Former England captain Moeen Ali has given a warning that players will speak out if Pakistani cricketers are boycotted by Indian-owned teams in The Hundred.
He stressed such discrimination “can’t happen in the UK” and urged the England and Wales Cricket Board to monitor the situation.
Reports have emerged that the four Indian-linked franchises, the Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds, could shun Pakistani players this season because of fears of political backlash that are linked to India-Pakistan tensions.
“Players Will Speak Up”
Moeen referred to this situation as a “massive shame” if players were ignored due to nationality.
He said a group of players would band together and do something if they felt discrimination was occurring.
“It doesn’t matter if you have Pakistani heritage or not, if anyone is concerned they should speak up,” he said.
Increasing Indian Influence, Decreasing Opportunities
Since the 2008 Mumbai attacks no Pakistani player has featured in the Indian Premier league. With the Indian franchise ownership growing into other competitions such as SA20, UAE and USA, there has been a steadily falling opportunity for Pakistani players.
Moeen called the trend unfair and “horrible” adding that the issue is not often talked about openly at the top levels of the sport.
He further said that Bangladeshi players could also be treated the same due to the strained relations between India and Bangladesh.
ECB Under Pressure
The ECB is reported to have warned franchises that they could face action against them by the independent Cricket Regulator if they engage in recruitment discrimination.
Still, it may be difficult to prove bias. Moeen said that if Pakistani players would continue to be ignored for several years, it would raise serious questions.
Hope for Cricket Diplomacy
Despite his apprehensions Moeen spoke highly in favour of his experience in IPL, and said he was treated well in India.
He also expressed hope about India and Pakistan playing each other at England as a neutral venue.
Also read: Pakistani players could miss the Hundred amid IPL ownership bias
