The Hundred: Ace pacer Mitchell Starc withdraws from tournament on draft eve

Ahead of the upcoming edition of The Hundred, left-arm pacer, Mitchell Starc has surprisingly withdrawn his name from the competition. Given his form and pedigree, the 33-year-old could have been one of the marquee foreign players in the competition and could have easily fetched one of the five vacant £125,000 slots available for the overseas players. However, the Aussie decided to stay out of it, albeit, the reason for withdrawal is still unknown.

Notably, the Australia international was up as a top draft pick by Superchargers in the last edition of the competition but the cricketer withdrew just hours before the registration deadline. Now, this is not the first time Starc has done something similar. It has happened a lot of times in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and now, for the second time in The Hundred.

Furthermore, a number of exciting talents from all across the globe have withdrawn from the upcoming season in England. The South Africa trio of Anrich Nortje, Aiden Markram and Tristan Stubbs will not be available for the draft while speedster Jhye Richardson too has stepped back from the competition. Notably, the pacer is currently injured and has already been ruled out of the 16th edition of the IPL as well.

Meanwhile, Laurie Evans, who was adjudged as Player of the Match in the Big Bash League 2022-23 final will be part of the draft after his provisional ban following a positive test for a banned substance was lifted. On the other hand, England Test stumper-batter Ben Foakes and Bangladesh star Tamim Iqbal will also be part of the draft.

When it comes to the women’s side of the tournament, players like Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Meg Lanning, Tahlia McGrath, Ashleigh Gardner and Tayla Vlaeminck will miss the upcoming season. Thus, it’s a massive blow for the competition as most of them are in stellar form in the ongoing Women’s Premier League (WPL).

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