India, Feb. 24 -- 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.

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 ...