WEST Indies star Nicholas Pooran and South Africa paceman Kagiso Rabada were among 10 new arrivals for Manchester Originals as they rounded out their squad for The Hundred.
The Originals had 10 slots to fill as teams completed their men's squads and got the top pick, which they used to bring in 25-year-old wicketkeeper Pooran, who has averaged 49.05 in 25 ODIs for the West Indies and 21.23 in 24 T20s.
Rabada, also 25, last month became only the eighth South African to reach 200 Test wickets, needing only 44 matches to do it.
With so many slots to fill, head coach Simon Katich also snapped up Jamie Overton, Harry Gurney, Shadab Khan, Tom Lammonby, Steven Finn, Colin Ackermann, Richard Gleeson and Tom Hartley.
The new faces join Jos Buttler and Phil Salt, who were retained from last year's squad after the inaugural season was postponed.
Women's team head coach Paul Shaw added England bowler Sophie Ecclestone to his squad, which now stands at 13. The Originals' women's team are due to open the new competition against the Oval Invincibles on July 21.
The teams, based at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, will face seven other teams in the competition when it starts in July 2021. As well as offering world-class cricket, The Hundred aims to open the game up to more families and young people by fusing action-packed, fast-paced cricket with blockbuster entertainment off the pitch.
In a sporting first, the competition will launch with a women’s fixture as the headline act, with Manchester Originals heading to The Kia Oval to face Oval Invincibles on Wednesday, July 21 in a match televised live on Sky and BBC – with the men’s sides following suit the next day. Manchester Originals will be taking on Birmingham Phoenix on Sunday, July 25 in their first home match.
Aside from the standalone opening women’s and men’s games, each day of the competition will feature a men’s and women’s match, played at the same venue, with tickets allowing fans to watch both matches.
All men’s and women’s games will be broadcast live on Sky. The Hundred will also be covered extensively across the BBC, including live television coverage of 10 men’s games and up to eight live women’s matches, including The Hundred Final for both the women’s and men’s competitions, which will take place at Lord’s on August 21.
Pooran said: “It’s an honour to be the first pick of The Draft and I can’t wait to meet my new teammates. In Simon we have a world-class coach and the additions of Kagiso (Rabada), Jamie (Overton) and Harry (Gurney) will make this team a force to be reckoned with. Jos is a great guy and I look forward to working with him and the boys to bring the trophy to Manchester.”
Katich, Manchester Originals Men’s Head Coach, said: “We are really pleased with the players we picked up in The Draft. (Nicholas) Pooran, (Kagiso) Rabada and Shadab Khan are world class overseas players alongside a balance of young, local guys and some more senior players. We know that we were the team with most slots to fill going into The Draft, and I feel like it’s paid off and we’ve put together a well-balanced squad that will do Manchester proud.”
Ecclestone said: “The thought of making history and potentially bowling the first ball of The Hundred is really exciting. It is fantastic news that the competition is launching with a women’s match and we can’t wait to get The Hundred off to the best possible start.”
Shaw, Manchester Originals Women’s Head Coach, said: “First of all, it’s a huge honour to be coaching a team in the opening fixture of The Hundred – it’s an incredible step for the women’s game and I’m really looking forward to it.
“I’m delighted to welcome Sophie (Ecclestone) to our team. When you can add the best women’s IT20 bowler in the world to your squad, it elevates everyone. She will bring immense quality and personality both on and off the pitch.”
MANCHESTER ORIGINALS MEN’S PLAYER CONFIRMATIONS
Players picked in Draft on February 22
Nicholas Pooran
Kagiso Rabada
Harry Gurney
Jamie Overton
Wayne Madsen
Shadab Khan
Tom Lammonby
Steven Finn
Colin Ackermann
Richard Gleeson
Players already retained in squad
Jos Buttler
Phil Salt
Matt Parkinson
Joe Clarke
MANCHESTER ORIGINALS WOMEN’S PLAYER CONFIRMATIONS
New players announced today
Sophie Ecclestone
Players already confirmed as in the squad
Kate Cross
Lizelle Lee
Mignon Du Preez
Alex Hartley
Alice Dyson
Emma Lamb
Cordelia Griffith
Danielle Collins
Georgie Boyce
Hannah Jones
Ellie Threlkeld
Natalie Brown
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here