Veteran fast bowler James Anderson was not selected for the 2025 Men’s Hundred in Wednesday’s draft.
The 42-year-old, who retired from international cricket at the beginning of the 2024 summer, entered the draft after signing a one-year contract with Lancashire for the upcoming season. Although Anderson hasn’t played T20 cricket in over ten years, his new contract includes participation in the T20 Blast. Despite entering the draft without a reserve price, he was not chosen for any of the 26 available domestic spots across the eight teams. He still has a chance to participate in The Hundred as a Wildcard pick.
Afghanistan’s left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad and New Zealand’s all-rounder Michael Bracewell were the top overseas signings, each securing £200,000 contracts. Ahmad will join Manchester Originals, whose new owners, RP Sanjiv Goenka Group, also own his SA20 franchise, Durban Super Giants.
Bracewell was picked by Southern Brave, the 2024 finalists. His high price tag reflects his performance for the Black Caps in the recent Champions Trophy campaign. He played a crucial role in their spin attack and lower-order batting, notably in the final where he took 2 wickets for 28 runs and scored a vital unbeaten 53.
David Warner secured his first contract in the Hundred, picked by London Spirit for £120,000 after being overlooked in the previous draft. This move reunites him with former Australia head coach Justin Langer, who became Spirit’s coach in January. Warner is among five Australians, including Ashton Turner, Riley Meredith, Chris Green, and Jason Behrendorf, to fill the remaining overseas player slots.
Rachin Ravindra, another newcomer to the Hundred, was selected by Manchester Originals for £120,000. Coming off his player of the tournament award at the Champions Trophy, Ravindra’s presence is a significant boost for the Hundred, especially during this transitional year following the recent team sales. Lockie Ferguson also joins Trent Rockets in the same salary bracket.
English players also secured significant deals, with Jamie Overton getting £200,000 from Spirit after establishing himself as a seam-bowling all-rounder in ODIs and T20Is. Zak Crawley, released by Spirit, signed with Northern Superchargers for £120,000.
Chris Woakes joining Fire as their England player led to David Willey securing a £200,000 deal with Rockets, and David Payne taking Willey’s £120,000 contract at Fire.
Fire initially considered matching the offer for Willey but couldn’t because Rockets used their top salary slots for Willey, Steve Smith, and Jonny Bairstow. Payne, seeking a better deal after joining Fire for £40,000 in the inaugural draft, succeeded in getting a £120,000 contract.
Harry Moore, a promising 17-year-old fast bowler from Derbyshire, was signed by Birmingham Phoenix for £41,500. Ben McKinney from Durham, after a strong winter with the England Lions, was picked by Manchester Originals for £78,500. Rocky Flintoff, son of Andrew Flintoff, went undrafted.
In total, 270 domestic and 350 overseas cricketers registered for the Men’s Hundred draft. Teams can add two more players in the wildcard draft in May before the competition starts on August 5.
