Thursday’s The Hundred draft was a highly anticipated event, with fans and teams eagerly awaiting the selection of players for the upcoming season. In total, 30 men’s players were picked across the eight teams, with each team aiming to strengthen their line-up ahead of the competition.
Welsh Fire strengthen their squad
One team that made a significant impact during the draft was Welsh Fire, which had a disappointing winless season in 2022. The Welsh Fire’s new coach, Michael Hussey, made a strong statement during the Hundred draft by selecting Tom Abell as the first pick of the draft.
Although Tim David returned to Southern Brave via their Right-To-Match (RTM) card, Hussey was quick to secure the services of two of Pakistan’s top pace bowlers, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf. Both bowlers are known for their pace, accuracy, and wicket-taking abilities, and they are expected to be key contributors to the Welsh Fire’s success in the upcoming season. Hussey also added to Welsh Fire’s all-round capabilities by signing David Willey, a versatile English all-rounder who can contribute with both bat and ball.
Babar Azam, Andre Russell unsold
The Hundred’s draft on Thursday, March 23, was full of surprises as numerous big names in the cricketing world went unsold. It was notable that many of the teams went actively for domestic players, demonstrating the increasing significance of local talent in the tournament.
Despite their impressive track record and international experience, several prominent players went unsold, including Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam and wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan, West Indies all-rounders Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, and New Zealand seamer Trent Boult. These players were all expected to be highly sought-after in the draft, but teams opted to go for other options.
Bangladesh’s captain, Shakib al Hasan, and the Australian duo of Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa went unsold in the £125,000 category. Keiron Pollard was also in the same category. Pakistani captain Babar Azam was one of the players who went unpicked in the £100,000 category, despite being one of the best batsmen in the world. New Zealand seamer Trent Boult was another surprising omission, considering his impressive performances in recent years. West Indies all-rounders Dwayne Bravo and Andre Russell also missed out on being picked in the top tier.
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