Women’s Hundred introduces a player draft before the 2023 season

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has made the decision to implement a draft process before the 2023 season in an effort to give the Women’s Hundred more zings and get people excited about the event. At least 32 domestic and international players will be chosen using the same procedure as for the Men’s Hundred. Welsh Fire, who won the wooden spoon in the 2022 season, will get to choose first in the traditional order, and the two-time defending champions Oval Invincibles will get to choose last.

Each team will be permitted to keep up to four players from their current rosters, with at least four players signed during the draft. Teams will be allowed to use one “right to match card” as long as the player falls within the salary range offered. The team’s remaining players will be signed on the open market ahead of the upcoming season. The men’s and women’s overseas wildcard drafts, on the other hand, will not take place in 2023 as per the ECB.

Read more: Delhi and Dharmshala are set to host Test matches against Australia next year

Women’s cricket is changing

“Introducing the draft represents another landmark moment for women’s sport in this country, as The Hundred continues to break new ground and accelerate professionalism within women’s cricket,” Beth Barrett-Wild, Head of the Women’s Hundred, said. “The impact of the Hundred on the women’s game after just two editions of the competition has been enormous, generating unprecedented levels of visibility, making household names of our brilliant female players, and driving performance standards. The inclusion of a draft going into year three builds on all of this. It demonstrates progress off the field, and also acts to support all eight teams in creating evenly balanced squads on the field, with the aim of delivering the most exciting contest yet for fans to enjoy.”