Rashid Khan, Glenn Maxwell and Smriti Mandhana are among the star international names re-signed for this year’s Hundred, while Reece Topley heads a number of England players expected to enter next month’s draft after leaving Oval Invincibles.
Khan has again landed the top £125,000 contract with last year’s men’s champions Trent Rockets, while Maxwell will return to London Spirit, though his availability will depend on the schedule for Australia’s white-ball series against South Africa.
Indian batter Mandhana, who was the most expensive purchase at last week’s inaugural Women’s IPL auction when bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore for around £340,000, will earn less than a tenth of that sum despite signing for Southern Brave in the top women’s salary band of £31,250.
All eight franchises this morning unveiled their retained lists ahead of the third edition of the tournament, having had until Tuesday night’s deadline to negotiate up to four re-signings from of last year’s women’s squads and ten from each of the men’s, as well as one additional England centrally-contacted player.
Topley pulled out of the second half of the 2022 competition in order to rest ahead of the T20 World Cup, though the Surrey quick was later cruelly ruled out of that triumph after injuring his ankle when tripping on a boundary sponge on the eve of England’s first game.
Ben Duckett, who scored a terrific 84 off 68 on the opening day of the First Test in New Zealand overnight, will also be in the draft having left Welsh Fire as part of an exodus at last year’s bottom-ranked franchise. The Fire have opted to retain only five men’s players under new head coach Mike Hussey.
England seamers Olly Stone and David Willey will also be on the market hoping to pick-up high-earning contracts when the draft takes place on March 23 having left Birmingham Phoenix and Northern Superchargers, respectively. Last year, five domestic players picked up deals in the top £125,000 bracket at the draft.
There is again a strong Australian presence in the women’s competition, with Alana King, Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry among those retained, but England stars Sophia Dunkley, Sarah Glenn, Kate Cross and Danni Wyatt - all currently in action at the T20 World Cup - have opted to enter the first women’s draft, which, along with the men’s, is set to be televised live on Sky.
Invincibles have used all ten of their men’s retainee slots, with Will Jacks promoted to the top £125,000 bracket after his superb year and England internationals Jason Roy, Sam Billings and Saqib Mahmood all returning, along with centrally-contracted Sam Curran.
The women’s side, who are double-defending champions, have retained South Africa’s Marizanne Kapp but opted to use their remaining three slots on English players in Alice Capsey, Lauren Winfield-Hill and Tash Farrant, meaning former skipper Dane van Niekerk and quick Shabnim Ismail will likely enter the draft.
London Spirit, meanwhile, will have lucrative £125,000 and £100,000 slots to fill in the men’s draft, the latter vacated by captain Eoin Morgan, who announced his retirement from all forms of cricket earlier this week.
New rules this year mean each franchise is restricted to a maximum of three overseas players in their squads, having previously been allowed four, with only three allowed in the playing XI.
