Former skipper Michael Vaughan has urged the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to remove any franchise in The Hundred, which refuses to sign Pakistani players at the upcoming auction due to political reasons.

Recently, BBC reported that Indian-owned Hundred franchises - Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave, and Sunrisers Leeds – will ignore Pakistani players amid concerns over potential political backlash in India due to ongoing tensions between two nations.

However, Vaughan warned that it sets a wrong precedent and would make a ‘mockery’ of the ECB’s inclusivity. He also fears that the shadow ban might impact British-Pakistani cricketers in the future.

“I am a huge fan of the Hundred, but it has to appeal to all supporters for it to have any credibility. This has the potential to turn away the large Pakistan population that lives in England and loves cricket. What message does that send about our game? If true, it makes a mockery of the stated aim of Richard Thompson, the ECB chairman, to make English cricket the most inclusive sport in the country," Vaughan wrote in his column for The Telegraph.

“If no Pakistan players are signed by the Indian-owned franchises, then we have our answer. I would then like to hear a proper explanation from a senior ECB figure," he added.

Vaughan also wondered why the owners would refrain from picking Pakistani players if the national teams don’t mind facing each other in the ongoing T20 World Cup.

“Fundamentally, if India can play Pakistan in a World Cup match, then surely Indian owners can pick Pakistan players in a foreign league. I can understand it is too sensitive in the IPL, but this has exported the problem to other countries. You also wonder what precedent this could set. The ECB runs the Hundred, but if this informal ban on Pakistan players happens, then we know who really runs the competition, and it is not the governing body. Over the years, the BCCI has suspended several IPL franchises and kicked out others. It retains control of the competition. Would the ECB be strong enough to throw out a franchise in the future? This makes me doubt that," he wrote.

A total of 67 male and female cricketers from Pakistan have registered for The Hundred auction. Several Pakistan stars like Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, and Haris Rauf have appeared in the tournament previously.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has not included Pakistani players since the 26/11 terrorist attack in 2008. No Pakistan cricketer has featured in SA20 since its launch in 2023, with all six franchises having Indian owners.

Similarly, in the UAE's ILT20, franchises controlled by the Indian owners have not picked a single Pakistan player across four seasons.

The upcoming season of The Hundred is scheduled from July 21 to August 16, while the player auction is due for March 11 and 12.