Major Changes Considered for The Hundred

The Hundred franchises could soon be allowed to offer players multi-year contracts worth up to £300,000 per season, as part of a potential overhaul of the tournament’s draft system being considered by the ECB. Another proposed change includes lobbying the UK’s Home Office to allow each team to field a fourth overseas player in their starting XI, increasing the current cap of three.

As the ECB began selling stakes in the eight Hundred teams last month, they informed potential investors that wage bills might see an 80% hike next year. Currently, each team allocates approximately £1.9 million annually for salaries, covering both men’s and women’s players, as well as coaching staff. However, this figure could rise to over £3.5 million once these new deals are confirmed.

Should the plans be approved quickly, player salaries could rise significantly. For men, top pay could jump from £125,000 to £300,000 ahead of the 2025 season, while the highest salaries in the women’s game could double from £50,000 to over £100,000. This would place The Hundred second only to the IPL in terms of salary expenditure in men’s leagues, and second to the WPL in women’s leagues. Although The Hundred has attracted top international women’s players, it has struggled to draw the best male talent. For example, Shaheen Shah Afridi opted out of playing for Welsh Fire this year in favour of a better-paying opportunity in Canada’s Global T20. Similarly, Pat Cummins admitted that playing in The Hundred hadn’t crossed his mind as he was committed to Major League Cricket in the US.

In response, the ECB is considering modifying the recruitment process to allow each franchise to sign up to six overseas players (three men and three women) on multi-year contracts, aligning with practices seen in leagues such as the BBL, ILT20, and SA20. The existing draft system would still be in place, but with a boost in salary bands, particularly for the top players.

Vikram Banerjee, who is overseeing the sale process at the ECB, acknowledged that The Hundred has fallen behind other short-form leagues in attracting elite men’s players. Speaking on the Business of Sport podcast, Banerjee explained that they are currently the sixth-highest payer in men's cricket and could drop to seventh if they don't act. He highlighted that higher salaries would be needed for the top three or four players on each team, noting that lesser-known players, particularly those lower down in the squad, wouldn’t require as large an investment.

The plans also suggest that teams would be allowed to sign one ‘England star’ on a multi-year contract, valued at around £100,000 for women and £250,000 for men. Increasing the number of overseas players per playing XI from three to four would bring The Hundred in line with global standards seen in the IPL, WPL, PSL, and SA20.

Although these proposals have been shared with prospective investors, they remain in the early stages and may not come to fruition until 2026, depending on how swiftly the sale progresses. The ECB has declined to comment on the matter.

The Hundred’s sale process has faced criticism in recent days. Banerjee conceded that it might take until after the 2025 season to finalise the sale. IPL founder Lalit Modi recently referred to the process as "a big fat Ponzi scheme," despite previously expressing interest in buying the competition for £1 billion.

In response to Modi’s remarks, ECB chief executive Richard Gould dismissed his comments, recalling that Modi had once publicly stated his desire to purchase the competition. Gould also highlighted the ECB’s confidence in the future of English cricket, citing nearly 100 parties showing interest in The Hundred sales process. He reiterated that the incoming funds would be used to safeguard and enhance the sport throughout the county network.

The Hundred's 2025 season is set to kick off in early August, following the conclusion of England’s men’s Test series against India.