Rashid Khan, Andre Russell among top picks of The Hundred draft

Australian Mitchell Starc and Steve Smith were picked by Welsh Fire while swashbuckling batsman David Warner was signed by Southern Brave.

All-rounder Rashid Khan and Andre Russell were among the top picked players in the inaugural player draft for ‘The Hundred’ which was announced on Sunday (local time).

Afghanistan's Rashid Khan (AP)

The first pick of the draft went to Trent Rockets, who opted for world number one T20I bowler Rashid. The other players to go in the first round were Andre Russell (Southern Brave), Aaron Finch, Mujeeb Ur Rahman (both Northern Superchargers), Sunil Narine (Oval Invincibles), Imran Tahir, Dane Vilas (both Manchester Originals), Glenn Maxwell (London Spirit), and Liam Livingstone (Birmingham Phoenix), ICC reported.

Australian Mitchell Starc and Steve Smith were picked by Welsh Fire while swashbuckling batsman David Warner was signed by Southern Brave.

Other big names signed in the draft included Sandeep Lamichhane (Oval Invincibles), Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Amir (both London Spirit), and Nathan Coulter-Nile (Trent Rockets).

During the event each team also announced a new signing for the women’s competition: Sophie Devine (Birmingham Phoenix), Tammy Beaumont (London Spirit), Lizelle Lee (Manchester Originals), Alyssa Healy (Northern Superchargers), Dane van Niekerk (Oval Invincibles), Suzie Bates (Southern Brave), Sophie Molineux (Trent Rockets), and Meg Lanning (Welsh Fire).

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in February this year confirmed that the first-class counties of England and Wales agreed to a 100-ball format competition, called The Hundred.Scheduled for 2020, the tournament will see eight new city-based teams competing over a five-week period.

Moreover, The Hundred will have a 25-ball powerplay start for each team and two fielders are allowed outside of the initial 30-yard circle during the powerplay. These playing conditions have been recommended by ECB’s Cricket Committee.