• Big names like Babar Azam and David Warner went unsold in The Hundred draft.
• A panel discussion unvield the reson behid this move.
• The fourth season of The Hundred is set to begin on July 23, 2024.

The 2024 draft for The Hundred, which was eagerly awaited, saw some of the biggest names in cricket, including ex-Pakistan skipper Babar Azam and Australian opening batsman David Warner, remain unpicked.

A panel discussion at the draft offered insights into why these unexpected omissions occurred. The discussion also highlighted other prominent players who were not chosen, such as Daryl Mitchell, Sunil Narine, and Tim David.

“Well, interestingly, I have wrote down a lot of teams’ needs that what I thought and this is only my opinion and I reckon a lot of those sides have picked for needs. You look at some of the players that haven’t been selected, and it’s easy, I reckon, Naseer Hussain, to suggest that you look at the names in big bright lights and you think, well, I’ve got to get them because they’re great players available,” one of the panelists remarked.

“Teams haven’t necessarily done that. You look at players who haven’t been selected. Daryl Mitchell, I have written down here. Sunil Narine, Tim David wasn’t selected, Babar Azam, Mujeeb, David Warner didn’t go. So it’s interesting about the selections. One of the things about the Pakistan players and David Warner as well, is availability is something that sides look at a lot, and whether they’re going to be available for the entirety of the season, and that might have had a leaning towards some of them,” he continued.

It’s noteworthy that only three Pakistani players were able to secure contracts in this year’s draft on Wednesday, with Naseem Shah leading the way by joining Birmingham Phoenix for a remarkable £125,000. Shaheen Afridi and Imad Wasim were also selected by Welsh Fire and Trent Rockets, respectively, each for £100,000.

The exclusion of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan was particularly surprising, especially considering their late additions to the selection list.

The fourth season of The Hundred is set to begin on July 23, 2024, with Oval Invincibles defending their championship against Birmingham Phoenix in the opening match.

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