Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan on Monday (February 23) gave a blunt reply to a question about The Hundred possibly ignoring players of his country due to its India connection, saying that the matter is beyond their control.

Recently, British media reported that Indian-owned Hundred franchises - Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave, and Sunrisers Leeds – will not pick Pakistani players amid concerns over potential political backlash in India due to ongoing tensions between two nations.

"See, it's not in our hands to decide who will pick us or not. That is not in our hands. Wherever we get a chance, who are interested can pick us and we are ready to play in that league," Farhan said on the eve of his team's T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash against England in Pallekele.

"And we are not interested to play with the people - the way you have spoken," said Farhan when asked about Pakistan players not being signed in franchise leagues around the world with strong IPL ties.

"I have a lot of hope, every player wants to play for every league, and The Hundred is one of the best leagues. So, hope for the best," he added.

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.

Two days ago, England's white-ball skipper Harry Brook said that it would be "a shame" if Pakistan cricketers are left out of The Hundred.

"There's some amazing cricketers and, yeah, and they bring some great crowds as well. So it would be a shame to not see some of the Pakistan players in there and make the tournament and competition even better," Brook told reporters.

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.

(With PTI Inputs)