Brook says overlooking Pakistan players for the Hundred would be ‘a shame’

Harry Brook believes it would be a shame if Pakistan players were overlooked by the four Indian-owned sides in the Hundred this year

Harry Brook has called on teams in this year’s Hundred to embrace Pakistan players after it was reported that they would not be considered by the tournament’s four Indian-owned sides.

Brook, England’s white-ball captain, is contracted to Sunrisers Leeds, owned by the Indian media corporation the Sun Group, owners of the IPL side Sunrisers Hyderabad, and is the highest-paid player in the tournament.

Sixty-three Pakistan players will be available in the auction for the men’s tournament on 12 March, including all but two of those in their squad for the current T20 World Cup, as well as four in the women’s auction scheduled for the previous day.

Brook said the teams’ choice of which players to target was “not really any of our business”, but added: “What I would say is Pakistan have been a great cricket nation for many years.

“I think there’s about 50 or 60 players in the auction and it would be a shame not to see some of them in there. There’s some amazing cricketers and they bring some great crowds as well. It would be a shame to not see some of the Pakistan players in there, and [they] make the tournament even better.”

The 26-year-old captained his side, then known as Northern Superchargers, in the 2024 and 2025 seasons but revealed on Saturday that at his own request he would not be leading them this summer. “I have already said I am not going to captain this year,” he said. “I am staying away from that stuff and will let the head coach and whoever is in charge control that.”

Sunrisers play their first game at the Oval on 21 July, two days after Brook is due to captain England in a one-day international against India at Lord’s. The final will be played on 16 August, three days before Brook is likely to represent England in the first of three Tests, as it happens against Pakistan, at Headingley, Sunrisers’ home ground.

Brook’s focus is on England as they prepare for their first game of the Super 8s stage of the T20 World Cup against Sri Lanka at Pallekele on Sunday. Unusually England are not naming a team until the toss, with Brook saying – though it was not clear whether he was referring to personnel or simply to mindset – that “there’s going to be some changes to the side so we’re not too predictable”.

England are waiting to learn whether Jacob Bethell will be able to bowl, with the finger he injured in the field against West Indies still in protective strapping on Saturday. “The rule with the strapping isn’t helping, because he’s got a decent cut on his finger so he’d have to have strapping on,” Brook said. “If there’s some way we can get around that then we’d like to bowl him.”

The tournament’s playing conditions stipulate that “protection for the hand or fingers may be worn only with the consent of the umpires”. Bethell has continued to play since sustaining the injury but has not bowled since England’s victory over Sri Lanka, also in Pallekele, in their final warm-up game on 3 February.