Afridi returns as Fire coach Hussey happy with Hundred draft
SHAHEEN Afridi, Jess Jonassen and Tom Kohler-Cadmore were the big players of the night to join Welsh Fire at The Hundred Draft, powered by Sage.
In the women’s competition, Aussie Jonassen was chosen with the Fire’s first pick – joining Tammy Beaumont and Hayley Matthews in Cardiff – while Pakistan star Afridi and England’s Kohler-Cadmore link up with Mike Hussey’s men’s team.
Phoebe Franklin, Ella McCaughan, Claire Nicholas, Alex Griffiths and Jake Ball have also signed for Welsh Fire.
Elsewhere in The Hundred Draft, Kieron Pollard went to Southern Brave, Meg Lanning to London Spirit and Beth Mooney to Manchester Originals.
England players Dawid Malan, Tom Banton, Lauren Filer and Ollie Pope were also on the move, as well as international superstars Andre Russell, Ashleigh Gardner, Chamari Athapaththu and Nicholas Pooran.
Mike Hussey said: “I’m extremely excited by our work in The Hundred Draft, adding some real quality to the squad with the dynamic Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who should fit nicely into our environment.
“Getting Shaheen back is incredible for us he’s absolutely world class and is exciting for the players, the management and most definitely the fans.
“We’re also very happy to get Jake Ball back to the Welsh Fire again, he is a quality person, knows the team and conditions well and brings a wealth of experience to the team which we’ll need to keep developing.’’
Alex Griffiths said: “I can’t wait to return to Welsh Fire for my fourth season.
“The team are on a real upward trajectory after making The Eliminator last year.
“I love playing in Cardiff and representing my home country in red.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing what impact I can make for Welsh Fire in this year’s tournament.”
The opening game of The Hundred’s fourth year, sees Birmingham Phoenix travel to The Kia Oval on Tuesday 23 July to face Oval Invincibles – the first of 68 games that promise world class men’s and women’s sporting action, live music, and a host of family-friendly entertainment.
Welsh Fire’s picks in The Hundred Draft Women’s: Jess Jonassen, Phoebe Franklin, Ella McCaughan, Claire Nicholas, Alex Griffiths Men’s: Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Shaheen Afridi, Jake Ball