SEVEN Worcestershire players will make their bow in The Hundred next summer after being drafted to take part in the much-criticised new tournament.
Moeen Ali, Ross Whiteley, Pat Brown, Wayne Parnell, Ben Cox, Ed Barnard and Riki Wessels were among the 120 cricketers to be picked in the first-ever draft in British sport.
The Hundred will feature eight franchises battling over five weeks next summer from July 17 to August 16 with each team having 100 balls to hit as many runs as they can.
Critics have slammed the new format for adding to a crowded fixture list and for devaluing one-day cricket 12 months after England became world champions in the format.
It’s expected to be played at the same time as the 50-over competition meaning Worcestershire and other counties will lose several first-team players for the campaign.
A total of 18 Pears had put themselves up for the auction and the unlucky 11 who failed to make the cut have one final chance to earn a £30,000 pay day as each franchise will selected a ‘wildcard’ following the completion of the group stages of next year’s Blast.
Brett D’Oliveira, Joe Leach, Daryl Mitchell and Josh Tongue will be among those looking to impress in the Blast which moves to earlier in the cricketing summer.
England all-rounder Moeen and talented bowler Brown were the first Pears picked with a £125,000 and £60,000 ‘local icon’ deals ahead of the draft.
Big-hitting Whiteley was the first one selected on the night as the Southern Brave picked up the all-rounder in round four for £60,000.
Whiteley will line up alongside the likes of West Indian Andre Russell and Australian David Warner, who scooped six-figure deals to play for the Brave under head coach and former Sri Lankan ace Mahela Jayawardene.
Parnell will earn £50,000 as part of the Manchester Originals side coached by Australian Simon Katich and will take to the field alongside former Worcestershire players Joe Clarke and Kiwi Mitchell Santner. Keeper Cox will compete for the gloves at the Trent Rockets with Nottinghamshire ace Tom Moores after earning a £40,000 deal with the side coached by New Zealand great Stephen Fleming.
The talented keeper will be part of a side featuring England Test captain Joe Root and Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan who had the honour of being picked first in the draft.
Barnard will line up for the Northern Superchargers alongside England star Ben Stokes after being picked up for £30,000 by coach Darren Lehmann.
Former Pear Tom Kohler-Cadmore will be among Barnard’s new team-mates alongside Australian Aaron Finch and England stars Adil Rashid and David Willey.
Wessels will join his New Road team-mates Moeen and Brown at the Birmingham Phoenix on a £30,000 deal in a side which also features New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and former England all-rounder Ravi Bopara.
