The Hundred: 10 English stars who will hope to impress ahead of T20 World Cup 2022
Jos Buttler will be eyeing up the talent in the upcoming Hundred tournament as the T20 World Cup is just a few months away
The next T20 Cricket World Cup tournament will take place in just a few months time and the upcoming Hundred tournament will give hopeful stars a chance to shine as they bid for a spot on the plane to Australia.
The last T20 World Cup took place just last autumn and England reached the semi-finals before coming up short to New Zealand but with new management and new captaincy, Jos Buttler will hope he can lead the squad one or even two steps further.
What better way to assess what one’s options are than with a domestic tournament featuring international stars? The former white-ball captain Eoin Morgan recently stated that the Hundred would be the perfect opportunity for those on the ECB’s periphery to prove their worth ahead of the upcoming World Cup.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Morgan said: “(The Hundred) is the closest I have ever played at domestic level to international cricket.
“All the major playing nations around the world have had established links with limited-format tournaments that our domestic players have done their utmost to play in to better their careers and ultimately to try and learn and become better players to play international cricket.”
There will be competition aplenty for spots in the T20 World Cup squad but here are a few who will all be using the explosive Hundred in a bid to show off ahead of World Cup selection.
1. Tom Curran (right) - Oval Invincibles
Pictured here with the brother who may or may not have stolen his spot in the white-ball side, TC will hope he can outperform other pacemen in line for selection in a bid to once again make the T20 World Cup squad.
2. Richard Gleeson - Manchester Originals
Gleeson made his international debut earlier this year and at 34 years of age, this may be his last opportunity to play in a World Cup. Currently on a T20 average of 16.9, Gleeson will be sure to maximise his exposure this summer.
3. Tom Banton - Welsh Fire
Banton was one of Somerset’s strongest forces in their recent Vitality T20 Blast campaign and has frequently been on the ECB’s periphery. The 23-year-old has a T20 average of 23.67 and T20I average of 23.35.
4. Tom Abell - Birmingham Phoenix
Somerset’s captain Tom Abell is yet to make it to the international level but has featured on Lions tours for years. Enjoying a T20 average of 33.72 for his batting while also offering a confident medium pace bowl, this could be the year Abell breaks through into the top level.