Leicestershire head coach Alfonso Thomas has expressed strong disapproval of The Hundred's rules regarding player participation, describing them as "ridiculous."
The injury-ridden Foxes recently faced a defeat against Surrey in the One-Day Cup on Tuesday and are set to play Yorkshire on Thursday, marking their fourth match in seven days. Thomas voiced his frustration that, while his team grapples with a shortage of players, several Leicestershire members are barely featuring for their Hundred teams.
Thomas argued that these players would benefit more by playing for their county when not actively participating in The Hundred. He shared his concerns on BBC Radio Leicester’s Talking Foxes, stating that the recent victory against Sussex came at a cost, with Ben Mike and Matt Salisbury getting injured, Liam Trevaskis dealing with a quad issue, and Chris Wright suffering from a bad ankle.
Thomas was particularly irked by the sight of his players sitting idle on The Hundred benches, which he deemed an "absolutely ridiculous rule," merely serving as reserve players and carrying drinks.
Leicestershire has five players in The Hundred franchises: Louis Kimber and Rishi Patel at Birmingham Phoenix, Rehan Ahmed at Southern Brave, and Scott Currie and Josh Hull at Manchester Originals. Despite being on these teams, Patel and Kimber have only participated in two out of Phoenix's five games, Ahmed in two for Brave, and Hull in two for the Originals. Currie, however, has played in all five games for his team.
Thomas highlighted that smaller squads like Leicestershire feel the impact more severely, especially after a successful Blast campaign, as they tend to lose more players.
Last year, only Ahmed and Callum Parkinson left the Foxes for The Hundred, with Ahmed returning after two matches, and the team went on to win the One-Day Cup. This season, Leicestershire stands fifth in Group B with six points from three wins and two losses.