The Hundred is one of the cricket tournaments that many cricket fans look forward to seeing each year. It is a professional franchise 100-ball cricket tournament that is participated by eight teams of both men and women players. It is played throughout the major cities in England and Wales.
Last year, The Hundred is one of the major sports events that have been postponed due to the pandemic, and this year, it is scheduled to be rand by the England and Wales Cricket Board from July 21 to August 21. Some of the venues include the Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Lord’s Cricket Ground, Sophia Gardens, and Trent Bridge.
While the Hundred Cricket Betting fans are already excited to watch the upcoming season, some are still saddened that there are already a few cricketers who have announced that they won’t be part of the tournament.
James Anderson Considered But Still Went Against It
In a recent interview, England cricket star James Anderson said that he did consider taking part in the upcoming The Hundred. However, he said that he has already retired from the shorter formats of international cricket events since 2015 to prolong his red-ball career.
He explained how he was tempted by the idea of returning to white-ball cricket but he eventually went against this to not jeopardize his Test availability. Anderson said, “I did think about whether I should try and get a gig as a player, but in the end, I just felt it was probably for the younger guys to crack on with that. I didn’t want to affect my Test availability by getting injured throwing myself around in the Hundred – it might not have been the best idea.
“I did explore it… I was interested, but I fell on the side of prolonging my Test career. I didn’t want to jeopardize that too much so I’ll leave it to the young lads to throw themselves around in the field too much.”
He also talked about how the other cricketers taking part in The Hundred shouldn’t worry about picking up injuries. He said, “You can get injured at any point – that’s just the nature of the game. I don’t think people are going to be careful because of a Test series: you’ve got to throw yourself into it and try to play at 100% every time you get the chance. Hopefully, nothing like that happens but there is the chance because every time you go out on the field there is a chance of injury.
“I think there’s no harm in playing the Hundred and playing some white-ball cricket, having that freedom to go out there and try and hit the ball. Test cricket does have a way of trying to stifle you at times and you can get a bit uncertain about your technique or movements and things like that. All the Hundred will do is encourage positivity: a positive moment of the feet, positive shots, and I think that can only be a good thing.”
Kane Williamson, Shaheen Shah, David Warner, and Marcus Stoinis Also Withdraws
New Zealand captain Jane Williamson has already announced that he will withdraw from The Hundred because of his elbow injury. Williamson already missed the ODI series against Bangladesh at the start of the IPL 2021, just before it was postponed.
ESPNcricinfo reported that Williamson will still be involved in the said tournament as he will be a mentor for the Birmingham Phoenix. He has signed a deal worth $158,000 as he acts as a mentor to the youngsters of the team as he deals with his injury.
Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi will also not be a part of the upcoming The Hundred because it will be clashing with the West Indies Tour. Australia’s David Warner and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis have already pulled out of the tournament beforehand as both are set to play for the Southern Brave.
Meanwhile, South Africa cricketers Lungi Ngidi will be joining Welsh Fire and should be available for five matches. For the women’s edition, cricket stars that will be seen in The Hundred include the names ShafaliVerma, SmritiMandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Deepti Sharma. Shafali will be joining Birmingham Phoenix as a replacement for Sophie Devine.
Kaur will be part of the opening match on July 21 that will be held at the Kia Oval. She will be joining the rest of the Manchester Originals as they go against Rodrigues and the rest of the Northern Superchargers.
