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The England and Wales Cricket Board and all eight of The Hundred<\/a> teams have jointly insisted the competition is \u201cinclusive and open to all\u201d amid claims Pakistan players could be frozen out by the Indian-owned franchises.<\/p>\n It had been reported by the BBC<\/a> that Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds would not consider any Pakistan cricketers at The Hundred auction in March.<\/p>\n However, it is understood the ECB<\/a> sent an email to the eight sides on Sunday, warning them that action would be taken if there is any evidence of discrimination, including ignoring players based on nationality.<\/p>\n A total of 67 Pakistan players \u2013 63 men and four women \u2013 have submitted themselves for next month\u2019s auction.<\/p>\n On Tuesday evening, a statement issued by The Hundred and its eight teams read: \u201cThe England and Wales Cricket<\/a> Board and all eight of The Hundred team franchises reaffirm their commitment to ensuring The Hundred continues to be a competition that is inclusive, welcoming and open to all.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Hundred was established to reach new audiences, grow the game of cricket and ensure that everyone \u2013 regardless of their ethnicity, gender, faith, nationality or other \u2013 can feel they belong in our sport. This has been a guiding principle from the outset and remains at the heart of everything we do.<\/p>\n \u201cAs the governing body responsible for running the tournament, 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.<\/p>\n \u201cAll eight teams commit to selection being based solely on cricketing performance, availability, and the needs of each team. This reflects the broader commitment of the ECB to make cricket the most inclusive sport, creating opportunities, breaking down barriers and ensuring that players from all backgrounds have a fair and equal pathway to the top of the game.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want The Hundred to feature the very best talent from across the world, and will continue working proactively to ensure that the competition is a benchmark for inclusivity.\u201d<\/p>\n Harry Brook<\/a>, the England white-ball captain <\/a>, last week also called on teams in this year\u2019s Hundred to embrace Pakistan players. Brook said the teams\u2019 choice of which players to target was \u201cnot really any of our business\u201d, but added: \u201cWhat I would say is Pakistan have been a great cricket nation for many years.<\/p>\n \u201cI think there\u2019s about 50 or 60 players in the auction and it would be a shame not to see some of them in there. There\u2019s some amazing cricketers and they bring some great crowds as well. It would be a shame to not see some of the Pakistan players in there, and [they] make the tournament even better.\u201d<\/p>\n Longstanding geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan have cast a shadow over cricket for many years, with an effective blanket ban on Pakistan players at the Indian Premier League (IPL) being in place since 2009.<\/p>\n Opportunities for Pakistan players have been squeezed further by several IPL owners taking charge of domestic franchises abroad \u2013 such as South Africa\u2019s SA20 and the ILT20 in the United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n There were no Pakistan players selected at last year\u2019s draft \u2013 before the new investors assumed control \u2013 although the left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir and all-rounder Imad Wasim featured as replacements. That was largely down to Pakistan\u2019s busy summer schedule, rendering their high-profile players unavailable for some of the tournament, and it is a similar situation this year.<\/p>\n Pakistan have two Tests in the West Indies during the tournament, which is set to run from 21 July to 16 August, and then play the first of three Tests against England three days after The Hundred final.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n