Big-hitting West Indians were all the rage and pugnacious 30-something openers very much out of fashion as the Hundred draft ended with Jason Roy and David Warner among the high-profile players to go unclaimed.

In 2022, Roy’s average was a disappointing 8.50. However, he improved significantly last year with a figure of 17.11. Despite this, Oval ­Invincibles decided not to keep him on their team. Additionally, his participation in the upcoming tournament may be impacted by his commitment to Major League Cricket in the US. Other teams did not see him as a worthwhile risk. Warner had previously been signed by Southern Brave for the first Hundred season in 2021 but ended up withdrawing from the tournament. As a result, he went unsold in 2022 and was once again not a popular choice this time around.

Five out of seven first-round draft picks were allocated to players from the West Indies, where there is a wealth of entertaining and popular batters. These players were highly sought after and eagerly taken by teams.

During the previous season, the Hundred and Caribbean Premier League coincided, resulting in fewer available players for teams. However, since the CPL was delayed until August 28 this year, teams were able to secure the services of players. The Northern Superchargers, led by new coach Andrew Flintoff, had the first pick and chose Nicholas Pooran. London Spirit acquired Andre Russell and Shimron Hetmyer, Trent Rockets signed Rovman Powell, and Southern Brave selected Kieron Pollard and later added West Indian Akeal Hosein as well.

Manchester Originals, who were last year’s runners-up, made unconventional and unexpected selections by choosing Sikandar Raza, an all-rounder from Zimbabwe known for his spin bowling, and Fazalhaq Farooqi, a seamer from Afghanistan who had just been signed by Nottinghamshire for this year’s T20 Blast.

Before getting their first opportunity to participate, the current title holders Oval Invincibles witnessed 18 of their players being selected by their opponents. As a response, they signed Dawid Malan as a direct substitute for Roy.

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Due to injuries and rotation strategies, Mark Wood has yet to participate in a match for the competition. He was not bought, along with Babar Azam, the Pakistani captain. However, it was a successful night for Pakistani fast bowlers, as Naseem Shah was picked by Birmingham Phoenix and Shaheen Shah Afridi will be returning to Welsh Fire. Despite being highly sought after at this year’s IPL auction, New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell was not selected and remained unsold.

The highly debated fourth season of the tournament begins on July 23rd, with the Invincibles facing off against Birmingham Phoenix in a double-header that includes both women’s teams.

The women’s champions, Southern Brave, will begin their campaign against London Spirit in a double-header on the following day. The final match will take place at Lord’s on August 18th and all matches will be televised live by the BBC and Sky.

The women’s draft took place before the men’s, and the first major surprise was when Phoenix chose to sign England wicketkeeper Amy Jones as their top pick, instead of one of the many international superstars available. This decision was influenced by the increase in top salary from £31,250 to £50,000, whereas the top men’s salary remained at £125,000.

“The Phoenix coach, Ben Sawyer, chose Richa Ghosh as his second pick, followed by picking Seren Smale as his fourth pick, breaking up the chain of spinners with the selection of Katie Levick.”

Jones and Levick were part of the Phoenix team that ended up at the bottom of the standings last year. However, their team is expected to see an improvement with the addition of Ellyse Perry, a highly skilled Australian all-rounder. Perry joins the team after her successful stint with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Women’s Premier League. Despite withdrawing from last year’s tournament for personal reasons, the Phoenix had already retained her services.

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Manchester Originals picking Jones which resulted in London Spirit signing Lanning

In the women’s draft, Manchester Originals’ decision to choose Jones gave London Spirit the opportunity to sign Meg Lanning, the talented captain of Australia, who will now be joining England’s own Heather Knight at Lord’s. Unlike the men’s draft which saw a trend of choosing West Indian players, it was Jones’ selection by Manchester Originals that ultimately led to Lanning’s signing with London Spirit.

Trent Rockets selected all-rounder Ash Gardner and Northern Superchargers chose Annabel Sutherland, both from Australia, as part of the four players chosen in the first round.

Source: theguardian.com