Two Pakistan players retained ahead of 'The Hundred' draft

In preparation for this year's 'The Hundred' tournament, Manchester Originals have decided to keep Pakistan spinner Usama Mir on their roster, while Welsh Fire has opted to retain pacer Haris Rauf.

Currently, Usama is  participating in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season nine as part of the Multan Sultans. Unfortunately, Haris suffered a shoulder dislocation during the match between Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars, leading to his withdrawal from the event. It i is estimated that he will need four to six weeks to fully recover before returning to action.

The fourth edition of The Hundred is set to kick off from July 23, 2024 with the defending men's champions, Oval Invincibles, hosting Birmingham Phoenix.

Ahead of the tournament, teams had the deadline to retain players from their 2023 squads, with specific guidelines provided by the tournament organizers. Women's teams were allowed to retain a maximum of eight players, while men's teams could retain up to ten players, in addition to one centrally contracted England player.

For both men's and women's competitions, teams had the flexibility to adjust players' salary bands and were not obliged to use all of their retention slots, thereby allowing for more opportunities during the draft.

It is worth noting that the draft process will offer teams the chance to fill in any gaps in their squads, with every player entering the Draft having a reserve price. Draft orders will be determined by the reverse of the final standings from the 2023 season, ensuring a fair and competitive selection process.