Some of the greatest stars in the sport, such former Pakistan captain Babar Azam and Australia’s opener David Warner, were left off the highly anticipated draft for The Hundred 2024.
English cricketers Charles Dagnall and Nasser Hussain participated in a panel discussion where answers to why these unexpected omissions occurred were provided. The discussion also highlighted other noteworthy players like Tim David, Daryl Mitchell, and Sunil Narine who were left off the roster.
“Someone explain paying £125,000 for Tom Kohler-Cadmore and not spending £125,000 for Babar Azam or David Warner?” questioned a viewer going by the name of “Ehsha” during the panel discussion.
“It’s interesting to note that I’ve noted a lot of teams’ needs—this is just my opinion—and I believe that many of those teams have chosen needs. An ex-first-class cricketer named Dagnall responded, “You look at some of the players who haven’t been selected, and I reckon Nasser Hussain to suggest that you look at the names in big bright lights and you think, well, I’ve got to get them because they’re great players available. Teams haven’t necessarily done that.”
“You examine the guys that were left off the roster. This is what I have put down, Daryl Mitchell. Babar Azam, Mujeeb, David Warner, Sunil Narine, and Tim David were not chosen. The choices are intriguing, for that reason. “Availability is something that sides look at a lot, and whether they’re going to be available for the entire season, and that might have had a leaning towards some of them,” Dagnall continued. This also applies to David Warner and the Pakistani players.
It is worth noting that on Wednesday, only three Pakistan players managed to secure contracts in this year’s draft, with Naseem Shah leading the pack by joining Birmingham Phoenix for an impressive £125,000. Shaheen Afridi and Imad Wasim were also picked up by Welsh Fire and Trent Rockets, respectively, for £100,000 each.
Meanwhile, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan’s exclusion came as a surprise, especially given their late entries into the player list for selection.
The fourth edition of The Hundred is poised to commence on July 23, 2024, with Oval Invincibles defending their title against Birmingham Phoenix in the opener.
Notably, just three Pakistani players were selected in this year’s draft on Wednesday; Naseem Shah led the group by signing a £125,000 deal to play with Birmingham Phoenix. Welsh Fire and Trent Rockets, respectively, also acquired Shaheen Afridi and Imad Wasim for £100,000 apiece.
It was unexpected when Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan were left off the roster, particularly considering their late additions to the player pool.
against July 23, 2024, The Hundred’s fourth iteration is scheduled to begin, with Oval Invincibles taking against Birmingham Phoenix in the opening match to defend their championship.
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