Pakistani Players Snubbed: Lack of Talent or Indian Influence in The Hundred? | The fall of Pakistan Cricket is the talk of the town. Every other day, something happens, and a question is asked: Can Pakistan Cricket fall even lower? Whether it is their disastrous World T20 2024 campaign or their horrendous show in the Champions Trophy 2025 at home, the Pakistan Team’s struggle is painful for the fans.
A lot of questions have been asked about Pakistan’s brand of cricket. Cricket experts and pundits believe that Pakistan is unable to adapt to the modern style of cricket. Hence, their horrendous performances in ICC events and the declining demands of Pakistani Cricketers in reputable competitions across the globe have resulted in this.
As per Wisden, 45 Pakistani cricketers registered for the draft of The Hundred, but none were selected. People have tried to justify that team Pakistan will be busy on their tour of the West Indies, but there is no way that all 45 players are in the plans of PCB for the Caribbean Tour. Players like Usama Mir and Imad Wasim have played in this competition before, but no one has chosen them this year. Moreover, in previous years, when the players were available, premier names like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, etc., went unsold in the competition.
Now, the question that teases every Pakistani fan is, why does this happen? Are our players not good enough to compete globally, or is there any other kind of influence? Well, recent records of the Pakistan Team suggest that Pakistani Players are not at the same level as other top players of the world, but there is one more factor that may have influenced the decision not to include Pakistani Players in the Hundred.
The Indian Influence
The Hundred competition received massive investments from Indians recently. The tensions between India and Pakistan are open to the world. Both countries are always at each other’s throats. This was also evident during the Champions Trophy 2025 hosting issue when India refused to visit Pakistan, and that led the tournament to be played in a Hybrid Model.
Recently, IPL owners like Ambani’s Reliance Industries, RPSG Group (Owner of Lucknow Super Giants), Sun Group (Owner of Sunrisers Hyderabad), and the GMR Group (Co-owner of Delhi Capitals) purchased shares of different teams of The Hundred. Many believe that this might have influenced the decision not to pick Pakistani Players in The Hundred. The IPL-linked groups have bought as much as 49 percent shares of different teams which means that they get plenty of say now in team selection.
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Back in February 2025, Richard Gloud, Chief Executive of the ECB, assured that India’s investment in the tournament wouldn’t affect the inclusion of Pakistani players. However, the after-draft situation seems different. Similarly, in the SA20, there is very minimal participation by Pakistani Players in the league. SA20 also has Indian investors.
Are Pakistani Players Worth Playing The Hundred?
Well, Pakistani bowlers and all-rounders have often featured in this competition before. The batters, however, are often overlooked due to their inability to play the aggressive brand of cricket. This is the exact same reason why the Pakistan side has struggled big time in international events. But the problem is mainly with the batters only. The bowlers and all-rounders did well in the past in this competition yet failed to earn a contract this time.
Usama Mir was one of the top performers who picked 7 wickets in the competition last year at an economy of just 7.7, which is extraordinary in this format. Imad Wasim had picked 8 wickets with an even better economy rate (6.8). Similarly, in previous years, Shaheen Shah Afridi had also been a wicket-taker in this competition.
Conclusively, nothing can be said with surety. But there is no way that 45 Pakistani Players can miss out on this competition solely because of not being good enough. There surely is ANOTHER reason that might get clearer with the passage of time.
