The draft for the second edition of the Hundred has been postponed in order to avoid clashing with the date of former Australian leg-spinner, Shane Warne’s state funeral.
Warne died at a resort in Thailand of a heart attack. He will be given a farewell at his home ground, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), on March 30, in front of an expected crowd of over 50,000 people. The tickets for the same will be available via a public ballot.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had confirmed that the draft will be held on March 29 and the results would be announced the very next day. It has now been changed to April 4 and the picks will be revealed on April 5.
Additionally, the draft will be held behind closed doors. The first draft was broadcast on Sky Sports’ London studios in October 2019. London Spirit has been allowed to pick first in the draft.
Shane Warne had suggested Mitchell Marsh as Spirit’s first pick
Prior to his death, London Spirit’s head coach Warne had reckoned that they will be considering Mitchell Marsh as the first pick. He has been in tremendous form for the Aussies and was instrumental in helping Australia win their first T20 World Cup title.
Warne was the coach of the franchise in the first season but had to miss most of the competition after testing positive for covid-19. He was expected to return for the 2022 season as well.
Spirit’s general manager, Fraser Stewart, made a statement about Warne, claiming him to be a ‘true icon’. He will also be responsible to find a replacement and they currently have Dimitry Mascarenhas and David Ripley in their sights.