Former England captain Michael Vaughan led the outcry on X, insisting that ignoring players based solely on their nationality “should not be allowed to happen”, and Brook was seemingly in agreement with his fellow Yorkshireman. “It would be a shame to not see some of the Pakistan players in there and make this tournament and competition even better.”Andrew Flintoff, left, and Harry Brook led the Northern Superchargers to the eliminator last year (Richard Sellers/PA)Manchester Super Giants, Southern Brave and MI London are the other teams with connections to the Indian Premier League, which has had a blanket ban on Pakistan players since 2009. Flintoff has since stepped aside amid a pay dispute, while Brook, one of England’s busiest multi-format players, revealed he will not lead the side in a bid to manage a hectic workload this summer. Brook added: “I have already said I am not going to captain this year. I am staying away from that stuff and will let the head coach (Daniel Vettori) and whoever is in charge control that.

Source: Express February 21, 2026 07:07 UTC