Despite the significant involvement of IPL franchise owners in the Hundred, the ECB doesn’t anticipate any changes in the BCCI’s stance regarding the participation of India’s male cricketers. Likewise, the ECB expects no complications regarding Pakistan players’ involvement in England’s premier competition.
On Thursday, the ECB confirmed exclusivity agreements with eight partners to secure private investment for the Hundred teams, collectively valued at over £975 million. Among these new investors are IPL franchise owners RPSG Group (Lucknow Super Giants), Sun TV Network (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Reliance Industries (Mumbai Indians), and GMR Group (Delhi Capitals), who have successfully bid for teams like Manchester Originals and Northern Superchargers.
While the addition of IPL-linked investors opens potential doors to the lucrative Indian market, the ECB does not foresee these connections influencing the BCCI’s policy on barring active Indian male players from foreign T20 leagues. Despite Indian players frequently playing in county cricket, none have appeared in the Hundred or T20 Blast.
ECB Chief Executive Richard Gould emphasized that Indian players’ availability wasn’t factored into the ECB’s plans. “The BCCI’s position has been very clear,” he said. “At some point, we’d love to see Indian players play here, but we’re not pre-determining that through this process.”
Furthermore, Gould assured that Pakistan’s cricketers would not face limitations in the Hundred due to IPL influence, acknowledging the lack of Pakistan representation in IPL-linked leagues like the ILT20 and MLC, in contrast to the Hundred’s reliance on Pakistani talent.
Pakistan and New Zealand Set the Stage for Pre-Champions Trophy Tri-Series Clash
The ECB is aware of the situation in other regions, but that won’t be happening here,” Gould said.
Looking ahead, the ECB aims to work closely with IPL owners to secure a dedicated window for the Hundred, avoiding overlaps with other leagues like the MLC and CPL. The MLC and CPL have clashed with the Hundred in previous years, causing conflicts in player acquisition. However, the MLC will finish before the Hundred in 2025, although there will still be a two-week overlap with the CPL.
Vikram Banerjee, ECB’s director of business operations, added that the relationship with IPL investors creates opportunities for collaboration with other global T20 leagues to avoid scheduling clashes. “It makes little sense for any of us to clash if we can avoid it,” Banerjee stated, highlighting the importance of working together for the success of the Hundred.
