England’s Ashes nemesis joins The Hundred draft (if anyone wants him this time)
Australian Ashes villain David Warner has made himself available for the fourth season of The Hundred, despite being snubbed in his last appearance at the draft.
Warner is among a clutch of male and female stars set to be available for the 100-ball cricket competition, which is due to take place in England and Wales in July and August.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard will be on offer to the men’s teams, while India batter Smriti Mandhana, former Australia skipper Meg Lanning and England wicketkeeper Amy Jones go into the women’s draft.
Warner was previously listed in the draft for the second edition of The Hundred in 2022, but his £125,000 price tag failed to attract a bite.
The pugnacious batter signed for Southern Brave in the inaugural staging of the competition, only to withdraw citing “the practicalities of Covid”.
The Hundred Draft will be held at The Shard in London on Wednesday 20 March. It will be live-streamed from 5.30pm on YouTube, TikTok and the competition’s website.
World Cup winner Dawid Malan is among several England players due to enter the draft, including Ollie Pope and Jason Roy.
Malan said: “I’ve really enjoyed playing in the competition across the last three years and I’m excited about getting the chance again this year.
“You look at the names involved, both those retained and those in list for the draft, and there’s world class talent in The Hundred across both competitions.”
Sri Lanka opening batter Chamari Athapaththu said: “I am really excited about being in The Hundred Draft. There are so many good players in this competition and I would really love to be a part of it.
“It has looked very fun over the last three years, with big crowds at big stadiums, and it would be very exciting to play in The Hundred this season.”