West Indies all-rounders Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard pull out of The Hundred
Prolific West Indies all-rounders Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard have pulled out of The Hundred. Russell has decided not to take part in the event citing international commitments while Windies skipper Pollard is nursing a hamstring injury. The latter hasn’t featured in the T20I series against Australia so far either.
New Zealand all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme has been named as Russell’s replacement with the Southern Brave. Kiwis’ young wicketkeeper-batsman Glenn Phillips will take Pollard's place in the Welsh Fire squad for The Hundred.
Further, Marchant de Lange has replaced Pakistan left-arm pacer Wahab Riaz at Trent Rockets. Riaz has been forced to return home due to visa issues. England batter Ollie Pope will also miss a portion of The Hundred due to a quad injury.
Speaking about his selection, De Grandhomme said:
"When I got the call to join Southern Brave it was an easy decision. I've settled in really well at Hampshire and I'm hoping to create some more fantastic memories at the Ageas Bowl. I'm really looking forward to linking up with Devon Conway again and all of the guys can't wait to get going."
Sune Luus to miss The Hundred after testing COVID-19 positive
In the women’s competition, Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry will not be contesting The Hundred due to personal reasons. South Africa Women’s all-rounder Sune Luus will also miss out, having tested positive for COVID-19.
Adelaide Strikers batter Katie Mack will take Perry's place at Birmingham Phoenix while Amy Jones will lead the side. In-form West Indies batter Hayley Matthews comes in for Luus in the Welsh Fire squad.
Speaking about her selection, Matthews commented:
"I'm thrilled to be taking part in The Hundred this summer. It'll be a lot of fun to play in Cardiff alongside the like of Sarah Taylor in front of big crowds. The Hundred can help move women's cricket forward and it'll be great to take part."
Beth Barrett-Wild, Head of The Hundred Women's Competition, added:
"I'm gutted for Sune Luus, I know how excited she was about playing for Welsh Fire in The Hundred this summer, but we all wish her a very speedy recovery. In Hayley Matthews we have a big stage player, in brilliant form, coming in, and I'm sure she will be looking forward to the opportunity to show off her skills."
The Hundred will begin on July 21 with a women’s fixture between the Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals at the Kennington Oval in London. On Tuesday, the tournament organizers released the rules for the competition.
The major change in The Hundred in comparison to regular cricket will be "balls" replacing "overs". Two sets of five balls will be bowled from one end. The umpires will call it a "five" instead of an "over" at the end of a bowler's set of deliveries.