 draft. Critics say the move risks replicating the IPL’s de-facto ban on Pakistani talent since 2008 and strikes at the heart of The Hundred’s founding promise of diversity.

England captain Harry Brook labelled the potential exclusion “a shame,” given the quality and global reputation of Pakistani players, while the ECB has previously insisted that franchise ownership must not influence national selection. With the auction weeks away, Vaughan argues the board faces a defining test of whether commercial partnerships will trump the competition’s inclusive ethos.