The Hundred: Pakistan batsman Sahibzada Farhan says outcome of Hundred auction ‘out of our hands’

Pakistani players are not playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) amid ongoing political tensions between the two countries, and this trend is reflected in IPL-owned franchises around the world.

MI London, Manchester Super Giants, Sunrisers Leeds and Southern Brave are all now part or wholly owned by IPL teams after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) sold stakes in the teams last year.

Trent Rockets, London Spirit, Birmingham Phoenix and Welsh Fire are the non-IPL teams.

Farhan is currently the leading run-scorer in the T20 World Cup and scored a century against Namibia in the group stage.

He signed up for the auction with a base price of £50,000, half the amount some players pay.

“I’m very optimistic,” he said.

“Because every player wants to play in all leagues, to play in good leagues.

“The 100 League is one of the best leagues. So I hope for the best.”

Pakistan will play England in the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

Thirteen of their 15-member squad were registered for the auction with batsman Fakhar Zaman and former skipper Babar Azam, who is likely to be with the Test team during the hundred, the only absentees.

Left-arm seamer Shaheen Afridi and fellow fast bowler Haris Rauf, who played in the 100s previously, and all-rounder Saim Ayyub are among those who have signed for a top base price of ₹100,000.

England captain Harry Brook said last week that it would be a “shame” for the Pakistani players not to participate.

The ECB wrote to the eight franchisees on Sunday reminding them of their responsibilities towards discrimination.