A shocking incident was seen this time in the draft of England's famous T20 tournament 'The Hundred'. All Pakistani players remained unsold, causing a stir among Pakistan cricket fans and media. Many people claimed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and its secretary Jai Shah may have a role in this, but when the real reason came to light, the matter turned out to be something else.

Poor form became the biggest reason

The performance of many prominent Pakistani players has not been up to expectations in the last few months. Players like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf have consistently performed ordinary in international and franchise cricket. Recently, the performance of Pakistani players in Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024 was also not very special.

In leagues like The Hundred, franchises focus on making their squads balanced and strong, so very few teams want to take the risk of buying players in poor form.

Is the influence of Indian owners on The Hundred also a reason?

Another big reason is believed to be that four out of the eight franchises of 'The Hundred' are owned by businessmen of Indian origin. The dominance of Indian investors is increasing in cricket leagues, and the place of Pakistani players in their strategy may be limited.

However, it would not be entirely correct to say that the Indian owners had any political motive behind not buying players in the auction.

What is the role of BCCI and Jay Shah?

BCCI has no direct connection with 'The Hundred'. The Indian board has clearly not allowed its players to play in this league, but this does not mean that they have put any pressure to keep Pakistani players out as well.

There are frequent statements in Pakistan about Jay Shah, but there is no evidence of any interference by him in this matter. In fact, the real reason behind ignoring the Pakistani players can be attributed to their recent poor form and their less impressive performances in foreign leagues.