The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is reportedly planning to offer incentives to the national team’s all-format players to participate in the 2023 edition of The Hundred. Last year, some players like Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes pulled out of the competition in order to prepare for the home series against South Africa, which was seen as affecting the quality of the season.
According to ESPN Cricinfo, the ECB is now offering players £125,000 to participate in the entire 2023 season or a proportionate amount if they are unavailable for a certain period of the season. The Hundred 2023 is scheduled to take place during August in an uninterrupted window for the first time, immediately following the fifth Ashes Test on July 31.
However, players who feature in the final Ashes Test may not be available for the first week of the tournament. Additionally, England will also have an international assignment against New Zealand and Ireland in preparation for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India in the October-November window.
If the team and the all-format contracted players reach an agreement, the franchise can choose to retain the player along with 10 other players from the 2022 edition. If two or more players are not retained, a mini-draft will be conducted to determine the player’s next destination.
The current players with contracts for a franchise in The Hundred and an all-format central contract with the England national team include Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood.
