Former Pakistan cricketer Azhar Mahmood has urged the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to ensure Pakistani players are not deliberately overlooked in The Hundred, where more than 60 players from the country have registered for next month’s inaugural auction. Mahmood cited his own experience of losing a coaching role due to his Pakistani heritage and alleged wider discrimination amid the global expansion of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises.
Azhar Mahmood played 164 international matches for Pakistan (@dhillow_/x.com)
{{^htLoading}} {{/htLoading}}
A BBC report earlier this month highlighted concerns about a potential unofficial exclusion of Pakistani players, as four Hundred franchises now have Indian investors. Since 2009, Pakistani players have not featured in the IPL, and only a handful have represented IPL-owned teams in overseas leagues.
Mahmood, who played 164 international matches for Pakistan between 1996 and 2007, revealed on the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast that he once lost a coaching contract with a Caribbean Premier League franchise because of his background.
“It happened four years ago, straight after Covid, when the CPL was taking place,” Mahmood said. “I was approached to coach one of the franchises, and later I found out that because of my background as a Pakistani, they said they couldn’t have any Pakistani coach or player in the side.”
{{/usCountry}}
{{#usCountry}}
“It happened four years ago, straight after Covid, when the CPL was taking place,” Mahmood said. “I was approached to coach one of the franchises, and later I found out that because of my background as a Pakistani, they said they couldn’t have any Pakistani coach or player in the side.”
{{/usCountry}}
Mahmood, who represented Surrey and Kent during a long county career and became a British citizen in 2011, later served as Pakistan’s bowling coach from 2016 to 2019. He returned as acting head coach in 2025 following the departure of Jason Gillespie and has also had coaching stints in the Pakistan Super League.
He claimed the issue extends beyond a single league, making it increasingly difficult for Pakistan-origin cricketers to secure roles in franchise tournaments worldwide.
{{^htLoading}} {{/htLoading}}
“It’s not an ideal situation for me,” Mahmood said. “I’m an English-qualified coach. I was coaching Surrey and then worked with Pakistan for the last two years. Now, because I’ve been part of the Pakistan set-up, finding roles is quite difficult.
“Everything is connected to the IPL ecosystem. They have four or five franchise leagues — SA20, MLC. As a coach, I find it tough to get into teams owned by IPL franchises and Indian investors. It’s difficult. The same applies to players.”
Mahmood has now called on the ECB to address the issue, particularly regarding MI London, Sunrisers Leeds, Manchester Super Giants and Southern Brave, all under partial IPL-linked ownership.
“There is a large Pakistani community in England,” he said. “There is a strong relationship between the ECB and the Pakistan Cricket Board. Cricket fans in England, especially from the Pakistani community, are passionate about the game. Hopefully, the ECB will act on this.”
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.
Get live cricket scores, match updates, schedules, results and ICC rankings. Follow the latest news, statistics and performances of top teams and players on Hindustan Times.
Get live cricket scores, match updates, schedules, results and ICC rankings. Follow the latest news, statistics and performances of top teams and players on Hindustan Times.
Home/Cricket/Pakistani heritage cost me CPL role: Azhar Mahmood alleges wider discrimination, presses ECB over Hundred shadow-ban
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
{{#usCountry}}{{/usCountry}}
Hindustantimes wants to start sending you push notifications. Click allow to subscribe
