England’s limited overs captain Harry Brooke expressed his strong objection to the news Pakistani players is removed from the Hundred 2026 auction by the franchise under Indian property. speaking from T20 World Cup On 21 February 2026, Brooke stressed that the lack of such top-level talent would greatly damage the quality and global appeal of the competition.
‘It would be a shame’: England captain Harry Brook calls for inclusion
Addressing the media just a day before England’s Super 8s match Sri LankaThe 26-year-old skipper expressed the importance of having the best players in the world, regardless of nationality. Brooke paid tribute to Pakistan’s cricketing prowess and the unique energy its players bring to any tournament.
“Pakistan has been a great cricketing nation for many years and has some amazing players, some of the best players in the world. I think there are about 50 or 60 players in the auction and it would be a shame not to see some of them there. There are some amazing cricketers and they bring great crowds. So it would be a shame not to see some of the players and competitions in Pakistan. Even better.” Brook reported this with reference to BBC Sports.
Dispute a BBC Sport As a result of the investigation, it turned out that it was recently bought by four franchises Indian Premier League (IPL) owners, Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Braveand Sunrisers Leeds– they are unlikely to consider Pakistani players in the March 11-12 auction.
Hundred 2026: Brook’s new role at Sunrisers Leeds
Despite friction over his team’s ownership, Brook remains the face Sunrisers Leeds (formerly Northern Superchargers). He is set to become the tournament’s highest-paid player with a fee of £465,000 (approx. Rs 5.26 crore), but he has taken a strategic decision to give up the captaincy to focus on his batting and international leadership.
“I am stepping away from these things and will let the head coach and the person in charge take control. My main focus at the moment is to play the T20 World Cup.” Brook concluded.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan joined their calls ECB to intervene immediately. Vaughan disputed this on social media “The ECB must act fast … they own the league and this must not be allowed to happen. The most inclusive sport in the country is not one that allows this.” With the auction weeks away, pressure is mounting on the ECB to ensure its anti-discrimination policies are upheld.
Also READ: This is the reason why half of the hundred teams are reluctant to sign Pakistani players in 2026
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