The Hundred’s youngsters
The draft is done. Each side has squad of 15 – most will be elated with their massive paydays, others will be gutted to have missed out.
Some teams have focused on experience, some on solid domestic performers, and some on potential. A few more youngsters may make the cut as wildcard picks next year, but for now, here are all the players currently aged 21 or younger that are set to feature at The Hundred next year.
Sam Curran (21) – Oval Invincibles
Curran has enjoyed a successful start to his Test career
The youngest member on England’s list of contracted players for 2019/20, Curran was chosen by his home team Oval Invincibles as their pick from England’s Test players. His batting is arguably more important than his bowling in shorter-format cricket, and his T20 career strike-rate of 130 is impressive. Of course, his left-arm angle is a prized commodity that shouldn’t be understated.
Tom Banton (20) – Welsh Fire
Banton’s meteoric rise began with a pair of centuries in this year’s One Day Cup, the first coming from just 76 balls and the second helping Somerset past Worcestershire in the quarter-final. He then blazed his way on to the T20I leg of England’s upcoming tour of New Zealand with 549 runs in the T20 Blast at a strike-rate of 161, including a 52-ball 100. Chosen as a local icon player by Welsh Fire, Banton has also picked up a franchise deal for this winter in the Big Bash with Brisbane Heat. Things are looking up.
Pat Brown (21) – Birmingham Phoenix
Pat Brown has enjoyed considerable domestic T20 success, but can he deliver against the world’s best?
An outstanding breakout season in 2018 saw Brown leading Worcestershire’s bowling attack to the T20 crown. No-one across the tournament took more than his 31 wickets – in fact the next best was Matt Parkinson with 25 – and his average of 13.35 wasn’t topped by anyone who managed more than seven wickets. But perhaps most impressive was an economy of 7.64 despite being his side’s go-to death bowler. While his 2019 season wasn’t quite as impressive, he still performed solidly as Worcestershire once again reached the final of the Blast. And it was also enough to warrant Birmingham Phoenix selecting him as one of their local icons.
Rashid Khan (21) – Trent Rockets
Who would you choose if you had first pick? That was the question just about everyone asked everyone else in the build-up to The Hundred draft. And for many, including Trent Rockets head coach Stephen Fleming, the answer was Rashid Khan. It is easy to forget that the global T20 star is still just 21. He’s already broken a host of records, including becoming the fastest bowler to 100 ODI wickets – his 44 matches beating Mitchell Starc’s record by a margin of eight games. His T20 stats are almost unbelievable – an average of 16.93 and economy of 6.24, while in internationals those numbers are 12.03 and 6.13 respectively.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman (18) – Northern Superchargers
Another Afghan spinner picked up early in the draft. He may be just 18 years of age, but Mujeeb has been around the block, exhibiting skills across various T20 leagues. Like Rashid, he’s a nightmare to pick: think of a variation, anything you like – Mujeeb can probably bowl it. It is quite likely that he will often bowl the first over for Northern Superchargers.
Sandeep Lamichhane (20) – Oval Invincibles
Lamichhane was picked up Oval Invincibles for£100k in last Sunday’s draft
One of the brightest talents in the world game, Sandeep Lamichhane has opened the eyes of the world to the talent that exists beyond the usual suspects. The Nepalese star is already trotting the globe playing in pretty much every T20 league going, and he’s enjoyed plenty of success while doing so. In 61 T20s he’s claimed 84 wickets at a smidge over 18, with an economy just under seven. The fact that his second-round pick didn’t cause much surprise says it all.
Shadab Khan (21) – Southern Brave
The fourth spinner on this list, Shadab was selected for Pakistan less than a year after his domestic debut, aged 18. Barely a month after that, he’d featured in all three formats for his country. He is yet to convert his obvious talent with the bat into results, particularly in T20s. But with ball in hand, he delivers consistently. Averaging around 20 with an economy of 6.81 in T20s speak volumes for that side of his game. Fans may be more excited about Southern Brave’s rapid seam attack, but Shadab will make sure the role of a spinner isn’t forgotten.
Shaheen Afridi (19) – Birmingham Phoenix
Similarly to Shadab, Shaheen Afridi debuted in all three formats for Pakistan at the tender age of 18. While not quite as established on the global T20 circuit as the other overseas players on this list, he has an impressive record nonetheless. A match-winning performance in the final of the Abu Dhabi T20 Trophy – a spiritual successor to the all too short-lived Champions League T20 – saw him concede just three runs from the penultimate over to set up a 15-run win. Some may question the wisdom of a few of Birmingham Phoenix’s choices during the draft, but Shaheen was undoubtedly a shrewd pick.
Ollie Pope (21) – Southern Brave
Pope has dominated in first-class cricket
Widely tipped to be a successful England player in the near future, Pope has the highest first-class average (58.79) of any Englishman to have played more than 30 games. While not quite as impressive, his record against the white ball is not shabby by any means. His T20 average of 28.30, combined with a strike rate of 134, show just a glimpse of his potential in the format. Southern Brave will barely be able to believe their luck to have picked Pope up as late as the fifth round.
Will Jacks (20) – Oval Invincibles
Jacks placed himself firmly on one-to-watch lists when he slaughtered the Lancashire bowling line-up during a pre-season T10 game in March of this year, bringing up his hundred from an incredible 25 balls. He had already caught the attention of some though, with a 100-ball 121 against Gloucestershire during the 2018 One Day Cup. Jacks was picked up for a mere £40,000 by Oval Invincibles, making him possibly the best bargain of the draft. He’s certainly got the potential to be a star of the tournament.
Qais Ahmad (19) – Welsh Fire
Another Afghan spin sensation. Ahmad is the least experienced of the three, having yet to play any limited-overs cricket for the senior Afghanistan side. Nevertheless, his wily leg-spin has seen him feature in the Big Bash and the Caribbean Premier League – you don’t land deals at those tournaments if you haven’t got something about you.
Zak Crawley (21) – London Spirit
Crawley’s red-ball form was what grabbed headlines this season, helping him grab a Test spot on England’s tour of New Zealand. But the Kent man can give the ball a good ol’ whack, too: playing grade cricket in Australia last winter, he struck 100 from just 42 balls. His T20 strike-rate of 143.51 suggests he could be a man for all seasons.
Henry Brookes (20) – Birmingham Phoenix
Fearsomely quick, Brookes was called up by England Lions at just 18 years of age and has made a strong impression in his Warwickshire career so far. He took 21 Championship wickets in 2018 to help the Bears get promoted to Division One, but this year it’s been his T20 numbers that have stood out, with his 13 wickets coming at an average of 24.69.
