Amid the extravaganza surrounding the T20 World Cup 2026, the franchise cricket fraternity is gearing up for another season, loaded with excitement. One of the headlines recently have been about Indian franchises not opting to select Pakistan players, and a former CSK star has expressed his views on the same.
England all-rounder Moeen Ali spoke about the possible stand taken by multiple Indian franchises, limiting the participation of Pakistani players in the tournament. Despite the news, a few cricketers, namely Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Agha, Usman Tariq and Sahibzada Farhan have registered for the auction, which is supposed to take place on March 11 & 12 respectively.
That being said, the former CSK all-rounder has urged the England Cricket Board (ECB) to watchout for the participation of Pakistani players in the league. Southern Brave (GMR), MI London (Reliance), Manchester Super Giants (RPSG Group), and SunRisers Leeds (Sun Group) are the four franchises with an Indian origin.
“It just shouldn’t happen, hopefully it won’t happen. We just have to wait and see if it does, but I think it’d be a massive shame, and I’m sure the ECB will definitely keep an eye out,” the CSK star told Telegraph Sport.
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Moeen Ali made it evident from his statements that something of this magnitude should not flow into the league on English soil. Moreover, the English all-rounder also urged the players to speak up on matters where it will be crucial for them to voice their opinion.
Moeen Ali added that if Pakistani players are not allowed to participate in the league via a few franchises, it would end up being a massive shame for the tournament. Furthermore, he stated the importance of not having discrimination in sport.
Going a notch ahead, Moeen Ali also stressed on the fact that he would not like to knock India. He went on to state that the all-rounder has experienced a lot of good cricket on Indian soil. However, the addressed the England Cricket Board to keep an eye on the proceedings in the league, ensuring that the Pakistani players are not robbed of their contracts to play in The Hundred.
“I’ve had amazing experiences playing there. I don’t want to knock India or anything like that. Playing IPL was the best thing that happened for my career. I’ve been treated amazingly well there. I played with some of the best players in the world who treated me like one of their own. When you’re there, it’s one of the best places to play,” stated the former CSK all-rounder.
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