Stokes likely to skip Hundred to maintain fitness
England Test skipper Ben Stokes will likely skip this summer’s Hundred to prioritize his fitness for the Ashes in Australia later this year.
Stokes, 33, has not been kept by Northern Superchargers as the teams revealed their new signings and preliminary squad lists for the 2025 tournament.
The versatile player injured his left hamstring during England’s visit to New Zealand in December, having only recently healed from the identical injury sustained while playing for Superchargers in August.
The injury necessitated surgery, and he was sidelined for a minimum of three months.
England’s upcoming Test isn’t scheduled until they confront Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge in May, yet Durham’s Stokes hopes to be ready for the start of the County Championship season in April.
The Hundred kicks off on 5 August, a day after England’s five-Test match series with India concludes, and the Ashes commence in Perth on 21 November.
The signings revealed on Tuesday for the deadline day feature Australian batsman Steve Smith joining Welsh Fire.
Smith was originally contracted by the Cardiff franchise for the intended inaugural year of The Hundred, which was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
This year marks the first time that teams can directly sign one men’s and one women’s player through private negotiations instead of relying on The Hundred draft process.
There are 68 available positions across all teams that will be filled during the draft on 12 March, and there will also be a wildcard draft in May for teams to recruit in-form players from the domestic circuit.
Smith will be accompanied at Fire by Jonny Bairstow, who has been kept, while his compatriot Marcus Stoinis has been acquired by Trent Rockets.
Ex-Australia women’s skipper Meg Lanning has signed with two-time champions Oval Invincibles, while bowler Megan Schutt will represent Birmingham Phoenix.
The Invincibles have acquired Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan, ex-New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult has signed with Phoenix, while South African batsmen David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen have been recruited by Superchargers and Manchester Originals respectively.
Australia leg-spinner Alana King and all-rounder Ash Gardner have been kept by Rockets alongside England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt, while Fire have kept Tammy Beaumont and West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews.
In 2024, the Invincibles claimed the men’s Hundred title for the second consecutive year, while the Spirit took home the women’s title.
The Cricket Board of England and Wales recently managed the sale of stakes in the eight Hundred franchises, which collectively reached a value exceeding £975m, generating approximately £520m to be distributed throughout the sport in this nation.
