What Is The Hundred? Format Rules and Why there are no Indian Players

What Is The Hundred? The game of cricket has seen a lot of transitions in the recent years which also includes the use of the latest technologies to revolutionize the game. Initially, cricket was started as a sport by the Brits and for years Test cricket was the only format in the game, which was then followed by the limited-overs format with 60-overs and then the 50-overs contests. And now as the world and the majority of cricket fanatics are quite used to the latest Twenty20 format of the game, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has found a new addition to it, which is the 100-ball format formally known as The Hundred.

The Hundred Rules

The ECB’s newly introduced 100-ball version of the game will be starting with an eight-team tournament beginning with a women’s fixture wherein the Oval Invincibles will be facing the Manchester Originals at the Kia Oval on July 21. The eight teams participating in the inaugural edition of the tournament are Birmingham Phoenix, Trent Rockets, Oval Invincibles, Southern Brave, London Spirit, Welsh Fire, Northern Superchargers and Manchester Originals.

The Hundred Format 

Here are some of the important rules that will be followed in the ECB’s newly introduced, The Hundred:

• 100 balls per innings.
• A change of ends after 10 balls.
• Bowlers deliver either five or 10 consecutive balls.
• Each bowler can deliver a maximum of 20 balls per game.
• Each bowling side gets a strategic timeout of up to two and a half minutes.
• A 25-ball powerplay start for each team.
• Two fielders are allowed outside of the initial 30-yard circle during the powerplay.

These playing conditions were proposed by the ECB’s Cricket Committee and ratified by the ECB Board late last year. The board then put the playing conditions in front of the 18 first-class counties for their votes. The final vote was received this week and the format was accepted by 17 of the 18 counties.

Why Indian players are not part of The Hundred?

Star overseas players like Andre Russell, Glenn Maxwell, David Warner, Kieron Pollard and Kagiso Rabada featured in The Hundred Draft for the upcoming inaugural edition.

Indian players will not be featuring in the competition. Unlike the rest of the cricket board across the world, the BCCI does not allow its contracted players to participate in franchise tournaments outside the country.

“I can’t commit to the involvement of India players. It’s a political conversation as much as anything. It’s a difficult conversation. It’s not just the ECB and The Hundred that will be keen to get Indian players involved. Clearly, that’s a wider discussion,” said ECB Chief Executive Officer Tom Harrison.

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