Kagiso Rabada Picture Credit: Creative Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:KAGISO_RABADA_(15085792033).jpg

Manchester Originals today revealed their squad for this summer’s inaugural The Hundred season.

International cricket stars Nicholas Pooran, Kagiso Rabada, and Shadab Khan are among the 10 new players drafted into the Manchester Originals men’s team, while England spinner Sophie Ecclestone has joined the women’s team.

Coach Simon Katich was tasked with replacing the majority of the 14 players he picked in the initial draft ahead of the 2020 competition, which was ultimately cancelled due to the pandemic.

Headlining the new signings is the destructive West Indies batsmen Pooran, along with South African fast bowler Rabada, who can bowl at over 90mph and was the top wicket-taker in the Indian Premier League last year.

Upcoming leg spinner Khan adds another option in the spin bowling department, he’s only 22 but has played 95 games for Pakistan across all formats.

He joins already signed Lancashire player Matthew Parkinson and Tom Hartley in what looks a promising spin bowling attack.

Parkinson and Hartley are joined in the Manchester franchise by other Lancs players Richard Gleeson and already-picked World Cup winner, Jos Buttler.

Lancashire favourite Liam Livingstone will not be representing the Manchester franchise this campaign though, as he has already signed for Birmingham Phoenix in the previous draft.

 

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Jamie Overton and Colin Ackermann, who represent Somerset and Leicestershire respectively, come into the Originals side as all-rounders.

Completing the side are former England fast bowlers Steven Finn and Harry Gurney, as well as exciting Somerset left handed batsman, Tom Lammonby, who possesses an impressive strike rate of 160 with the bat.

The Originals, who will play their four upcoming home games at Emirates Old Trafford, have one more spot to fill, but this will not be revealed until after the Vitality Blast in July.

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