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What is the Salary of women cricketers in The Hundred (Women’s) in England?

Today we will discuss the salary of a player in The Women’s Hundred in England.

Unlike the Men’s edition of the Hundred, the Women’s Hundred has been a game changer in women’s cricket.

Let’s see how much they are earning in 2023.

The Hundred Women’s Cricketer Salary – By the Numbers

  • The average salary of a player in the Hundred (Women’s Competition) is £16,500 or $21,118 (maximum 15 players in squad with a purse of £247,500 or $316,769).
  • The average salary for an overseas Hundred (women’s) cricketer is £25,104 or $32,130 (£602,500 or $770,167 for 24 players). On the other hand, the average salary for a domestic player in the Hundred (men’s) is £14,349 or $18,365 (£1,377,500 or $1,760,838 purse for a total of 96 spots).
  • The maximum a player in the Women’s Hundred can earn is £31,250 ($40,000), while the minimum is £7,500 ($9,600).
  • The highest paid cricketer in the Women’s Hundred earns £31,250 ($40,000), which is just only marginally better than the lowest draft pick of the Men’s Hundred at £30,000 ($38,475).

The Hundred – How Much Was Each Draft Pick?

The draft picks ranged from £30,000 ($38,475) for 7th round picks to £125,000 ($160,311) for the 1st round picks. Wildcards were drafted later as well as one centrally contracted per team.

Draft PickSalary Amount
Round 1 & 2£31,250 ($40,000)
Round 3 & 4£25,000 ($32,000)
Round 5 & 6£18,750 ($24,000)
Round 7 & 8£15,000 ($19,200)
Round 9 & 10£12,500 ($16,000)
Round 11 & 12£10,000 ($12,800)
Round 13-15£7,500 ($9,600)

Also Read: What is the Salary of a player in The Hundred (Men’s) in England?

The Hundred Retentions & Draft Picks – Salary of Women Cricket Player in The Hundred

*Note: Since the initial draft, several players have pulled out of the tournament and have been replaced.

*Ellyse Perry & Alyssa Healy, for example, are out of the tournament, while Jemimah Rodrigues is back in.

1. Round 1 & 2 Draft Pick (£31,250/$40,000)

  • Retentions: Heather Knight, Grace Harris (London Spirit), Sophie Ecclestone (Manchester Originals), Alyssa Healy (Northern Superchargers), Amy Jones (Birmingham Phoenix), Nat Sciver-Brunt (Trent Rockets), Smriti Mandhana (Southern Brave), Marizanne Kapp (Oval Invincibles)
  • Draft Picks: Sophia Dunkley, Shabnim Ismail (Welsh Fire), Laura Wolvaardt (Manchester Originals), Kate Cross (Northern Superchargers), Sophie Devine (Birmingham Phoenix), Harmanpreet Kaur (Trent Rockets), Danni Wyatt (Southern Brave), Suzie Bates (Oval Invincibles)

2. Round 3 & 4 Draft Pick (£25,000/$32,000)

  • Retentions: Tammy Beaumont, Hayley Matthews (Welsh Fire), Amelia Kerr (London Spirit), Deandra Dottin (Manchester Originals), Ellyse Perry, Issy Wong (Birmingham Phoenix), Katherine Sciver-Brunt, Alana King (Trent Rockets), Alice Capsey, Lauren Winfield-Hill (Oval Invincibles)
  • Draft Picks: Sarah Glenn (London Spirit), Amanda-Jade Wellington (Manchester Originals), Georgia Wareham, Heather Graham (Northern Superchargers), Anya Shrubsole, Chloe Tryon (Southern Brave)

3. Round 5 & 6 Draft Pick (£18,750/$24,000)

  • Retentions: Georgia Elwiss, Freya Davies (Welsh Fire), Charlie Dean (London Spirit), Emma Lamb (Manchester Originals), Linsey Smith (Northern Superchargers), Bryony Smith (Trent Rockets), Lauren Bell (Southern Brave), Tash Farrant (Oval Invincibles)
  • Draft Picks: Sophie Munro (London Spirit), Kathryn Bryce (Manchester Originals), Alice Davidson-Richards (Northern Superchargers), Hannah Baker, Eve Jones (Birmingham Phoenix), Lizelle Lee (Trent Rockets), Maitlan Brown (Southern Brave), Dane Van Niekerk (Oval Invincibles)

4. Round 7 & 8 Draft Pick (£15,000/$19,200)

  • Retentions: Laura Harris, Alex Hartley (Welsh Fire), Danielle Gibson (London Spirit), Ellie Threlkeld (Manchester Originals), Hollie Armitage, Bess Heath (Northern Superchargers), Emily Arlott (Birmingham Phoenix), Maia Bouchier, Freya Kemp (Southern Brave)
  • Draft Picks: Sophie Luff (London Spirit), Katie George (Manchester Originals), Katie Levick (Birmingham Phoenix), Kirstie Gordon, Grace Potts (Trent Rockets), Mady Villiers, Paige Scholfield (Oval Invincibles)

5. Round 9 & 10 Draft Pick (£12,500/$16,000)

  • Draft Picks: Jo Gardner, Fran Wilson (Trent Rockets), Erin Burns, Abtaha Maqsood (Birmingham Phoenix), Kalea Moore, Georgia Adams (Southern Brave), Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Sophia Smale (Oval Invincibles), Marie Kelly, Aylish Cranstone (Northern Superchargers), Ami Campbell, Fi Morris (Manchester Originals), Claire Nicholas, Sarah Bryce (Welsh Fire), Richa Ghosh, Grace Scrivens (London Spiriti)

6. Round 11 & 12 Draft Pick (£10,000/$12,800)

  • Draft Picks: Alexa Stonehouse, Naomi Dattani (Trent Rockets), Davina Perrin, Abbey Freeborn (Birmingham Phoenix), Rhianna Southby, Danielle Gregory (Southern Brave), Cordelia Griffith, Hannah Rainey (Oval Invincibles), Georgie Boyce, Lucy Higham (Northern Superchargers), Phoebe Graham, Amara Carr (Manchester Originals), Emily Windson, Ella McCaughan (Welsh Fire), Tara Norris, Lauren Filer (London Spirit)

7. Round 13-15 Draft Pick (£7,500/$9,600)

  • Draft Picks: Josie Groves, Nat Wraith, Cassidy McCarthy (Trent Rockets), Charis Pavely, Sterre Kalis, Chloe Brewer (Birmingham Phoenix), Seren Smale, Ellie Anderson, Mary Taylor (Southern Brave), Kira Chathli, Claudie Cooper, Lizzie Scott (Oval Invincibles), Leah Dobson, Grace Ballinger, Grace Hall (Northern Superchargers), Liberty Heap, Mahika Gaur, Laura Jackson (Manchester Originals), Alex Griffiths, Chloe Skelton, Kate Coppack (Welsh Fire), Niamh Holland, Chloe Hill, Alice Monaghan (London Spirit)

Final Thoughts

The disparity between men’s & women’s sport is well documented financially. However, in cricket, the Women’s Hundred is generally considered a better product than the Men’s Hundred.

Will this, and should this, change in the near future?

I guess, only time will tell.

Sources: BBC – Full list of squads

Related Cricket Content

England Cricket, County Cricket, and The Hundred Articles

If you are interested in more articles on English Cricket, County Cricket, and The Hundred, check out the following:

Women’s Cricket

For more content on women’s cricket, check this out

Cricket and Finances Articles

For other content on Finances in Cricket, do read:

Frequently Asked Questions – Salary of Women’s cricketers in the Hundred in England

What is the average salary for a women player in the Hundred in England?

The average salary of a player in the Hundred (Women’s Competition) is £16,500 or $21,118 (maximum 15 players in squad with a purse of £247,500 or $316,769).

How much money does Smriti Mandhana earn in the Hundred in England?

Smriti Mandhana will earn £31,250 ($40,000).

Who was the most expensive player in the women’s Hundred draft?

Heather Knight, Grace Harris (London Spirit), Sophie Ecclestone (Manchester Originals), Alyssa Healy (Northern Superchargers), Amy Jones (Birmingham Phoenix), Nat Sciver-Brunt (Trent Rockets), Smriti Mandhana (Southern Brave), Marizanne Kapp (Oval Invincibles), Sophia Dunkley, Shabnim Ismail (Welsh Fire), Laura Wolvaardt (Manchester Originals), Kate Cross (Northern Superchargers), Sophie Devine (Birmingham Phoenix), Harmanpreet Kaur (Trent Rockets), Danni Wyatt (Southern Brave), and Suzie Bates (Oval Invincibles) were the most expensive players in the women’s Hundred at £31,250 ($40,000).

© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, LLC 2023. Originally published on 07/31/2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).

What is the Salary of a player in The Hundred (Men’s) in England?

Today we will discuss the salary of a player in The Hundred in England.

Ever since its inception, the Hundred has threatened to either change the landscape of English cricket or break County Cricket from the core.

However, there’s one question on every cricket fan’s mind: just how much do these players make?

The Hundred Cricketer Salary – By the Numbers

  • The average salary of a player in the Hundred (Men’s Competition) is £58,823.53 or $75,440.29 (maximum 17 players in squad with a purse of £1,000,000 or $1,282,485).
  • The average salary for an overseas Hundred (men’s) cricketer is £80,400 or $103,112 (£2,010,000 or $2,577,795 for 25 players). On the other hand, the average salary for a domestic player in the Hundred (men’s) is £53,964 or $69208 (£5,990,000 or $7,682,085 purse for a total of 111 spots, including centrally contracted & wildcard players).
  • The captains get a £10,000 ($12,825) bonus. Hence, the maximum a player in the Men’s Hundred can earn is £135,000 ($173,135), while the minimum is £30,000 ($38,475).
  • Compared to other leagues, The Hundred ranks at #5 in the richest cricket leagues (according to average salaries).

The Hundred – How Much Was Each Draft Pick?

The draft picks ranged from £30,000 ($38,475) for 7th round picks to £125,000 ($160,311) for the 1st round picks. Wildcards were drafted later as well as one centrally contracted per team.

Draft PickSalary Amount
Round 1£125,000 ($160,311)
Round 2£100,000 ($128,249)
Round 3£75,000 ($96,186)
Round 4£60,000 ($76,949)
Round 5£50,000 ($64,124)
Round 6£40,000 ($51,299)
Round 7£30,000 ($38,475)

Note: The conversion rate is as of 7/31/2023, when £1 = $1.28.

Also Read: What is the Salary of women cricketers in The Hundred (Women’s) in England?

The Hundred Retentions & Draft Picks – Salary of Cricket Player in The Hundred

*Note: Since the initial draft, several players have pulled out of the tournament and have been replaced.

*Matthew Short, Mitchell Santner, Tanveer Sangha, Ish Sodhi, Daryl Mitchell, Matthew Wade, Daniel Worrall, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan, Adam Zampa, Jimmy Neesham, Imad Wasim are some of the replaced players while Rashid Khan, Glenn Maxwell, etc. have pulled out (some others like Josh Little., Mithcell Santner, and Imad Wasim will play a few games here and there).

1. First Round Draft Pick (£125,000/$160,311)

  • Retentions: Adil Rashid, Harry Brook (Northern Superchargers), Sunil Narine, Will Jacks (Oval Invincibles), Liam Livingstone (Birmingham Phoenix), Glenn Maxwell (London Spirit), Wanindu Hasaranga, Phil Salt (Manchester Originals), Rashid Khan (Trent Rocket)
  • Draft Picks: Tom Abell, David Willey (Welsh Fire), Leus Du Plooy, Tim David (Southern Brave), Ben Duckett (Birmingham Phoenix), Mitchell Marsh (London Spirit), Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Trent Rockets)

2. Second Round Draft Pick (£100,000/$128,249)

  • Retentions: Joe Clarke (Welsh Fire), James Vince, Chris Jordan (Southern Brave), Jason Roy, Tom Curran (Oval Invincibles), Moeen Ali, Shadab Khan (Birmingham Phoenix), Nathan Ellis (London Spirit), Dawid Malan, Alex Hales (Trent Rocket)
  • Draft Picks: Shaheen Shah Afridi (Welsh Fire), Reece Topley, Tom Banton (Northern Superchargers), Olly Stone (London Spirit), Laurie Evans, Ashton Turner (Manchester Invincibles)

3. Third Round Draft Pick (£75,000/$96,186)

  • Retentions: Adam Lyth (Northern Superchargers), Ollie Pope (Welsh Fire), Tymal Mills (Southern Brave), Sam Billings, Saqib Mahmood (Oval Invincibles), Adam Milne, Benny Howell (Birmingham Phoenix), Liam Dawson, Dan Lawrence (London Spirit), Jamie Overton, Tom Hartley (Manchester Originals), Lewis Gregory, Luke Wood, Michael Bracewell (Northern Superchargers)
  • Draft Picks: Glenn Phillips (Welsh Fire), Devon Conway (Southern Brave), Heinrich Klaasen, Ross Whiteley (Oval Invincibles)

4. Fourth Round Draft Pick (£60,000/$76,949)

  • Retentions: Adam Hose, Brydon Carse (Northern Superchargers), David Payne (Welsh Fire), Rehan Ahmed (Southern Brave), Will Smeed, Kane Richardson (Birmingham Phoenix), Zak Crawley, Jordan Thompson (London Spirit), Richard Gleeson, Paul Walter (Manchester Originals), Colin Munro, Sam Cook (Trent Rocket)
  • Draft Picks: Haris Rauf (Welsh Fire), Jamie Smith (Birmingham Phoenix), Josh Tongue (Manchester Originals)

5. Fifth Round Draft Pick (£50,000/$64,124)

  • Retentions: David Wiese (Northern Superchargers), Jake Ball (Welsh Fire), George Garton, Finn Allen (Southern Brave), Jordan Cox, Gus Atkinson (Oval Invincibles), Tom Helm (Birmingham Phoenix), Mason Crane, Adam Rossington (London Spirit), Josh Little (Manchester Originals), Daniel Sams, Samit Patel
  • Draft Picks: Roelof van de Merwe (Welsh Fire), Insanullah (Oval Invincibles), Miles Hammond (Birmingham Phoenix), Sam Hain, Brad Wheal (Trent Rockets)

6. Sixth Round Draft Pick (£40,000/$51,299)

  • Retentions: Wayne Parnell (Northern Superchargers), James Fuller, Alex Davies (Southern Brave), Danny Briggs (Oval Invincibles), Chris Benjamin (Birmingham Phoenix), Chris Wood, Ravi Bopara (London Spirit), Wayne Madsen, Tom Lammonby (Manchester Originals)
  • Draft Picks: Steve Eskinazi, Daniel Douthwaite (Welsh Fire), Bas de Leede (Northern Superchargers)

7. Seventh Round Draft Pick (£30,000/$38,475)

  • Draft Picks: Callum Parkinson (Northern Superchargers), Nathan Sowter (Oval Invincibles), George Scrimshaw (Welsh Fire), Joe Weatherley (Southern Brave), Dan Mousley (Birmingham Phoenix), Mitchell Stanley (Manchester Originals), Matt Carter

8. Wildcard Pick (£30,000/$38,475)

  • Daniel Bell-Drummond, Matt Critchley (London Spirit), Luke Wells Chris Cooke (Welsh Fire), Max Holden, Ben Raine (Manchester Originals), Ollie Robinson, Saif Zaib (Northern Superchargers), Tawanda Muyeye, Zak Chapell (Oval Invincibles), Tom Moores, John Turner (Trent Rockets), Jacob Bethell, Henry Brookes (Birmingham Phoenix), Jafer Chohan, Matt Fisher (Southern Brave)

*In previous years, only one wildcard was available for £50,000/$64,124. However, since Hundred 2023, there will be two wildcard picks for £30,000 each.

9. Centrally Contracted Players (£50,000-£125,000/ $64,124-$160,311)

  • Jonny Bairstow (Welsh Fire), Jofra Archer (Southern Brave), Ben Stokes (Northern Superchargers), Sam Curran (Oval Invincibles), Chris Woakes (Birmingham Phoenix), Mark Wood (Lond Spirit), Jos Buttler (Manchester Originals), Joe Root (Trent Rockets)

Also Read: What is the Salary of a Major League Cricket player in the USA?

Final Thoughts

The Hundred draft dynamics has turned out to be pretty uneven over the last few years.

As Freddie Wilde wrote, “there will be overseas players taken at £60,000 who are better players than domestic players at £125,000.” Although this year the imbalance has reduced, the uncertain player availability is a cause for concern.

Due to leagues turning out left & right, especially in the summer months & due to England’s internal conflict with the Counties, it is not a total certainty that Men’s Hundred will survive another couple of years.

Sources: How The Hundred Draft Really Works (Cricinfo), Squads (Cricinfo), Entire Draft List (ECB), Pay Freeze in 2023 (The Cricketer), Pay Increase in 2022 (Cricinfo)

Related Cricket Content

England Cricket, County Cricket, and The Hundred Articles

If you are interested in more articles on English Cricket, County Cricket, and The Hundred, check out the following:

Cricket and Finances Articles

For other content on Finances in Cricket, do read:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average salary for a player in the Hundred in England?

The average salary of a player in the Hundred (Men’s Competition) is £58,823.53 or $75,440.29 (maximum 17 players in squad with a purse of £1,000,000 or $1,282,485).

Is The Hundred the richest cricket league in the world?

No, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is the richest cricket league in the world. The Hundred (Men’s) is the fifth richest cricket league in the world (based on average player salary).

How much money does Joe Root earn in the Hundred in England?

Joe Root will earn £125,000 if he plays a full season. Otherwise, he will earn £50,000 for full season plus £5,000 for full season for each additional game.

Who was the most expensive player in The Hundred draft?

Adil Rashid, Harry Brook, Sunil Narine, Glenn Maxwell, etc. were the most expensive players. They each earned £125,000 ($160,311) as the first draft picks.

© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, LLC 2023. Originally published on 07/31/2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).

Top 11 Richest Cricket Leagues (By Average Salaries). Which Cricket League Pays the Most (2024)—SA20, IPL, BBL, PSL, MLC, ILT20, CPL, T10s, or the Hundred?

The SA20 Auction caught everyone’s attention this week, which leads to the logical question, “What are the Richest Cricket Leagues, and where does SA20 league rank?” Here is a quick answer.

The Indian Premier League is the richest cricket league in the world. As per the 2022 Mega Auction & Retention, the IPL paid its players a whopping $116,339,000 combined for its 234 players who play for their ten franchise teams in a three-month season. The upcoming UAE International T20 & SA20 rank behind at #2 & #3 in terms of player salaries, while the Abu Dhabi T10 League is at #10 with a $2,500,000 combined salary for about 100 players.

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Times are changing, T20 cricket is becoming infused with money, and different leagues are popping left and right. The SA20 Auction threw Tristan Stubbs and co into stardom, the UAE international T20 League will be a game changer, and the Big Bash is trying to attract overseas talent in their much-hyped Draft while keeping domestic stars like David Warner.

Richest Cricket Leagues (Lowest to Highest)

Players now have choices, but maybe too many choices. As many as six leagues are scheduled between November & February. That is a daunting stat.

So, in Part III of our new series, Cricket & Finances, we try to help these players out & distinguish which leagues pay their players the most. We also cover the minimum salaries, average wages, total team salary cap, number of players a league can take, and the window it occupies in the cricket calendar.

Make Sure to Read the Earlier Content on Cricket & Finances

  1. Part I: How Much Do Different Types of Cricketers Earn Per Year (2022)? Salaries of Pujara, Stokes, Warner, Billings, Tim David Revealed!
  2. Part II: Salary of Cricketers (Men’s) from Each of the 12 Cricket Boards (2022)—The Complete Guide
  3. Part III: Richest Cricket Board
  4. Part IV: What is the Salary of a Major League Cricket player in the USA?
  5. Part V: Virat Kohli Net Worth: How Do Cricketers Earn Money?
  6. The Need for Champions League & a T20 League Calendar

How The Overall Cost Was Calculated: For leagues where all the information is public (like IPL auction player by player cost), each player’s cost was added for the total. For leagues where only partial information was available, the franchise’s maximum purse/salary cap was multiplied by the number of teams in that particular league.

*Note: This article covers individual player salaries, not tournament prize money.

11. Abu Dhabi T10 League ($2,500,000)

  • Abu Dhabi T10 League Average Cricketer Salary: $25,000
  • Minimum Wage: $5,000
  • Maximum Amounts: $50,000-$100,000

*$50,000 is the minimum amount paid for the highest category of player in the draft. However, to attract certain cricketers, the actual amounts may be higher.

Calendar Window: November-December

Salary Cap Estimate (Per Team): $400,000-$600,000

  • Number of Teams: 6
  • Total Players: 100-110 (16-18 players per team)
Photo of Abu Dhabi T10 League champions.

10. Lanka Premier League ($3,000,000)

  • Lanka Premier League (LPL) Average Cricketer Salary: $30,000
  • Minimum Wage: $10,000
  • Maximum Amounts: $60,000

Calendar Window: December

Salary Cap Estimate (Per Team): $400,000-$600,000

  • Number of Teams: 5
  • Total Players: 100 (20 per team)
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9. Bangladesh Premier League ($2,600,000-$6,600,000)

  • Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Average Cricketer Salary: $20,472-$52,969
  • Minimum Wage: $4,556 (BDT 5 Lakh) – Local Players, $20,000 – Overseas Players
  • Maximum Amounts: $72,897 (BDT 80 Lakh) – Local Players, $80,000 – Overseas Players

Calendar Window: January-February

Salary Cap Estimate (Per Team): $371,000-$943,000

  • Number of Teams: 7
  • Total Players: 127 Players (as of BPL 2024)

*The BPL have suffered due to payments and franchise trouble in the last couple of years. In the earlier years, the BPL paid its foreign players up to $200,000 making it more lucrative than even the BBL. Now, the board has taken over the league instead of franchises.

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8. Caribbean Premier League ($4,500,000)

  • Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Average Cricketer Salary: $50,000
  • Minimum Wage: $3,000
  • Maximum Amounts: $160,000

Calendar Window: August-September

Salary Cap Estimate (Per Team): $750,000

  • Number of Teams: 6
  • Total Players: 90 (15 per team)

*Note, in the 2020 season post-COVID, players took a 30% pay-cut.

Also Read: What is the Salary of a Caribbean Premier League (CPL) player in the West Indies?

Source: CPL confirms Trinidad & Tobago plans, will ask players to take pay cuts (espncricinfo.com)

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7. Major League Cricket ($6,900,000)

  • Major League Cricket (MLC) Average Cricketer Salary: $60,500
  • Minimum Wage: $2,500
  • Maximum Amounts: $75,000 (max draft), $372,000 (undisclosed amounts for overseas signings)

Calendar Window: July 13-30, 2023 (MLC 2023)

Salary Cap Estimate (Per Team): $1,150,000

  • Number of Teams: 6
  • Total Players: 114 (19 per team)

Also Read: What is the Salary of a Major League Cricket player in the USA?

6. Pakistan Super League ($7,200,000)

  • Pakistan Super League (PSL) Average Cricketer Salary: $66,667
  • Minimum Wage: $7,500
  • Maximum Amounts: $170,000

Calendar Window: February-March

Salary Cap Estimate (Per Team): $1.2 Million

  • Number of Teams: 6
  • Total Players: 108 (18 per team)

Ramiz Raza has proposed changing the current drafts system (Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver, Emerging categories) to the auction format and increase the salary cap from $950,000 to $1.5 million. The salary cap is currently at $1.2 Million. Watch out for the PSL. This is a fast-rising league and will survive.

Also Read: What is the Salary of a Pakistan Super League (PSL) Cricketer in Pakistan?

Source: Pakistan Super League – PSL 2023 to start on February 9, final on March 19 (espncricinfo.com), PSL 6 Draft explained: The players, the price brackets, the process | The Cricketer

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5. The Hundred ($9,000,000)

  • The Hundred (Men’s) Average Cricketer Salary: $75,000
  • Minimum Wage: $33,000 (30,000 Pounds)
  • Maximum Amounts: $150,000 (135,000 Pounds)

Calendar Window: August

Salary Cap Estimate (Per Team): $1,125,000 (1 Million Pounds)

  • Number of Teams: 8
  • Total Players: 120 (15 per team)

*Note that England also has the T20 Blast as a domestic T20 competition, it is not a franchise T20 league.

Also Read: What is the Salary of a player in The Hundred (Men’s) in England?

Source: The Hundred 2022 – England stars to receive Hundred salary boost for 2022 tournament (espncricinfo.com)

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4. Big Bash League T20 ($10,000,000)

  • Big Bash League (BBL) Average Cricketer Salary: $110,312
  • Minimum Wage: $27,000 (AUD 42,000)
  • Maximum Amounts: $ 225,000 (AUD 340,000) – overseas BBL Draft, $133,000 (AUD 200,000) – Australian players

Calendar Window: December-February

Salary Cap Estimate (Per Team): $1,250,000 (AUD 1,900,000)

  • Number of Teams: 8
  • Total Players: 144 (18 per team)

*Replacement Cap: $33,000 (AUD 50,000) outside of salary cap

For the upcoming BBL draft, the categories are as follows:

  • Platinum: $ 225,000 (AUD 340,000)
  • Gold: $175,000 (AUD 260,000)
  • Bronze: $66,000 (AUD 100,000)

Also Read: What is the Salary of a Big Bash League player in Australia?

Sources: David Warner’s BBL return confirmed with two-year Sydney Thunder deal (espncricinfo.com); The BBL overseas draft is here: how will it work, how much can players earn and can star players be retained? (espncricinfo.com)

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3. SA 20 League ($12,550,000)

  • South Africa T20 League (SA20) Average Cricketer Salary: $110,000
  • Minimum Wage: $4,000 (Uncapped)
  • Maximum Amounts: $519,000

Calendar Window: January-February

Salary Cap Estimate (Per Team): $ 2,092,000

  • Number of Teams: 6
  • Total Maximum Players: 114 (19 per team)

Overall, 101 players were sold in the inaugural auction and pre-auction signings. In particular, the prices were

  • Average Auction Price: $89,000 (80 Players)
  • Estimated Pre-Auction Signing: $300,000 (21 Players)

This may the best attempt towards a South African T20 league.

Also Read: What is the Salary of a SA20 player in South Africa? (Updated 2024)

Source: Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone sign up for CSA’s new T20 league as competition for players intensifies (espncricinfo.com)

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2. UAE International T20 League ($15,000,000)

  • UAE International League T20 (ILT20) Average Cricketer Salary: $138,889
  • Minimum Wage: $10,000
  • Maximum Amounts: $450,000 ($340,000 + $110,000 max in loyalty bonuses)

Calendar Window: January-February

Salary Cap Estimate (Per Team): $2.5 Million ($1.5 million – minimum wage bill, $500,000 – signing/loyalty optional bonus, $500,000 – bid purse)

  • Number of Teams: 6
  • Total Players: 108 (18 per team)

Also Read: What is the Salary of ILT20 player (International League T20) in the UAE? (Updated 2024)

Source: UAE T20 league sets USD 450000 annual contract for top players (espncricinfo.com)

Photo of Gujarat Titans lifting the IPL 2022 Trophy and celebrating (Players include Rashid Khan, Shubman Gill, Varun Aaron, Mohammad Shami, etc.)

1. Indian Premier League ($116,339,000)

  • Indian Premier League (IPL) Average Cricketer Salary: $497,175
  • Minimum Wage: $26,000
  • Maximum Amounts: $2,133,000

Calendar Window: March-June

Salary Cap Estimate (Per Team): $11 Million (Rs. 90 crore)

  • Number of Teams: 10
  • Total Players: 234 (20-30 Per Team)

The mind-numbing thing to think about is that each IPL franchise has a larger salary cap space & auction purse is more than most other cricket leagues. Here are the details from the IPL 2022 Mega Auction.

Also Read: What is the Salary of an Indian Premier League (IPL) player in India?

IPL 2022 Mega Auction (Average Cricketer Salary)

Royal Challengers Bangalore ($11, 785,000)

  • Auction: $ 7,386,000 ($388, 737 Average)
  • Retention: $ 4,399,000 ($1,466,333 Average)

Kolkata Knight Riders ($10,582,000)

  • Auction: $6,050,000 ($318, 421 Average)
  • Retention: $4,532,000 ($1,133,000 Average)

Punjab Kings ($11,198,000)

  • Auction: $9,065,000 ($412,045 Average)
  • Retention: $2,133,000 ($1,066,500 Average)

Chennai Super Kings ($11,596,000)

  • Auction: $5,997,000 ($285,571)
  • Retention: $5,599,000 ($1,399750)

Delhi Capitals ($11,508,000)

  • Auction: $6,309,000 ($315,350 Average)
  • Retention: $5,199,000 ($1,299,750 Average)

Rajasthan Royals ($11,862,000)

  • Auction: $8,130,000 ($ 387,143 Average)
  • Retention: $3,732,000 ($1,244,000 Average)

Mumbai Indians ($11, 977,000)

  • Auction: $ 6,378,000 ($303,714 Average)
  • Retention: $ 5,599,000 ($1,399,750 Average

Sunrisers Hyderabad ($11,977,000)

  • Auction: $ 9,045,000 ($452,250 Average)
  • Retention: $ 2,932,000 ($977,333.3 Average)

Lucknow Super Giants ($11,883,000)

  • Auction: $ 7,858,000 ($436,556)
  • Retention: $ 4,025,000 ($1,341,667)

Gujarat Titans ($11,971,000)

  • Auction: $ 6,905,000 ($345,250)
  • Retention: $5,066,000 ($1, 688, 667)

Final Thoughts: The IPL is now having considerable influence in T20 leagues around the world. The same business groups are now buying stakes in foreign franchise leagues. This includes teams like Trinbago Knight Riders, MI Cape Town, MI Emirates, Dubai Capitals, etc.

Which are the Richest Cricket Leagues in the World?

Which is the richest cricket league in the world?

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the richest cricket league in the world with an average player salary of $497,175.

What are the Top 5 richest cricket leagues in the world?

The Top 5 richest cricket leagues in the world (by average player salary) are the Indian Premier League (IPL), UAE International T20 League, SA T20 League, the Big Bash, and the Hundred.

How much money does each T20 league give their players?

T20 leagues contribute the following amount to their cricketers combined:
1. Indian Premier League ($116, 339,000)
2. UAE International T20 ($15,000,000)
3. SA T20 League ($13, 421, 200)
4. Big Bash League ($10,000,000)
5. The Hundred ($9,000,000)
6. Pakistan Super League ($5,700,000)
7. Bangladesh Premier League ($4,800,000)
8. Caribbean Premier League ($4,500,000)
9. Lanka Premier League ($3,000,000)
10. Abu Dhabi T10 League ($2,500,000)
All prices above in $US Dollars.

How much money can a cricketer earn from each T20 league?

Average cricketer salaries per T20 league is as follows:
1. Indian Premier League ($497,175)
2. UAE International T20 ($138,889)
3. SA T20 League ($133,000)
4. Big Bash League ($75,000)
5. The Hundred ($75,000)
6. Pakistan Super League ($53,000)
7. Caribbean Premier League ($50,000)
8. Bangladesh Premier League ($40,000)
9. Lanka Premier League ($30,000)
10. Abu Dhabi T10 League ($25,000)
All prices above in $US Dollars.

Source: IPL Auction 2022 – Live Updates | ESPNcricinfo

© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, 2021. Originally published on 09/22/2022. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).

44 Contenders For 23-Men England ICC 2022 T20 World Cup Squad: Who’s In, Who Misses Out?

Captain Eoin Morgan said that he is “continuously monitoring different” individuals for the England T20 World Cup Squad. So why not help him out a bit?

Saqib Mahmood dazzled in the Pakistan-England series, Liam Livingstone and James Vince are striking the living daylight out of the white ball, and death bowlers are getting more expensive by the day.

The Hundred is upon us now. We get to see breakout stars like Chris Benjamin. However, it is unlikely they will even be considered for the upcoming T20 World Cup. On the other hand, ex-England players like Ravi Bopara, Samit Patel, Steven Finn, and Jade Dernbach make sure that the domestic game is still strong, but they will not board the plane either come November.

We analyze each and every player that is contender for the 23-men (COVID rules) T20 World Cup—when they last played for England, T20/T20I stats, where they stack with their competitors, and how many games they have to secure their spot. There are 36 strong candidates in the list with 44 overall T20 prospects for this World Cup. And no, this is not the entire depth of the English cricket team. That would take it up to 75 players depth!

Table of Contents

  1. Legend
    1. Current Status
    2. Verdict
  2. England T20 World Cup Squad – Player By Player Analysis
  3. Openers
  4. #3 and #4
  5. Finishers
  6. Reserve Keeper
  7. All Rounders
  8. Fast Bowlers
  9. Spinners
  10. Notable Exclusions
  11. England XI

Also Read: County Cricket-Hundred Debate From an Outsider’s Perspective: Can They Co-Exist?, The Comedy of Overs: A Shakespearean Parody

Legend

Current Status

  • Incumbent: Currently in England’s T20I XI
  • Reserve: May have played for England in the last two years but does not make their first XI
  • Out of Squad: Might have represented England earlier or about to breakthrough, but have not been in the England squad in the last couple of T20I series.

Verdict

🟩 Plays the first match in the T20 World Cup

🟨 Boards the plane to UAE but might not get a look-into the XI

🟧 Wildcard Entry: Not in the current scheme of things but a good performance in the Hundred, T20 Blast, or IPL, and they might be back in the conversation.

🟥 Most likely not going to make it, but in COVID-19 World, anything is possible. They are next in the pecking order in case something out of the blue happens.

Over the past year, at the end of every series, we did a “World T20 World Cup Watch,” where a 23-men squad was chosen after latest performance. You can check them below.

Also Read: England Vs Sri Lanka 2021 Series Review, India Vs England Series Review T20I, England Vs South Africa 2020 Series Review

Here is the pecking order now.

England T20 World Cup Squad – Player By Player Analysis

In order to create the machinery for the explosive England T20 World Cup Squad, we specifically pay attention to the Average + Strike Rate score for the batters along with the Economy Rate for the bowlers. A Dawid Malan (high average, decent strike rate) is just as important as a Jason Roy (decent average, high strike rate) to this squad.

Openers

1. Jason Roy 🟩

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  • Current Status: Incumbent
  • T20Is: 48, Runs: 3658, 100/50: 0/6, Best: 78, AVE+SR: 170.51, Average: 24.85, SR: 145.66
  • T20s: 246, Runs: 6403, 100/50: 4/42, Best: 122*, AVE+SR: 171.23, Average: 27.96, SR: 143.27
  • Last Played T20I For England: July 19, 2021
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? Yes.
  • Hundred Team: Oval Invincibles, IPL Team: Sunrisers Hyderabad
  • Out of form in the last year, he is just getting back to his best. If he performs in the Hundred, he makes the XI, let alone the squad.

2. Jos Buttler 🟩

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  • Current Status: Incumbent, Other Roles: Keeper/Vice-Captain
  • T20Is: 82, Runs: 1871, 100/50: 0/14, Best: 83*, AVE+SR: 171.54, Average: 31.71, SR: 139.83
  • T20s: 292, Runs: 7066, 100/50: 1/49, Best: 124, AVE+SR: 175.44, Average: 31.68, SR: 143.76
  • Last Played T20I For England: July 19, 2021
  • Is he in the India test series? Yes. Will he play the IPL? Yes.
  • Hundred Team: Manchester Originals, IPL Team: Rajasthan Royals
  • Vice-Captain, Wicketkeeper. Has gone to another level as a T20I opener. One of the first names of the team sheet.

3. James Vince 🟨

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  • Current Status: Reserve
  • T20Is: 12, Runs: 340, 100/50: 0/1, Best: 59, AVE+SR: 151.96, Average: 28.33, SR: 123.63
  • T20s: 258, Runs: 6949, 100/50: 2/42, Best: 107*, AVE+SR: 164.73, Average: 30.61, SR: 134.12
  • Last Played T20I For England: November 9, 2019 (*ODI: July 12, 2021)
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? No.
  • Hundred Team: Southern Brave, IPL Team: None
  • Has the best cover drive in England. Finally showed up on the big stage with a 100 in ODI against Pakistan. Performed in other leagues around the world in the past year and continuing it with The Hundred – pushing for a spot in the squad. Maybe in the XI.

4. Tom Banton 🟨

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  • Current Status: Out of Squad, Other Roles: Keeper
  • T20Is: 9, Runs: 205, 100/50: 0/1, Best: 71, AVE+SR: 166.12, Average: 22.77, SR: 143.35
  • T20s: 53, Runs: 1394, 100/50: 2/9, Best: 107*, AVE+SR: 184.89, Average: 28.44, SR: 156.45
  • Last Played T20I For England: September 7, 2020
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? No.
  • Hundred Team: Welsh Fire, IPL Team: None
  • Burst on the scene as the next ‘KP’ with the scoops and reverse sweeps. Destructive when on fire but has received limited opportunities. Needs to make most of The Hundred if he wants to get into the England squad.

5. Alex Hales 🟧

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  • Current Status: Out of Squad
  • T20Is: 60, Runs: 1644, 100/50: 1/8, Best: 71, AVE+SR: 167.66, Average: 31.01, SR: 136.65
  • T20s: 306, Runs: 8569, 100/50: 5/53, Best: 116*, AVE+SR: 176.87, Average: 30.82, SR: 146.05
  • Last Played T20I For England: March 9, 2019
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? No.
  • Hundred Team: Trent Rockets, IPL Team: None
  • Dominates T20 leagues around the world. Failed drug tests, Bristol brawl, relationship with Morgan, and controversy has almost killed his international career. Time running out for that ‘conversation’ to get him back into the England team. And with like-to-like batter James Vince already having a foot in the door, it will be difficult for him to comeback.

6. Phil Salt 🟥

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  • Current Status: Reserve
  • T20s: 104, Runs: 2333, 100/50: 0/18, Best: 78*, AVE+SR: 176.94, Average: 25.35, SR: 151.59
  • Last Played T20I For England: Yet to play (*ODI: July 12, 2021)
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? No.
  • Hundred Team: Manchester Originals, IPL Team: None
  • Impressed in the ODI series against Pakistan. Look out for him in the next decade. Only an outside chance for this World Cup.

England T20 World Cup Squad Verdict – Openers

  • Makes Team: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler, James Vince, Tom Banton
  • Out of Team: Alex Hales, Phil Salt

#3 and #4

7. Dawid Malan 🟨

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  • Current Status: Incumbent
  • T20Is: 30, Runs: 1123, 100/50: 1/11, Best: 103*, AVE+SR: 182.62, Average: 43.19, SR: 139.33
  • T20s: 240, Runs: 6507, 100/50: 5/38, Best: 117, AVE+SR: 160.52, Average: 32.69, SR: 127.83
  • Last Played T20I For England: July 19, 2021
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? Yes.
  • Hundred Team: Trent Rockets, IPL Team: Punjab Kings
  • #1 T20I batter in the world, but questions beginning to creep on his position in the XI due to spin. He is definitely a match-winner, but hope he does not lose matches on his off-days.

8. Moeen Ali 🟨

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  • Current Status: Incumbent, Other Roles: Off-spinner/All-rounder
  • T20Is: 38, Runs: 437, 100/50: 0/2, Best: 72*, AVE+SR: 152.32, Average: 16.18, SR: 136.13, Wickets: 21, Best: 2/21, Economy: 8.42
  • T20s: 183, Runs: 3925, 100/50: 2/21, Best: 121*, AVE+SR: 165.62, Average: 24.84, SR: 140.78, Wickets: 124, Best: 5/34, Economy: 7.56
  • Last Played T20I For England: July 19, 2021
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? Yes.
  • Hundred Team: Birmingham Phoenix, IPL Team: Chennai Super Kings
  • Has to one of my the most underutilized players in the last decade. Practically played in every position and with vital IPL experience, will be key in UAE. Can he beat the competition to bat in the top-order?

9. Ben Stokes 🟩

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  • Current Status: Incumbent, Other Roles: Medium Pace/All-rounder/Reserve Captain
  • T20Is: 34, Runs: 442, 100/50: 0/0, Best: 47*, AVE+SR: 156.93, Average: 20.09, SR: 136.84, Wickets: 19, Best: 3/26, Economy: 8.77
  • T20s: 148, Runs: 2865, 100/50: 2/9, Best: 107*, AVE+SR: 159.98, Average: 24.91, SR: 135.07, Wickets: 86, Best: 4/16, Economy: 8.52
  • Last Played T20I For England: March 19, 2021
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? Uncertain.
  • Hundred Team: Northern Superchargers, IPL Team: Rajasthan Royals
  • Not the best T20 stats but he is a big game player. The real question is, where does he play? #3 like the IPL or as a finisher? Stokes is taking an indefinite break from all cricket. Hopefully he is okay.

10. Jonny Bairstow 🟩

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  • Current Status: Incumbent, Other Roles: Keeper
  • T20Is: 57, Runs: 1143, 100/50: 0/7, Best: 86*, AVE+SR: 164.92, Average: 27.87, SR: 137.05
  • T20s: 160, Runs: 3857, 100/50: 3/22, Best: 114, AVE+SR: 169.29, Average: 31.35, SR: 137.94
  • Last Played T20I For England: July 19, 2021
  • Is he in the India test series? Yes. (but why?) Will he play the IPL? Yes.
  • Hundred Team: Welsh Fire, IPL Team: Sunrisers Hyderabad
  • One of the best ODI opening batters of all-time, a clean striker, and a wonderful player of spin, his role might change with a #4 position for the T20 World Cup.

11. Joe Root 🟧

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  • Current Status: Out of Squad, Other Roles: Part-time Off-Spinner
  • T20Is: 32, Runs: 893, 100/50: 0/5, Best: 90*, AVE+SR: 162.02, Average: 35.72, SR: 126.30, Wickets: 6, Best: 2/9, Economy: 9.92
  • T20s: 83, Runs: 1994, 100/50: 0/13, Best: 92*, AVE+SR: 158.92, Average: 32.16, SR: 126.76, Wickets: 21, Best: 2/7, Economy: 8.41
  • Last Played T20I For England: May 4, 2019 (ODI: 3 July, 2021)
  • Is he in the India test series? Yes. Will he play the IPL? No.
  • Hundred Team: Trent Rockets, IPL Team: None
  • Chief architect of the 2016 runners-up campaign, Root has fallen off the charts in the last four years in T20 cricket. He has expressed his desire to play more T20I cricket but does not play many leagues. Lower SR than Malan, but is a valuable part-timer that might help his case.

12. Zak Crawley 🟥

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  • Current Status: Out of Squad
  • T20s: 35, Runs: 1042, 100/50: 1/5, Best: 108*, AVE+SR: 187.29, Average: 33.61, SR: 153.68
  • Last Played T20I For England: Yet to Play (ODI: July 12, 2021)
  • Is he in the India test series? Yes. Will he play the IPL? No.
  • Hundred Team: London Spirit, IPL Team: None
  • An outside choice for the T20 World Cup, but he showed in London Spirit’s opening game of the Hundred, that he is a fluent batter – 64 (40). One of England’s future stars, a 187.29 AVE+SR is the best of any current England batters apart from Livingstone

13. Ben Duckett 🟥

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  • Current Status: Out of Squad
  • T20Is: 1, Runs: 9, 100/50: 0/0, Best: 9, AVE+SR: 137.57, Average: 9.00, SR: 128.57
  • T20s: 122, Runs: 2903, 100/50: 0/18, Best: 96, AVE+SR: 166.85, Average: 30.88, SR: 135.97
  • Last Played T20I For England: May 4, 2019
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? No.
  • Hundred Team: Welsh Fire, IPL Team: None
  • With scores of 53,41 (The Hundred), 74*, 45 (Vitality Blast), 69* (County Championship), Duckett is in red-hot form and was in the Pakistan squad. He is on the fringe and definitely has the shots, courage, and innovation to succeed in T20s.

14. Joe Denly 🟥

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  • Current Status: Out of Squad, Other Roles: Part-time Leg-Spinner (has a hat-trick)
  • T20Is: 13, Runs: 125, 100/50: 0/0, Best: 30, AVE+SR: 118.43, Average: 12.50, SR: 105.93,Wickets: 7, Best: 4/19, Economy: 7.75
  • T20s: 241, Runs: 5719, 100/50: 4/31, Best: 127, AVE+SR: 148.64, Average: 26.60, SR: 122.04, Wickets: 41, Best: 4/19, Economy: 7.80
  • Last Played T20I For England: September 7, 2020
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? No.
  • Hundred Team: London Spirit, IPL Team: None
  • Cameback after a decade, played a few memorable knocks, but in all likelihood, selectors have left him behind. My gut says that one of the Joes will make it in the squad – Denly’s flexibility and leg break is a big plus (but Root will likely edge past him).

England T20 World Cup Squad Verdict – #3-4

  • Makes Team: Dawid Malan, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root
  • Out of Team: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Joe Denly

Finishers

15. Eoin Morgan 🟨

Embed from Getty Images
  • Current Status: Incumbent, Other Roles: Captain
  • T20Is: 107, Runs: 2360, 100/50: 0/14, Best: 91, AVE+SR: 167.03, Average: 28.78, SR: 138.25
  • T20s: 332, Runs: 7217, 100/50: 0/37, Best: 91, AVE+SR: 158.99, Average: 26.82, SR: 132.17
  • Last Played T20I For England: July 19, 2021
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? Most Likely.
  • Hundred Team: London Spirit, IPL Team: Kolkata Knight Riders
  • Captain Morgan, captain cool. His pedigree in captaincy is still top notch but his potency with the bat has declined. Just a loss of form or signal to waning batting prowess? Does he make your XI?

16. Liam Livingstone 🟩

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  • Current Status: Reserve, Other Roles: Part-time Leg Spinner
  • T20Is: 8, Runs: 206, 100/50: 1/0, Best: 103, AVE+SR: 201.80, Average: 34.33, SR: 167.47, Wickets: 2, Best: 1/8, Economy: 7.20
  • T20s: 141, Runs: 3608, 100/50: 2/20, Best: 103, AVE+SR: 171.13, Average: 29.09, SR: 142.04, Wickets: 53, Best: 4/17, Economy: 7.76
  • Last Played T20I For England: July 19, 2021
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? Yes.
  • Hundred Team: Birmingham Phoenix, IPL Team: Rajasthan Royals
  • Fastest T20I century by an Englishmen and probably one of the longest hitter of the ball. The most in-form batter in England, he should make the England XI.

17. Sam Billings 🟨

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  • Current Status: Reserve, Other Roles: Keeper
  • T20Is: 32, Runs: 417, 100/50: 0/2, Best: 87, AVE+SR: 145.08, Average: 16.68, SR: 128.30
  • T20s: 180, Runs: 3646, 100/50: 0/21, Best: 95*, AVE+SR: 153.93, Average: 23.67, SR: 130.26
  • Last Played T20I For England: June 25, 2021
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? Yes.
  • Hundred Team: Oval Invincibles, IPL Team: Chennai Super Kings
  • The ultimate team man, Sam Billings has been carrying drinks for the last four years. He should make the squad just because of his patience. Expecting a couple of cameos with the little opportunities he gets.

England T20 World Cup Squad Verdict – Finishers

  • Makes Team: Eoin Morgan, Liam Livingstone, Sam Billings
  • Out of Team:

Reserve Keeper

18. John Simpson 🟧

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  • Current Status: Out of Squad, Other Roles: Keeper
  • T20s: 132, Runs: 2238, 100/50: 0/8, Best: 84*, AVE+SR: 153.04, Average: 23.31, SR: 129.73
  • Last Played T20I For England: Yet to Play (July 12, 2021)
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? No.
  • Hundred Team: Northern Superchargers, IPL Team: Chennai Super Kings
  • Impressed with his keeping skills in the England-Pakistan series, but will most likely not make it with Buttler-Bairstow-Billings-Banton all secondary keepers.

Enjoying this article on England T20 World Cup Squad so far? Subscribe below for more!

All Rounders

19. Sam Curran 🟩

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  • Current Status: Incumbent, Other Roles: Pinch-hitter
  • T20Is: 16, Runs: 91, 100/50: 0/0, Best: 24, AVE+SR: 177.84, Average: 18.20, SR: 159.64, Wickets: 16, Best: 3/28, Economy: 7.93
  • T20s: 103, Runs: 1232, 100/50: 0/6, Best: 72*, AVE+SR: 167.46, Average: 20.88, SR: 136.58, Wickets: 103, Best: 4/11, Economy: 8.49
  • Last Played T20I For England: June 25, 2021
  • Is he in the India test series? Yes. Will he play the IPL? Yes.
  • Hundred Team: Oval Invincibles, IPL Team: Chennai Super Kings
  • The ‘Makes Things Happen‘ guy, he is a valuable asset, especially after his Chennai Super Kings stint. Opens the bowling, bowls at the death, and can open the batting/#3 as a pinch hitter. A gun fielder as well.

20. David Willey 🟧

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  • Current Status: Reserve, Other Roles: Specialist swing bowler
  • T20Is: 32, Runs: 182, 100/50: 0/0, Best: 29*, AVE+SR: 146.84, Average: 14.00, SR: 132.84, Wickets: 38, Best: 4/7, Economy: 7.99
  • T20s: 197, Runs: 2797, 100/50: 2/11, Best: 118, AVE+SR: 163.77, Average: 23.50, SR: 140.27, Wickets: 191, Best: 4/7, Economy: 7.89
  • Last Played T20I For England: July 19, 2021
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? No.
  • Hundred Team: Northern Superchargers, IPL Team: None
  • Has been in-and-out of the squad since his debut. Jofra Archer’s entrance meant his spot was sacrificed on the eve of the World Cup. He should find a place in the 23-men squad, and can be played in the XI if swing on offer. Bats at he top in domestic cricket as well.

21. Chris Jordan 🟨

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  • Current Status: Reserve, Other Roles: Specialist Death Bowler
  • T20Is: 65, Runs: 296, 100/50: 0/0, Best: 36, AVE+SR: 148.13, Average: 14.80, SR: 133.33, Wickets: 73, Best: 4/6, Economy: 8.70
  • T20s: 227, Runs: 1179, 100/50: 0/6, Best: 45, AVE+SR: 135.04, Average: 14.37, SR: 120.67, Wickets: 103, Best: 4/11, Economy: 8.49
  • Last Played T20I For England: July 19, 2021
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? Yes.
  • Hundred Team: Southern Brave, IPL Team: Punjab Kings
  • Highest wicket-taker for England in T20Is (73), his inconsistency and economy rate has seen him dropped recently. If he is in-form, he merits a place in the XI. Has the yorkers, all the variations, and one of the best fielders on the circuit.

22. Chris Woakes 🟨

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  • Current Status: Reserve
  • T20Is: 10, Runs: 91, 100/50: 0/0, Best: 37, AVE+SR: 170.77, Average: 30.33, SR: 144.44, Wickets: 8, Best: 2/40, Economy: 8.11
  • T20s: 118, Runs: 831, 100/50: 0/2, Best: 57* AVE+SR: 162.30, Average: 25.18, SR: 137.12, Wickets: 129, Best: 4/21, Economy: 8.27
  • Last Played T20I For England: July 19, 2021
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? Yes.
  • Hundred Team: Birmingham Phoenix, IPL Team: Delhi Capitals
  • No questions on his credentials, but does he make the XI with Archer, Wood, Curran, Jordan? Also gets rested too often. Maybe he is injury prone.

23. Lewis Gregory 🟥

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  • Current Status: Reserve
  • T20Is: 9, Runs: 45, 100/50: 0/0, Best: 15, AVE+SR: 117.25, Average: 7.50, SR: 109.75, Wickets: 2, Best: 1/10, Economy: 9.00
  • T20s: 141, Runs: 1758, 100/50: 0/5, Best: 76*, AVE+SR: 163.84, Average: 20.92, SR: 142.92, Wickets: 133, Best: 5/27, Economy: 8.99
  • Last Played T20I For England: July 15, 2021
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? No.
  • Hundred Team: Trent Rockets, IPL Team: None
  • Brilliant 77 to rescue England against Pakistan in an ODI will be in selectors mind, but will be touch-and-go for the 23-squad.

24. Tom Curran 🟧

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  • Current Status: Incumbent
  • T20Is: 30, Runs: 64, 100/50: 0/0, Best: 14*, AVE+SR: 124.94, Average: 10.66, SR: 114.28, Wickets: 29, Best: 4/36, Economy: 9.25
  • T20s: 145, Runs: 1057, 100/50: 0/3, Best: 62, AVE+SR: 153.24, Average: 19.94, SR: 134.30, Wickets: 165, Best: 4/22, Economy: 8.85
  • Last Played T20I For England: July 17, 2021
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? Yes.
  • Hundred Team: Oval Invincibles, IPL Team: Delhi Capitals
  • Tom Curran is the big question. If he is in the squad, he will definitely get games but it is a risky proposition. With other allrounders in the team, will Brydon Carse, Reece Topley, and Lewis Gregory give Tom a scare? Not sure if specialist slower delivery alone is valuable in today’s era. The IPL in UAE is break or make for him.

25. Liam Dawson 🟥

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  • Current Status: Out of Squad, Other Roles: Left-arm orthodox
  • T20Is: 6, Runs: 17, 100/50: 0/0, Best: 10, AVE+SR: 229.50, Average: 17.00, SR: 212.50, Wickets: 5, Best: 3/27, Economy: 7.60
  • T20s: 177, Runs: 1984, 100/50: 0/5, Best: 82, AVE+SR: 133.72, Average: 19.64, SR: 114.08, Wickets: 126, Best: 5/17, Economy: 7.30
  • Last Played T20I For England: February 17, 2018
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? No.
  • Hundred Team: Southern Brave, IPL Team: No
  • Matt Parkinson has nearly established himself as an understudy to Adil Rashid in the spin department. Dawson hasn’t played since 2018, but will the slow UAE pitches and left-arm spin variety force a rethink?

England T20 World Cup Squad Verdict – All-Rounders

  • Makes Team: Sam Curran, David Willey, Chris Jordan, Chris Woakes
  • Out of Team: Tom Curran, Lewis Gregory, Liam Dawson

Fast Bowlers

26. Jofra Archer 🟥

Embed from Getty Images
  • Current Status: Incumbent
  • T20Is: 12, Wickets: 14, Best: 4/33, Economy: 7.89
  • T20s: 121, Wickets: 153, Best: 4/18, Economy: 7.65
  • Last Played T20I For England: March 19, 2021
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? Maybe.
  • Hundred Team: Southern Brave (not playing), IPL Team: Rajasthan Royals
  • If fit, he will make the XI, but if not, how does that change England’s composition?

Update August 5th, 2021: Jofra Archer has been ruled out of the T20 World and other cricket for the rest of the year due to elbow fracture.

27. Mark Wood 🟩

Embed from Getty Images
  • Current Status: Incumbent
  • T20Is: 17, Wickets: 26, Best: 3/9, Economy: 8.50
  • T20s: 38, Wickets: 46, Best: 4/25, Economy: 8.14
  • Last Played T20I For England: June 23, 2021
  • Is he in the India test series? Yes. Will he play the IPL? No.
  • Hundred Team: London Spirit (not playing), IPL Team: Rajasthan Royals
  • England’s enforcer in limited overs cricket, their team’s success relies heavily on Wood’s form. At the peak of his powers, no question on his place.

28. Saqib Mahmood 🟩

Embed from Getty Images
  • Current Status: Incumbent
  • T20Is: 9, Wickets: 7, Best: 3/33, Economy: 10.41
  • T20s: 42, Wickets: 54, Best: 4/14, Economy: 8.54
  • Last Played T20I For England: July 19, 2021
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? No.
  • Hundred Team: Oval Invincibles, IPL Team: None
  • With 4/42, 2/21, 3/60, 1/46, 3/33 across formats against Pakistan, Saqib has stormed into England’s squad. Like-for-like replacement for Wood in ODIs, can he replicate his success in T20Is?

29. Reece Topley 🟨

  • Current Status: Reserve
  • T20Is: 6, Wickets: 5, Best: 3/24, Economy: 10.07
  • T20s: 117, Wickets: 117, Best: 4/20, Economy: 8.18
  • Last Played T20I For England: March 17, 2016 (ODI: March 27, 2021)
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? No.
  • Hundred Team: Oval Invincibles, IPL Team: None
  • 6 foot 7, left arm medium. Height, left-arm, pace & bounce. Injuries have marred his career, but not too far away from the XI.

30. Jake Ball 🟧

Embed from Getty Images
  • Current Status: Out of Squad
  • T20Is: 2, Wickets: 2, Best: 1/39, Economy: 11.85
  • T20s: 93, Wickets: 118, Best: 4/11, Economy: 8.81
  • Last Played T20I For England: July 7, 2018
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? No.
  • Hundred Team: Welsh Fire, IPL Team: None
  • Been around since 2016 and debuted in all formats, but never managed to cement a place. The Hundred is his final opportunity before the T20 World Cup.

31. Tymal Mills 🟥

Embed from Getty Images
  • Current Status: Out of Squad
  • T20Is: 5, Wickets: 3, Best: 1/27, Economy: 6.78
  • T20s: 132, Wickets: 142, Best: 4/22, Economy: 7.84
  • Last Played T20I For England: May 30, 2018 (ICC World XI), 2017 – last played for England
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? No.
  • Hundred Team: Southern Brave, IPL Team: None
  • One of the fastest in England, a poor stint with RCB in the IPL & injuries set him back for a couple of years. Still only 28, still has a long career ahead. Definitely in Morgan’s mind and considered for the World Cup due to his X-factor potential.

32. Brydon Carse 🟧

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  • Current Status: Out of Squad
  • T20s: 36, Wickets: 19, Best: 3/30, Economy: 8.76
  • Last Played T20I For England: Yet to play (ODI: July 12, 2021)
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? No.
  • Hundred Team: Northern Superchargers, IPL Team: None
  • Has impressed at the death in the Pakistan series and so far with the Hundred. An outside chance to replace Tom Curran.

33. Craig Overton 🟥

Embed from Getty Images
  • Current Status: Out of Squad
  • T20s: 59, Wickets: 54, Best: 3/17, Economy: 9.00
  • Last Played T20I For England: Yet to play (ODI: July 12, 2021)
  • Is he in the India test series? Yes. Will he play the IPL? No.
  • Hundred Team: Southern Brave, IPL Team: None
  • Replaces Ben Stokes in the Test series and has been a fringe player for a while. Hope he receives more opportunities.

England T20 World Cup Squad Verdict – Fast Bowlers

  • Makes Team: Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Saqib Mahmood, Reece Topley
  • Out of Team: Jake Ball, Tymal Mills, Brydon Carse, Craig Overton

Spinners

34. Adil Rashid 🟩

Embed from Getty Images
  • Current Status: Out of Squad, Style: Legbreak
  • T20Is: 62, Wickets: 65, Best: 4/35, Economy: 7.48
  • T20s: 195, Wickets: 222, Best: 4/19, Economy: 7.43
  • Last Played T20I For England: July 19, 2021
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? No (needs to be picked though).
  • Hundred Team: Northern Superchargers, IPL Team: None
  • Approaching legendary status. Will be absolutely crucial for the World Cup.

35. Matt Parkinson 🟩

Embed from Getty Images
  • Current Status: Out of Squad Style: Legbreak
  • T20Is: 4, Wickets: 6, Best: 4/47, Economy: 9.50
  • T20s: 63, Wickets: 99, Best: 4/9, Economy: 7.49
  • Last Played T20I For England: July 17, 2021
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? No.
  • Hundred Team: Manchester Originals, IPL Team: None
  • Parkinson’s 4/9 against Birmingham Phoenix was a timely reminder of his abilities. Shane Warne thinks England should pencil him for the Ashes. In turning pitches of UAE, Rashid-Parkinson can be a deadly duo.

36. Mason Crane 🟥

  • Current Status: Out of Squad Style: Legbreak
  • T20Is: 2, Wickets: 1, Best: 1/38, Economy: 7.75
  • T20s: 51, Wickets: 59, Best: 3/15, Economy: 7.27
  • Last Played T20I For England: June 24, 2017 (Test: 7 January, 2018)
  • Is he in the India test series? No. Will he play the IPL? No.
  • Hundred Team: London Spirit, IPL Team: None
  • Has always been in conversation as a replacement spinner but with Rashid solidifying the limited overs spot, Dom Bess/Jack Leach receiving the vote of confidence, and Matt Parkinson’s rapid rise, Crane has not seen much of international cricket. Does not help that he his also a legspinner.
Embed from Getty Images

England T20 World Cup Squad Verdict – Spinners

  • Makes Team: Adil Rashid, Matt Parkinson
  • Out of Team: Mason Crane

Notable Exclusions

37-45. Liam Plunkett, George Garton, Danny Briggs, Tom Helm, Will Jacks, Dan Lawrence, David Payne, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson

*Since Jofra Archer is ruled out for the entire year, England still has 44 players to consider.

England XI

Based on Ben Stokes & Chris Woakes’ availability, this is my XI and England squad of 23. Eoin Morgan’s form is a concern, but doubt he will be dropped on the eve of the World Cup.

  1. Jason Roy
  2. Jos Buttler (WK/VC)
  3. Ben Stokes*
  4. Jonny Bairstow
  5. Eoin Morgan (C)
  6. Liam Livingstone
  7. Sam Curran
  8. Chris Jordan
  9. Mark Wood
  10. Adil Rashid
  11. Matt Parkinson

*doubtful

Squad: 12. Moeen Ali, 13. Dawid Malan, 14. Saqib Mahmood, 15. James Vince, 16. Tom Curran, 17. Tom Banton, 18. Sam Billings, 19. Chris Woakes, 20. Reece Topley, 21. David Willey, 22. Jake Ball/Brydon Carse, 23. Joe Root/Alex Hales

For #22-23, I am going with Carse-Root. Young X-factor, and the off-spin of Root.

August 5th Update: Initially Tom Curran did not make my 23, but since Jofra Archer is ruled out, I am putting Chris Jordan in the XI and Tom Curran in the 23.

Variations in the XI

  • In extra spin conditions, I would play Moeen Ali & Joe Root in the top order. Better players of spin and good bowling options as well.
  • On a flat high scoring pitch, a death bowler who can bat like Chris Jordan would be a good punt.
  • If swinging conditions are available, two out of Sam Curran, David Willey, and Chris Woakes could be considered.

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County Cricket-Hundred Debate From an Outsider’s Perspective: Can They Co-Exist?

Abraham Lincoln famously remarked, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

England cricket is having that moment right now with the County Cricket vs The Hundred debate. From the outside, everything seems fine—2019 World Cup victory, Anderson-Broad still going strong, finally a somewhat stable opening Test partnership in Burns-Sibley, and an enviable depth.

Deep down, though, there are gaping cracks. Tradition, history, club cricket, professional contracts, indirect impact on Tests are stacked against city-based franchises, new format, media rights, and emphasis on limited overs cricket.

Today, I am not going to present an argument from an English perspective—David Hopps, Andrew Miller, and George Dobell (twice) provide well-articulated balanced views. On the other hand, I express my observations as an outsider.

Is Controversy Helping County Cricket or Hundred?

Full disclosure—I am not from England. I have no particular affinity with a specific county and do not follow much of the County Championship, Royal London One-Day Cup, or the T20 Blast (unless of course Alastair Cook is nearing another ton or Shaheen Shah Afridi takes 4 in a row). Nor did I watch a single game of the Kia Super League.

Yet the endless debates and discussion on social media against The Hundred piqued my curiosity. I have since watched almost all games of The Hundred and have enjoyed them too. While County Cricket fans are trying to fight for their side, they might have actually helped publicize the Hundred.

Also Read: The Comedy of Overs: Shakespearean Parody Starring English Cricket, The Hundred, And County Cricket

The Good, Bad, And Ugly

So has The Hundred lived up to the hype?

First impressions—the possibility that a bowler can bowl 10 consecutive balls has added an extra dimension. Rashid Khan went as far as to say it’s now possible to take three hat-tricks! Imagine the flexibility with swing bowlers and death specialists. When a Joe Root-esque part-timer keeps it tight, let him or her continue.

I also like the speed of the game. The over-rate field placement penalty and the swiftness of DRS decisions has reduced the time down to less than 3 hours.

Most importantly, the cricket has been good, and it looks like a fun family time. Affordable tickets, priceless expressions of kids, last over thrillers, Lizelle Lee-Jemimah Rodrigues specials, find of Chris Benjamin, Alex Hales-Ben Stokes drama, and Bairstow being Bairstow. All good.

There is always room for improvement, however. Graphics are all over the place, crowds are not sell-outs, and even umpire Nigel Llong had to ask the DJ to dial it down a notch.   

Disparity in Score Decreases

The simultaneous matches with the Women’s Hundred is turning out to be a gamechanger. The level of women’s cricket was criticized in Women’s T20 Challenge when the Velocity were bundled for 47 although conditions were not ideal.

In the Hundred, when the women’s team only scored 113-93, the men’s teams did even worse 87/10 a few hours later in a spin dominated pitch. The average scores are 124 and 137 so far for the women’s & men’s editions respectively, and quality of cricket equally enthralling.

Can County Cricket, T20 Blast, and The Hundred Coexist—Yay or Nay?

One argument has been why not just re-market the T20 Blast instead of creating a new format?

If we all agree that County Cricket, T20 Blast, and the Hundred are to coexist, the question then becomes of scheduling.

  • County Championship: 18 Teams, 3 Groups, 90 matches, April-July
  • T20 Vitality Blast: 18 Teams, 2 groups, 133 matches, June-September
  • The Hundred: 8 teams & 34 matches for Women’s/Men’s each, July-August

Add the home Test summer, the English rain, and this is a packed schedule. The issue with the T20 Blast is that it is played over 18 teams, broken over several months, with numerous games on the same day. The momentum is stagnant, regular international talent not retained, and coverage low.  

About Time England Dominate The League World

England are the current ODI World Champions and one of the favorites for the T20 World Cup. If there was ever a time to invest in a franchise league of international standard, it is now before the likes of Eoin Morgan head towards retirement.

When the IPL was launched in 2008, India still had legends like Dravid-Tendulkar-Ganguly-Laxman to build stable fanbases & drive spectators to the ground but it was the 2007 T20 World Cup victory that ensured T20 would succeed in India. Yes, it might be weird that Jonny Bairstow from Yorkshire is playing for the Welsh Fire. There maybe no natural County support for an artificial franchise league, but Dhoni & Raina are not from Chennai either (far from it!) and probably possess the largest IPL fanbase.

England was reluctant to invest in franchise cricket and suffered till the 2015 Cricket World Cup debacle as a result. The rest of the world allowed India to become a monopoly in the T20 market. One can argue that losing Buttlers-Stokes-Morgans-Archers to the IPL 2 months in the year is indirectly hurting the County Cricket. Had English cricket invested in a T20 league earlier and provided it a window so it does not clash with domestic tournaments, they would have been at a better place. Shoulda, woulda, coulda.

There is still time. Who knows, a high-quality concentrated domestic tournament can extend England’s golden era and throw up new stars.

Better players, more competition, more spectators/TV viewership, more money, higher salaries—Players, counties, leagues, everybody happy?

Also Read: The Need For Champions League & a T20 League Calendar

Why Not Follow the India Model?

With 38 teams & multiple groups, Ranji Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and the IPL coexist. A separate window for the IPL ensures availability of homegrown talent as well as majority of foreign players. Ranji Trophy provides professional support, SMAT is scheduled strategically a month before the auction to showcase new talent, and the IPL, in return, provides developed players, academies, & scouting systems back to the domestic teams.

From the looks of it, ECB has almost made up its mind about the Hundred at least for a couple of seasons. So why not try to find a solution that benefits all parties involved instead of opposing it?

I will leave you with Michael Atherton’s warning on commentary today. Fans are drawn towards a new format because it is exciting and different. Administrators get greedy and keep expanding like the IPL and Big Bash. A few years later, the format becomes diluted and ‘loses its pizzazz.’

Just a short 1-month Hundred can probably survive and not hurt other formats. However, if this format is to spread to expand to more teams, other countries, or become an international format, then there will be detrimental consequences. Until then we can have some fun and adapt innovations from this experiment into the existing formats. Keep the Hundred simple, but do not forget the county game either.

Lincoln was right. Now England must choose—an internal divisive cricket Civil War or a mutual partnership?

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Copyright @Nitesh Mathur, Broken Cricket Dreams, bcd@brokencricketdreams.com – 07/29/2021

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The Comedy of Overs: Shakespearean Parody Starring English Cricket, The Hundred, And County Cricket

Welcome to The Comedy of Overs, a parody play symbolizing the internal conflict of English cricket.

DISCLAIMER

Puns definitely intended. Sarcasm galore.

The writer hopes to merely present the various views surrounding The Hundred—the good, bad, and the ugly in a playful fashion.

*Note: This play is more fun when you read it out loud*

Table of Contents

  1. CAST
  2. SETTING
  3. ACT I: England Have Their Own League?
  4. ACT II: Who Is Even Playing?
  5. ACT III: The Rules
  6. Intermission
  7. ACT IV: The SOLILOQUY – Something Is Rotten In the State of England
  8. ACT V: The FINALE
  9. Inspiration
  10. The Hundred

CAST

  • JoyOverly optimistic English cricket fan. Cheerful.
  • CuriosityWhat is life? Why are we here? Always asks questions, glass half-full kind of person. Philosophical.
  • SuspicionWhy does anything even matter? Always ask questions, glass half-empty kind of person.
  • DisappointmentWe are all doomed from the start individual.
  • Satisfaction – (cameo role)
  • The HundredThe new couple on the block.
  • English CricketThought he had everything figured out on 14th July, 2019, but is currently going through a mid-life crisis. Wants to be friends with the Hundred without offending County Cricket.
  • County Cricket – Father figure of English cricket. Abode of wisdom.
  • Moeen Ali & Chris Woakes (cameo role) – as Moeen Ali & Chris Woakes
  • Bartender – (cameo)

SETTING

  • Some bar in London

Curiosity and Joy were strolling down the street in London looking for County cricket but collided with a couple—The Hundred. They decide to go to a bar and started introducing themselves, but little did they know that the conversation was about to go south really quick.

ACT I: England Have Their Own League?

The Hundred: “Hi, mind if we join you? We are The Hundred. English cricket is launching us!”

Joy: Yay! England are branding their own league!”

The Hundred: “Yes super excited! Will be great for English cricket and women’s cricket. After years of delay, we will finally get our time at glory.”

Joy: “BUT….England’s cricket is already pretty great…Anyway I will miss the T20 Blast.”

The Hundred: “Well…The T20 Blast is not going anywhere…In fact, the quarter finals resume on August 24th.”

Curiosity: “Huh? How about County Cricket?”

The Hundred: “Still There.”

Joy: “Maybe they reduced a home England series from 5 matches to 3 to accommodate you.”

The Hundred: “Nope.”

Curiosity: “What??? How will English players survive with continuous cricket?”

The Hundred: : “Simple. Rest and Rotate. Specifically for series like India and New Zealand so England are all ready to go for the high pressure Sri Lanka series.”

Chris Woakes & Moeen Ali overhear this from the next table.

Chris Woakes & Moeen Ali (together): We have built beautiful careers out of this Rest-And-Rotate strategy.”

English Cricket: “Yep! Never a dull moment with the me.”

*Chris Woakes walks out the door. England’s team management subsequently rests Woakes till the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.

ACT II: Who Is Even Playing?

Suspicion and disappointment walked into the bar.

Curiosity: “So, how is the Hundred different from the T20 Blast?”

The Hundred: “Just 8 franchise teams instead of 18 counties. International talent of high standard. The same franchise for both women & men play on the same day. 100 balls. Graphics. Free-to-air cricket. Fireworks. DJ. Ice cream.”

Curiosity: “OOh international talent…you mean like the Pollards and Russells and the David Warners, right?

The Hundred: “Well…except those players. They withdrew due to injuries, COVID, and international duties.”

Suspicion: “Alright spill the beans. You promised us this great international talent. Who all we missing?”

The Hundred: “Shaheen Shah Afridi & Shadab Khan won’t be there…for starters.”

Suspicion: “Starters?”

The Hundred: “And Zampa, Maxwell, Coulter-Nile, Jhye Richardson, Finch, Rabada, Pooran said bye-bye as well. And sounds like Lamichanne, who is already in England quarantining, had some visa issues, so he is gone too.”

Joy: “At least there is Ellyse Perry, Sophie Devine, and Alyssa Healy for the Women’s Hundred.”

The Hundred: “About that…Perry, Healy, Devine, Amelia Kerra, Rachael Haynes, Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning, Ashleigh Gardner and a few more withdrew due to personal reasons as well. On a positive note, India did send Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, and Harmanpreet Kaur. Stefanie Taylor-Deandre Dottin-Lizelle Lee-Shabnaim Ismail-Dane van Niekerk-Laura Woolvaardt are some of the other talent on show.

Joy: “All hope lies on our great World Cup winning English golden generation. Glad they are still participating!”

The Hundred: “Yes, yes they are. Except Harry Gurney retired, Olly Stone is injured,…”

*under their breath, avoiding eye contact*

“Speaking of which, Mark Wood is preparing for the India Test series, and all the English Test players will only get 2 matches (Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Ollie Robinson, Rory Burns, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Ben Stokes, AND Jonny Bairstow.)

Disappointment: “I am going home. Australians, West Indies, Pakistanis missing? No Indian players either. Most of our home team is not completely available either. What fun are you? Sounds like nobody is playing.”

The Hundred: “Friends, Cheer up! The Kiwis, South Africans, and Afghans are still by us. Colin de Grandhomme replaced Russell. The great Devon Conway & Quinton de Kock were signed as replacements as well.”

Joy: “I am listening.”

The Hundred: “Destructive batters like Finn Allen, Glenn Phillips, Colin Munro, Colin Ingram, Chris Lynn, D’arcy Short. Bowlers of the calibre of Adam Milne, Mohammad Amir, Lockie Ferguson, Sunil Narine, and Mujeeb-Qais-Nabi-Rashid Khan.”

Joy: “Okay that sounds a bit better.”

The Hundred: WAIT! There’s more. There is someone else. I am forgetting his name….Car…Carl,…?

Curiosity: “Carlos Brathwaite!!!!”

The Hundred: “But truly, English talent is on show as well. World’s best keeper Sarah Taylor & Liam Plunkett will be seen after a long time. At least for a few games, England’s A, B, C teams against each other! From the Heather Knights & Joe Roots to the Eoin Morgans & Alex Hales…”

Curiosity exits: Just as things were looking positive for this new group of friends, the police office barged it and took Curiosity away with the allegation that…Curiosity killed the cat.

ACT III: The Rules

County Cricket and English Cricket enter.

Suspicion: “You mentioned 100-balls. I mean, why? What is even the point?”

The Hundred: “Shorter game. Less time. More prime-time television. We are even penalizing the fielding time. If fielding team goes over time, they will have to sacrifice a fielder into the inner circle.”

Disappointment: “100 balls, T10 cricket, Ninety-Ninety. Cricket is dying. Timeless Tests—those were the days.”

Joy: “Yay, a 16.4 over contest! Love it!”

Suspicion: “So, just a reduced 20-over contest?”

The Hundred: “But there is more! Change of end every 10 balls. So you can bowl 2 overs of 5 balls each consecutively. Did I say over? What’s in an over? From today—no more overs! Only balls. “

County Cricket: “Frankly my dear, we don’t give a damn about your balls. Why would you steal our glory for the sake of 20 balls?”

English Cricket: “English Cricket needs to be at the edge of scientific revolution with the Hundred.”

The Hundred: “You see, there is a method in our madness. We are ahead of our times. Innovation and entertainment are our middle names.”

Suspicion: “Ah innovation—So no more soft signals?”

The Hundred: “Well not that kind of innovation. More like toss on a stage, fireworks, fancy helmets, white cards, ultra-speed DRS, a new DLS algorithm, original team names. Did I mention the graphics?”

Joy: “Yay! Hot pink, bright green, & black. Love the combination. It is so colorful!”

Disappointment: “NO! Hot pink, bright green, & black. Hate the combination. It is so colorful!”

Disappointment: “This is total garbage. You are taking my precious time away from the Leicestershire Vs Yorkshire 50-over Royal London One Day Cup. “

Suspicion:Yeah why? I mean the T20 blast had full stadiums last week. Why not re-market the T20 Blast with strict over-rate rules, ‘innovation’, and free-to-air TV? The England-Pakistan T20I series was loved by everybody. Liam Livingstone was hitting the ball across the English channel!”

Disappointment: “County Championship, T20 Vitality Blast, The Hundred, One Day Cup, Tokyo Olympics…all at the same time.”

County Cricket: “By trying to do everything at once, you are not getting anything done. And hurting the sentiments of the traditional fans. It is hurting us financially, socially, psychologically. Where has your support gone? I have been waiting, waiting, waiting….”

English Cricket: “If The Hundred captures the imagination of the fans, I will re-distribute all the wealth to all four of you.”

County Cricket: “Not buying it. Let us settle this. What do you think about cricket?

Bartender: “Cricket. What cricket? Who cricket? I don’t know of any cricket.”

Intermission

English cricket is on the verge of going crazy. *Thinking to himself*

The Hundred. Cricket. County Cricket. Fans. Kia Super League. Women’s Cricket. Wickets. Outs. Overs. Balls. Tradition. Evolution. T20. IPL. Money. England. It’s coming home. Phil Foden. Jason Roy. Sam Curran. Need to make things happen. Money. Test cricket. Dom Sibley. Axar. Embuldeniya. Sri Lanka. Super League. World Cup. Barest of Margins. More World Cups. T20 World Cups.

ACT IV: The SOLILOQUY – Something Is Rotten In the State of England

English cricket is now reflecting and talking out loud.

“To play or not to play, that is the question

Whether it is County Cricket, T20 Blast, Kia Super League, or the Hundred, it is England cricket that suffers,

Marketing, Media rights, & ticket sales of outrageous fortune,

Support traditional cricket fans & counties Or take arms against T20 cricket & the IPL

And by opposing, end English cricket. To die, to sleep

No more! And by sleep, to say we end the heart-ache and the 20 extra balls that T20 is heir to.

Free-to-air cricket—The BBC—aye there’s the rub!”

ACT V: The FINALE

Enter Satisfaction: Right as Curiosity was about to spend the night at jail, Satisfaction entered and bailed her out. She had found the lost cat and brought it back..”

Scene: Eoin Morgan is having that conversation with Alex Hales at a distance. Things finally begin to settle a bit.

County Cricket: “I have eighteen children and am concerned about their well-being. That’s all.”

The Hundred: “We are concerned about the existence of cricket in England in general. That’s all.”

Joy & Curiosity (Together): “Can we not be friends with both of you?”

Suspicion & Disappointment (Together): “It’s complicated.”

English Cricket: “Well, the Hundred is not going anywhere…but neither is the County Championship…or the T20 Blast. I know I am not perfect, but can you just give me one chance? If it doesn’t work out with the Hundred for the couple of seasons, we can move on.”

At the end of the day, the heavens opened up. The ‘Lord’s’ opened it is door and Joy, Curiosity, Suspicion, & Disappointment walked hand-in-hand with County Cricket and the Hundred to proceed and watch the game.

Alls Well that Ends Well.

Inspiration

Special thanks to George Dobell’s article The Hundred 2021 – With friends like these? A Hundred reasons why the ECB has failed the game for inspiration.

Cultural references to William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Comedy of Errors, Romeo & Juliet, Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett.

Also Read: Joe Denly and Joe Biden: The Importance of Being Joe, Why The World Needs Sam Curran: Calm, Charismatic, Courageous

The Hundred

If you are interested, check this out and participate in our Hundreds Prediction League.

Also Read: The Hundred 2021: Everything You Need To Know Quickly – Rules, Teams, Expected XIs, Fixtures, Predictions

Thanks for checking out this content on English cricket.

Copyright @Nitesh Mathur, Broken Cricket Dreams, bcd@brokencricketdreams.com – 07/23/2021

The Hundred 2021: Everything You Need To Know Quickly – Rules, Teams, Expected XIs, Fixtures, Predictions

The Hundred 2021 is finally upon us after a couple years delay.

Change is life’s only constant. You may love this new idea or might completely detest it. It may disrupt County Cricket as a whole and alienate cricket fans for the sake of ‘new modern audience.’ Increased visibility for women’s cricket will definitely be a big plus although cancellation of the Kia Super League was questionable. George Dobell dissects the Hundred to perfection.

Gone are the days of the calm claps and on to the days of DJ and party-mood in English cricket.

Whatever happens, it will be different. It could be another IPL and change cricket forever or it may be become the template of how not to administer cricket tournaments. No middle ground.

Let us give it a shot and try it out. Here is everything you need to know about the Hundred 2021.

Quick Summary

  • Matches: 34 (8 teams, 8 matches each, four home/away, 32 league matches, 1 Knockout (#2 vs #3), 1 Final)
  • Editions: Both Women’s & Men’s Tournament held simultaneously
  • Teams: Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit, Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Oval Invincibles, Southern Brave, Trent Rockets, Welsh Fire
  • Dates: 21st July-21st August
  • Venues: Old Trafford (Manchester), Headingly (Leeds), Edgbaston (Birmingham), Trent Bridge (Nottingham), Sophia Gardens (Cardiff), Lord’s (London), The Oval (London), Rose/Ageas Bowl (Hampshire)
  • Broadcasting: SKY Sports, BBC (Free to Air – some matches), YouTube (all women’s games, some men)

The Rules and Jargon

  1. Length: 100 balls per innings
  2. Toss: Will not be done in the middle of the pitch; it will be on the presentation ‘stage’ where the DJ will be
  3. No More ‘Overs’, balls will the unit of measurement
  4. 20 balls maximum per bowler
  5. A bowler can bowl either 5 or 10 balls consecutively (Change of ends will occur after the 10 balls)
  6. 25-ball Powerplay
  7. Over-Rate: 65 minutes per innings; penalties will most likely include risking fielders in the inner circle

The Hundred: Teams & Expected Playing XI

Unfortunately, due to the England-India Test series and bio-bubble rules, England’s test players will be involved only for 2 Hundred matches.

*Teams highlighted in their respective jersey colors

Birmingham Phoenix (Men)

  • England Internationals: Chris Woakes (C), Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Dom Sibley
  • England Domestic: Tom Abell, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Pat Brown, Chris Cooke (WK), Miles Hammond, Tom Helm, Adam Hose, Benny Howell, Dillon Pennington, Will Smeed
  • Foreign Recruits: Finn Allen (New Zealand), Imran Tahir (South Africa), Adam Milne (New Zealand)

Coach: Daniel Vettori

Birmingham Phoenix Expected XI:

  1. Finn Allen, 2. Dom Sibley, 3. Moeen Ali, 4. Liam Livingstone, 5. Tom Abell, 6. Daniel Bell-Drummond, 7. Chris Cooke (WK), 8. Chris Woakes*, 9. Daniel Bell-Drummond, 10. Adam Milne, 10. Imran Tahir

Birmingham Phoenix (Women)

  • England Internationals: Amy Jones (WK), Georgia Elwiss, Kirstie Gordon
  • England Domestic: Emily Arlott, Thea Brookes, Gwenan Davies, Ria Fackrell, Phoebe Franklin, Evelyn Jones, Marie Kelly, Issy Wong
  • Foreign Recruits: Erin Burns, Katie Mack (Australia), Abtaha Maqsood (Scotland), Shafali Verma (India)

*Withdrawn: Ellyse Perry (Australia)

Coach: Ben Sawyer

Birmingham Phoenix Expected XI:

  1. Shafali Verma, 2. Katie Mack, 3. Georgia Elwiss, 4. Amy Jones (WK), 5. Erin Burns, 6. Thea Brookes, Issy Wong, Emily Arlott, Kirstie Gordon, Abtaha Maqsood

London Spirit (Men)

  • England Internationals: Zak Crawley (C), Eoin Morgan, Mark Wood, Ravi Bopara, Mason Crane, Joe Denly, Jade Dernbach, Dan Lawrence
  • England Domestic: Blake Cullen, Josh Inglis (WK), Luis Reece, Adam Rossington (WK), Chris Wood
  • Foreign Recruits: Mohammad Amir (Pakistan), Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan), Roelef van der Merwe (Netherlands)

Coach: Lisa Keightley

London Spirit Expected XI:

  1. Zak Crawley, 2. Joe Denly, 3. Dan Lawrence, 4. Eoin Morgan, 5. Ravi Bopara, 6. Mohammad Nabi, 7. Josh Inglis (WK), 8. Roelef van der Merwe, 8. Mark Wood, 9. Jade Dernbach, 10. Mohammad Amir, 11. Mason Crane

London Spirit (Women)

  • England Internationals: Heather Knight (C), Tammy Beaumont (WK), Freya Davies, Susie Rowe, Grace Scrivens
  • England Domestic: Amara Carr, Aylish Cranstone, Naomi Dattani, Charlotte Dean, Danielle Gibson, Alice Monaghan, Sophie Munro
  • Foreign Recruits: Deandra Dottin (West Indies), Deepti Sharma (India), Chloe Tyron (South Africa)

Coach: Shane Warne

London Spirit Expected XI:

  1. Tammy Beaumont, 2. Heather Knight, 3. Deandre Dottin, 4. Susie Rowe, 5. Deepti Sharma, 6. Chloe Tyron, 7. Naomi Dattani, 8. Charlie Dean, 9. Freya Davies, 10. Grace Scrivens, 11. Sophie Munro

Manchester Originals (Men)

  • England Internationals: Jos Buttler (C), Steven Finn, Matt Parkinson, Ollie Robinson, Phil Salt
  • England Domestic: Joe Clarke, Jamie Overton, Richard Gleeson, Sam Hain, Tom Hartley, Tom Lammonby
  • Foreign Recruits: Colin Ackermann, Fred Klaasen (Netherlands – domestic), Lockie Ferguson, Colin Munro (New Zealand), Carlos Brathwaite (West Indies)

Coach: Simon Katich

Manchester Originals Expected XI:

  1. Jos Buttler (C/WK), 2. Colin Munro, 3. Phil Salt, 4. Joe Clarke, 5. Sam Hain, 6. Carlos Brathwaite, 7. Ollie Robinson, 8. Matt Parkinson, 9. Jamie Overton, 10. Lockie Ferguson, 11. Steven Finn

Manchester Originals (Women)

  • England Internationals: Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, Alex Hartley
  • England Domestic: Georgie Boyce, Natalie Brown, Danielle Collins, Alice Dyson, Cordelia Griffith, Laura Jackson, Hannah Jones, Emma Lamb, Eleanor Threlkeld (WK)
  • Foreign Recruits: Mignon du Preez (South Africa), Harmanpreet Kaur (India), Lizelle Lee (South Africa)

Coach: Paul Shaw

Manchester Originals Expected XI:

  1. Lizelle Lee, 2. Emma Lamb, 3. Georgia Boyce, 4. Harmanpreet Kaur, 5. Mignon du Preez, 6. Sophie Ecclestone, 7. Kate Cross (C), 8. Cordelia Griffith, 9. Ellie Threlkeld (WK), 10. Laura Jackson, 11. Alex Hartley

Oval Invincibles (Men)

  • England Internationals: Sam Curran (C), Tom Curran, Jason Roy, Sam Billings (WK), Rory Burns, Saqib Mahmood, Reece Topley
  • England Domestic: Alex Blake, Jordan Blake, Jordan Cox, Laurie Evans, Brandon Glover, Will Jacks, Nathan Sowter
  • Foreign Recruits: Colin Ingram (South Africa), Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal), Sunil Narine (West Indies)

Coach: Tom Moody

Oval Invincibles Expected XI:

  1. Colin Ingram, 2. Jason Roy, 3. Rory Burns, 4. Jordan Cox, 5. Sunil Narine, 6. Sam Billings, 8. Sam Curran (C), 9. Tom Curran, 10. Saqib Mahmood, 11. Reece Topley

Oval Invincibles (Women)

  • England Internationals: Sarah Bryce (WK), Tash Farrant, Mady Villiers, Fan Wilson
  • England Domestic: Georgia Adams, Megan Belt, Alice Capsey, Joanne Gardner, Grace Gibbs, Eva Gray, Danielle Gregory
  • Foreign Recruits: Shabnim Ismail, Marizanne Kapp, Dane van Niekerk (South Africa)

Coach: Lydia Greenway

Oval Invincibles Expected XI:

  1. Georgia Adams, 2. Alice Capsey, 3. Fran Wilson, 4. Dane van Niekerk (C), 5. Marizanne Kapp, 6. Sarah Bryce (WK), 7. Tash Farrant, 8. Mady Villiers, 9. Grace Gibbs, 10. Shabnim Ismail, 11. Dani Gregory

Northern Superchargers (Men)

  • England Internationals: Ben Stokes (C), Adil Rashid, David Wiley, Brydon Carse, Adam Lyth, John Simpson (WK)
  • England Domestic: Harry Brook, Matthew Fisher, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Matty Potts, Ben Raine, Jordan Thompson
  • Foreign Recruits: Faf du Plessis (South Africa), Chris Lynn (Australia), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Afghanistan)

Coach: Darren Lehmann

Northern Superchargers Expected XI:

  1. Faf du Plessis, 2. Chris Lynn, 3. Ben Stokes (C), 4. Adam Lyth, 5. Tom Kohler-Cadmore, 6. John Simpson (WK), 7. Brydon Carse, 8. David Wiley, 9. Adil Rashid, 10. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 11. Matty Potts

Northern Superchargers (Women)

  • England Internationals: Lauren Winfield-Hill, Alice Davidson-Richards, Beth Langston, Linsey Smith
  • England Domestic: Hollie Armitage, Ami Campbell, Helen Fenby, Phoebe Graham, Katie Levick, Kalea Moore, Bess Heath (WK)
  • Foreign Recruits: Laura Kimmince (Australia), Sterre Kalis (Netherlands), Jemimah Rodrigues (India), Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa)

Coach: Danielle Hazell

Northern Superchargers Expected XI:

  1. Lauren Winfield-Hill, 2. Laura Wolvaardt, 3. Jemimah Rodrigues, 4. Laura Kimmince, 5. Alice Davidson-Richards, 6. Beth Langston, 7. Bess Heath (WK), 8. Phoebe Graham, 9. Linsey Smith, 10. Katie Levick, 11. Helen Fanby

Southern Brave (Men)

  • England Internationals: Jofra Archer (C), James Vince, Danny Briggs, Liam Dawson, Chris Jordan, Tymal Mills, Craig Overton
  • England Domestic: Alex Davies (WK), George Garton, Jake Lintott, Max Waller, Ross Whitely
  • Foreign Recruits Devon Conway (New Zealand), Quinton de Kock (WK), Delray Rawlins (Bermuda – domestic)

*Withdrawn: Andre Russell (West Indies)

Coach: Mahela Jayawardene

Southern Brave Expected XI:

  1. Devon Conway, 2. Quinton de Kock (C), 3. James Vince, 4. Alex Davies (WK), 5. , 6. George Garton, 7. Jofra Archer (C), 9. Liam Dawson, 10. Chris Jordan, 11. Tymal Mills

Southern Brave (Women)

  • England Internationals: Sophia Dunkley, Sonia Odedra, Anya Shrubsole, Danni Wyatt
  • England Domestic: Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Ella McCaughan, Fi Morris, Tara Norris, Carla Rudd (WK), Paige Scholfield, Charlotte Taylor
  • Foreign Recruits: Smriti Mandhana (India), Stafanie Taylor (West Indies), Amanda-Jade Wellington (Australia)

Coach: Charlotte Edwards

Southern Brave Expected XI:

  1. Smriti Mandhana, 2. Danni Wyatt, 3. Stefanie Taylor, 4. Sophia Dunkley, 5. Maia Bouchier, 6. Paige Scholfield, 7. Carla Rudd (WK), 8. Amanda-Jade Wellington, 9. Anya Shrubsole, 10. Sonia Odedra, 11. Lauren Bell

Trent Rockets (Men)

  • England Internationals: Joe Root (C), Alex Hales, Lewis Gregory, Dawid Malan, Samit Patel, Luke Wright
  • England Domestic: Matthew Carter, Sam Cook, Ben Cox (WK), Tom Moores (WK), Steven Mullaney, Luke Wood
  • Foreign Recruits: Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), D’Arcy Short (Australia), Timm van der Gugten (Netherlands – domestic), Wahab Riaz (Pakistan), Marchant de Lange (South Africa)

Coach: Andy Flower

I am looking forward to

Trent Rockets Expected XI:

  1. D’Arcy Short, 2. Alex Hales, 3. Joe Root, 4. Dawid Malan, 5. Luke Wright, 6. Samit Patel, 7. Ben Cox (WK), 8. Timm van der Gugten, 9. Rashid Khan, 10. Lewis Gregory, 11. Wahab Riaz

Trent Rockets (Women)

  • England Internationals: Katherine Brunt, Kathryn Bryce, Sarah Glenn, Nat Sciver
  • England Domestic: Ella Claridge, Abigail Freeborn, Teresa Graves, Nancy Harman, Lucy Higham, Alicia Presland, Emily Windsor
  • Foreign Recruits: Heather Graham, Sammy-Jo Johnson (Australia), Michaele Kirk (South Africa – domestic), Rachel Priest (WK – New Zealand)

Coach: Salliann Briggs

I am looking forward to

Trent Rockets Expected XI:

  1. Kathryn Bryce, 2. Heather Graham, 3. Nat Sciver (C), 4. Rachiel Priest (WK), 5. Emily Windsor, 6. Sammy Jo-Johnson, 8. Katherine Brunt, 9. Sarah Glenn, 10. Kathryn Bryce, 11. Lucy Higham

Welsh Fire (Men)

  • England Internationals: Ollie Pope (C), Jonny Bairstow (WK), Liam Plunkett, Jake Ball, Tom Banton, Ben Duckett
  • England Domestic: Josh Cobb, Ian Cockbain, Matt Critchley, Ryan Higgins, David Lloyd, David Payne
  • Foreign Recruits: Jacobus Leus du Plooy (South Africa – domestic), James Neesham (New Zealand), Glenn Phillips (WK), Qais Ahmad (Afghanistan)
  • Withdrawn: Kieron Pollard

Coach: Gary Kirsten

Welsh Fire Expected XI:

  1. Jonny Bairstow (WK), 2. Tom Banton, 3. Ben Duckett, 4. Ollie Pope (C), 5. Glenn Phillips, 6. James Neesham, 8. Qais Ahmed, 9. Liam Plunkett, 10. Jake Ball, 11. David Payne

Welsh Fire (Women)

  • England Internationals: Sarah Taylor (WK), Katie George, Bryony Smith
  • England Domestic: Sophie Luff, Bethan Ellis, Georgia Hennessy, Alice Macleod, Nat Wraith (WK), Alex Griffiths, Amy Gordon, Nicole Harvey, Lauren Flier
  • Foreign Recruits: Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Piepa Cleary, Georgia Redmayne (WK – Australia)

Coach: Mark O’Leary

Welsh Fire Expected XI:

  1. Georgia Redmayne, 2. Hayley Matthews, 3. Sophie Luff, 4. Bethan Ellis, 5. Sarah Taylor (WK), 6. Georgia Hennessy, 7. Piepa Cleary, 9. Alice Macleod, 10. Alex Griffiths, 11. Nicole Harvey

The Hundred 2021 Prediction League

Before you get started, you have to do a quick registration (takes 30 seconds).

  1. Register for predictions here https://brokencricketdreams.com/register/
  2. After logging in, navigate to the menu and find The Hundred Prediction Sheet. https://brokencricketdreams.com/pool/

At this point, you should see something like this (if you are on Desktop):

Fixtures & Schedule

You can find the Hundred 2021 fixtures (UTC time zone) here.

Key Match Ups To Watch Out For

  1. Women’s Cricket – This is the boost women’s cricket needs. Yes, the financial pay is not nearly equal to the men’s edition, but at least women’s cricket is made a priority. This could be the template for other leagues to follow (hint, hint, nudge, nudge the IPL) to have simultaneous men/women’s tournament and have foreign talent on show. With Free-to-air matches and all matches free on YouTube, I am hoping women’s cricket expands to the next level.
  2. Joe Root & Dawid Malan – Malan, the #1 ranked T20I batter has a question mark on his place in the XI, especially after youngsters like Liam Livingstone standing up. Joe Root, England’s catalyst in the 2016 T20 World Cup campaign, is back into contention. Both will represent the Trent Rockets. Is this a direct audition for the World Cup spot?
  3. Sarah Taylor & Liam Plunkett – World’s best keeper and England’s most important bowler in the 2019 Cricket World Cup. Retired and left behind, they are both back.
  4. English Team Depth – The quickly put together “second-string” England emerged on the top against Pakistan and currently India’s new look squad is bossing Sri Lanka around. Will talents like Tom Banton and Phil Salt shine and make England’s case even stronger?

The Hundred 2021 Predictions

Finally here are my predictions.

My prediction for the team to lift the #Hundred 2021 trophy for both men & women trophy with… London Spirits with the Top 3 of Trent Rockets & Southern Brave (men) and Northern Superchargers & Southern Brave (women)

  • Most Runs: Liam Livingstone (M), Tammy Beaumont (W)
  • Most Wickets: Rashid Khan (M), Sophie Ecclestone (W)
  • Player of the Tournament: Sam Curran (M), Shafali Verma (W)
  • Emerging Player: Phil Salt (M), Sophia Dunkley (W)
  • Surprise Package: London Spirit (M), London Spirit (M)
  • Broken Cricket Dream: Will County Cricket die? Will the ardent cricket fans leave for the sake of attracting new audience?

Here were my Predictions for The Hundred 2021. What did you think? What are YOUR predictions? Comment Below!

Copyright 7/21/2021 @NiteshMathur – Broken Cricket Dreams, bcd@brokencricketdreams.com

Image Courtesy: Facebook

The Need For Champions League & a T20 League Calendar

A new “Ninety-90 Bash” league has been sanctioned in the UAE.

PSL finished its post-COVID leg of the tournament, and the IPL will soon have its post-COVID leg in the UAE ending just a few days before the T20 World Cup begins. The BCCI has even proposed a 10-team IPL or two IPLs in a year from next year.

Where does this stop? T10 & T20 leagues are popping left and right. Tournaments beginning, stopping, and resuming whenever they feel like. What is the result? Debatable rotation policies, career-threatening injuries, early retirements, and players choosing leagues over international cricket.

Also Read: Babar Azam, Rizwan, Shaheen: The Case for Pakistan Players In the IPL, The World Is Back In the Cricket World Cup

Champions League – What Went Wrong ?

Champions League T20 (CLT20) was an intriguing experiment held between 2009-2014 that unearthed stars like Kieron Pollard. Modeled on European football, what could possibly go wrong when the best T20 teams in the world competed together?

Yet, even with such good intentions, the tournament failed—Cluttered international calendar, revenue shortfall, growing success of the IPL, and the initial failure of other leagues were prominent factors.

The strength of the IPL contract meant that if a player represented multiple teams that qualified, they would be obligated to play for their IPL team.

By 2013-14, it was evident that the Indian Premier League was miles ahead. In 2013 (MI vs RR) & 2014 (CSK vs KKR) editions, both finalists were IPL teams. In 2014, 3 out of the 4 semifinalists were IPL teams (KXIP). The domestic teams from Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, West Indies, Sri Lanka, and South Africa failed to get this far after a decent show between 2009-2012.

CLT20 catered towards the IPL, and that is why it failed.

Why is the Revival of the Champions League Needed?

Seven years later, it is time to rethink the T20 calendar. The Big Bash is now a decade old. CPL & BPL are 8 years strong. PSL is 5 years old, and even Sri Lanka, South Africa, and England have formed stable leagues.

Half a decade ago, there were just a few T20 specialists—Brendon McCullum, Brad Hodge, AB De Villiers, Yusuf Pathan, and the World Cup winning West Indies generation. Now we have T20 specialists everywhere like Babar Azam, Tom Banton, Finn Allen, Dawid Malan, Tim Seifert, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, James Vince, Alex Hales, Paul Stirling, David Wiese, Rovman Powell—talented players that do not make the XI or even squads of the IPL teams.

Last year, Trinbago Knight Riders were undefeated to their CPL title –12 consecutive wins. Imagine a TKR versus Mumbai Indians Champions League battle? Will be a cracker of the contest if it is a fair contest—Which team does Trinbago’s captain Pollard play for?

How Can The International and T20 Calendar Coexist?

Here are some possible solutions:

  1. If the player is contracted by a national team, they should be obligated to represent their domestic T20 league in case of a conflict. Hence, Pollard would play for TKR instead of MI.
  2. For a nationally contracted player, maximum of 3 leagues per year should be enforced. This would keep conflicts to a minimum.
  3. Boards should accept responsibility and postpone the league till next year’s window in case the league is suspended.

This would lead to an interesting mix of international players in the leagues. Since NZ/Australia do not play much between June-October, players might choose IPL-the Hundred/CPL-BBL, while English players might choose PSL-IPL-The Hundred.

The Ideal Cricket Calendar

ICC has announced its tournament calendar for the next eight years. Each year, either a T20 WC, ODI WC, World Test Championship Final, or Champions Trophy will occur. A couple of months should be sidelined as the pinnacle of the international calendar.

Here is how the T20 calendar stands so far:

CountryTournamentMonthsYears
Bangladesh Bangladesh Premier League (BPL)January – February 2012-
PakistanPakistan Super League (PSL)February – March2016-
IndiaIndian Premier League (IPL)March – May2008-
CanadaGlobal T20 Canada (GT20)June – July2018-
England T20 Vitality Blast July – September 2003-
EnglandThe HundredJuly – August2021-
West IndiesCaribbean Premier League (CPL)August – September2013-
AfghanistanShpageeza Cricket League/
Afghanistan Premier League (APL)
September – October2013-
2018-
United Arab Emirates (UAE)T10 LeagueNovember – December2017 –
Sri LankaLanka Premier League (LPL)November – December2020-
South AfricaMzansi Super League (MSL)November – December2018-
New ZealandSuper SmashDecember – January2005-
AustraliaBig Bash League (BBL)December – February 2011 –

If the Champions League needs to be revived, September-October is an ideal month subject to the dates of world tournaments that year.

The debate between T20 leagues and international cricket is over. The leagues are here to stay, so why not coexist in a peaceful manner? At the moment, everything is disorganized, so why not organize it for the greater good of cricket.

Champions League History (2009-2014)

YearHost# of Teams
(# of Nations)
WinnersRunners-UpTeams
2009India12 (7)New South Wales (AUS)Trinidad and Tobago (WI)New South Wales, Victorian Bushrangers (AUS)
Sussex Sharks, Somerset Sabres (ENG)
Deccan Chargers, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils (IND)
Otago Volts (NZ)
Cape Cobras, Diamond Eagles (SA)
Trinidad and Tobago (WI)
Wayamba (SL)
2010South Africa10 (6)Chennai Super Kings (IND)Warriors (SA)Victorian Bushrangers, Southern Redbacks (AUS)
Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore (IND)
Central Districts Stags (NZ)
Warriors, Highveld Lions (SA)
Wayamba Elevens (SL)
Guyana (WI)
2011India10 (5)Mumbai Indians (IND)Royal Challengers Bangalore (IND)Southern Redbacks, New South Wales Blues (AUS)
Somerset (England)
Royal Challengers Bangalore, Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians (IND)
Warriors, Cape Cobras (SA)
Trinidad and Tobago (WI)
2012South Africa13 (8)Sydney Sixers (AUS)Lions (SA)Perth Scorchers, Sydney Sixers (AUS)
Yorkshire Carnegie, Hampshire Royals (Eng)
Delhi Daredevils, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians (IND)
Auckland Aces (NZ)
Sialkot Stallions (Pak)
Highveld Lions, Titans (SA)
Uva Next (SL)
Trinidad and Tobago (WI)
2013India12 (7)Mumbai Indians (IND)Rajasthan Royals (IND)Brisbane Heat, Perth Scorchers (AUS)
Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad (IND)
Otago Volts (NZ)
Faisalabad Wolves (PAK)
Kandurata Maroons (SL)
Highveld Lions, Titans (SA)
Trinidad and Tobago (WI)
2014India12 (7)Chennai Super Kings (IND)Kolkata Knight Riders (IND)Perth Scorchers, Hobart Hurricanes (AUS)
Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab, Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians (IND)
Northern Knights (NZ)
Lahore Lions (PAK)
Dolphins, Cape Cobras (SA)
Southern Express (SL)
Barbados Tridents (WI)

Image Courtesy: ESPNCricinfo

Copyright @Nitesh Mathur, Broken Cricket Dreams 06/24/2021. Email: bcd@brokencricketdreams.com

What If Flintoff Kept His Cool to Yuvraj Singh?

Today’s Scenario: Freddie Flintoff Keeps His Cool To Yuvraj Singh

Match:

England vs India, 19th September 2007, Durban, South Africa – Super 8s (2007 T20 World Cup)

Background:

After crashing out of the 2007 ODI World Cup, India had sent a young team to South Africa under MS Dhoni. Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sourav Ganguly had opted out with India experimenting with a younger team. New Zealand and South Africa were sitting comfortably in the Super 8 group, England were already out, and India needed to win to stay alive.

The Moment:

Andrew Flintoff exchanged a few words with Yuvraj Singh prior to the 18th over, when Yuvraj was still playing on 14 runs. India – 171/3.

What Actually Happened:

Enter the young lad, Stuart Broad. Next, we witnessed history. With the adrenaline rush, Yuvraj hits 6,6,6,6,6, and 6. Smashes it to all parts of the ground, with Ravi Shashtri’s iconic commentary in the background. Yuvraj scores the fastest T20 half century in 12 balls, and India end up with 218/4. England come close with 200/6. Yuvraj carries the form in the semi-finals a couple of matches later and destroys Australia with 70 (30). As an underdog team, India are crowned the world champions in the inaugural T20 World Cup.

Just Imagine:

If Andrew Flintoff had kept his cool and not said anything to Yuvraj Singh, what would have happened?

18.1 – Stuart Broad to Yuvraj Singh, hits it in the air and gets caught at long off.

The Consequence:

India scratch their way up to 185/5. England chase comfortably. India crashes out of the 2007 T20 World Cup. Australia win yet another world cup in the decade, this time the T20 World Cup.

The proposed Indian Premier League (IPL) is discarded. Stuart Broad becomes a star and goes on to take 500 wickets in limited overs cricket. Andrew Flintoff captains England to the the 2010 T20 World Cup win. This starts a new cricket revolution in England which attracts the best players from all over the world—The Hundred. Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni are dropped post-2007, never to make a comeback. Without a spinning all-rounder, a world-class finisher, or a Captain Cool in their side, India fails to win the 2011 Cricket World Cup at home.

Ominous, isn’t it?

Well, these are just my thoughts on the importance of that moment.

As mathematician Edward Lorenz implied in his remarkable work that is now known as the “Butterfly Effect,”— even a flap of a butterfly’s wings can cause a tornado in another part of the world. Every single action, no matter how big or small, may have an immense impact down the road.

But anyway, what do you think would have happened had this match turned out differently?

Send us some moments you would like us to imagine, and as always, please subscribe, write in comments below and share!

Check out our next article in the Just Imagine series regarding Carlos Brathwaite in the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

YouTube Link:

Inspired By Conversations with Vandit and ESPNCricinfo’s Alternative Universe Series.

Image Courtesy of Aavtar Singh, CC via creative commons license, some rights reserved.