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In July 2025, ECB chair Richard Thompson said it was a “seminal moment for cricket in England and Wales.”
He made that statement after stakes in six of the Hundred teams had been completed, opening the door to private investment and marking a change in not only the franchise league but English cricket in general. While previously the teams were owned jointly by the ECB and county cricket clubs, now the ECB’s shares have gone to American and Indian companies.
The inspiration for such a move which had teams like the Northern Superchargers being sold for £100m is obvious – the Premier League. English football has long been the plaything of foreign investors and the top 20 teams in the country are now almost exclusively owned by American and Middle Eastern companies.
Even at the time, critics of the Hundred – of which there are many – doubted how good the sales away from the ECB were, effectively handing over control, and those fears have already come true in a matter of six months.
Earlier this month, the ECB wrote to every team in the Hundred to remind them of their responsibilities as a team. Without context, it would seem an odd move but behind the scenes, a very real situation has been bubbling up.
The India/Pakistan tension has been something that the ICC in particular has been happy to milk for all its worth. That fixture remains the most lucrative on the cricketing schedule but on-field rivalries became something more during the T20 World Cup when Pakistan initially refused to play India.
While it looked like a problem for the ICC to deal with, the more forward-thinking members of the ECB may have already begun to wonder about how they too soon may have to deal with the problem.
A report from the BBC suggested that four Hundred teams – Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds – would not consider signing Pakistan players for this year’s tournament as these clubs all have Indian owners.
In the email, the ECB reportedly warned of action that could be taken if there was evidence that cricketers are being ignored purely due to their nationality but when it comes down to it, it remains to be seen just how much the ECB can do.
Franchises that ignore the warning could be referred to the independent Cricket Regulator who is responsible for monitoring compliance with the game’s regulations but how do you prove a player was not chosen because of their nationality rather than ability?
It is also a terrible look for clubs in the UK in particular. British Pakistanis are the second-largest ethnic minority group in the country and such flagrant anti-discrimination may well have the ECB facing questions from the government.
The problem has already been put to England white-ball captain Harry Brook who said it would be a “shame” if Pakistani players were not picked but Brook is one of many players employed by an Indian-owned franchise, the Sunrisers.
It is a problem that has no obvious solution and one that will only get more amplified as days tick down to the player auction on March 11 and 12.
But ultimately, this is what has become of the ECB’s decision to open the door to foreign investment and the crusade to push the Hundred to the top of the English cricket agenda. By selling a controlling stake, the ECB has forfeited any ability it had to control the game it created and it is hurtling towards a PR disaster.
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The post The ECB opening doors to private investors in the Hundred has already backfired appeared first on Cricket365.
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