Chris Gayle, Steve Smith, Babar Azam, and Rashid Khan are among the 165 foreign players to have registered for the inaugural draft of a new competition: England Cricket Board’s brainchild, The Hundred.
The full list of foreign players ahead of the main draft on October 20 includes players from 11 different countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ireland, and Nepal.
Each of the eight teams will have a 15-man squad, and it will be filled via a full draft.
Teams will be able to select a maximum of three overseas players, but there is no limit to the number of players from any county or country.
There are seven set salary bands, with up to two players to be picked at each of the following: £125,000, £100,000, £75,000, £60,000, £50,000, £40,000 and £30,000. Captains will receive a bonus of £10,000.
Players can select a minimum salary band at which they are willing to play, but if that reserve price is not met, they will not be chosen during the main draft.
As anticipated, India’s white-ball stars like MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah have not entered the draft, in line with the BCCI’s refusal to allow active internationals to play in foreign domestic leagues that rival the IPL.
