The 32 players chosen during Tuesday’s draft were not the England batter, who will play in Major League Cricket’s second season. This was due to the eight squads being expanded.
It was a case of big signings and major omissions in the men’s Hundred draft as the eight teams finessed preparations for the fourth edition of the competition.
Overseas incomings were dominated by a West Indies contingent led by opening pick Nicholas Pooran at Andrew Flintoff’s Northern Superchargers and Andre Russell joining London Spirit.
Kieron Pollard will play for Southern Brave and Rovman Powell is set for his first men’s Hundred stint with 2022 winners Trent Rockets.
The 125,000 bracket was completed by Birmingham Phoenix signing Pakistan quick Naseem Shah and Welsh Fire adding Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who had been released by Rockets during the off-season.
The remaining foreign arrivals were Sean Abbott (Phoenix), Shimron Hetmyer (Spirit), Sikandar Raza, Fazalhaq Farooqi (both Manchester Originals), Daniel Sams (Superchargers), Donovan Ferreira (Oval Invincibles), Akeal Hosein (Brave), Imad Wasim (Rockets), and Shaheen Shah Afridi’s return to Welsh Fire.
Ollie Pope, an Englishman, is headed to Lord’s to join the Spirit squad alongside 6′ 7″ Richard Gleeson. The Originals have selected Josh Hull, a seamer from Leicestershire, Dawid Malan is joining the reigning champion Invincibles, and Tom Banton, who was released by the Superchargers, has joined the Rockets.
Over 600 players registered for the men’s draft, but as there were only 32 deals available, some well-known players would inevitably go undrafted.
Jason Roy, who is scheduled to return to Major League Cricket, went undrafted as did Mark Wood. Both were available for £100,000. Australian opener David Warner was also overlooked.
Among the biggest overseas names to be passed over included late inclusion Babar Azam, Kane Williamson, Angelo Matthews, Sunil Narine, Mitchell Santner, Shadab Khan and Matt Henry.
The two remaining places in each men’s Hundred squad will be completed by a wildcard draft later in the year.
