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It would be "a shame" if Pakistan cricketers are excluded from the The Hundred, England's limited-over skipper Harry Brook said here on Saturday. There have been reports that Indian-owned Hundred franchises -- Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds -- may refrain from picking Pakistan players at the auction amid concerns over potential political backlash in India due to ongoing tensions between the two neighbours. "Our main focus now is what's coming up in the T20 World Cup. It's not really any of our business, to be honest," Brook, who has been signed by Indian-owned Sunrisers Leeds, said ahead of his team's Super Eight clash against Sri Lanka. "But what I would say is Pakistan have been a great cricket nation for many years. I think there's about 50, 60 players in the auction, and it would be a shame to not see some of them in there." As many as 67 male and female cricketer from Pakistan, including almost the entire men's T20 World Cup squad, have
Harry Brook was on Monday appointed England white-ball captain following Jos Buttler's exit from the role after a poor ICC Champions Trophy campaign last month. Brook, who was signed up by Delhi Capitals during last year's auction, had withdrawn from the IPL 2025 to focus on his England career, and was subsequently slapped with a two-year ban from playing in the league. The 26-year-old has been a key part of England's white-ball set-up since making his debut in January 2022, and has spent the past year as the vice-captain in both ODIs and T20Is. He also led England in the ODI series against Australia last September in Buttler's absence. It's a real honour to be named England's white-ball captain. Ever since I was a kid playing cricket at Burley in Wharfedale, I dreamed of representing Yorkshire, playing for England, and maybe one day leading the team. To now be given that chance means a great deal to me, said Brook in a statement issued by the ECB. Brook, a former Young Lions and