Pakistan captain Fatima Sana became the first Pakistani cricketer to be selected for the women’s edition of The Hundred after Birmingham Phoenix picked her in Thursday’s wild card draft.
The Pakistan captain and all-rounder has filled the Phoenix’s fourth overseas role, which opened after Cricket Australia recalled Lucy Hamilton to manage her workload.
Sana will earn the minimum tournament salary of £15,000 (approximately PKR 5.6 million), although his participation may be limited due to Pakistan’s scheduled tour of Sri Lanka from July 23 to August 4.
His selection comes just hours after an outstanding performance in Pakistan’s narrow defeat to South Africa at Edgbaston, the Phoenix’s home ground. Sana top-scored with an unbeaten 55 off 38 balls from No. 8, before taking 3 for 16 as South Africa came home with two wickets in hand.
Sana becomes the third Pakistani player to get a contract with The Hundred this year. He joins Usman Tariq at Birmingham Phoenix, while mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed will represent Sunrisers Leeds after being signed for £190,000 in the March auction.
Their inclusion has eased concerns that Pakistan players could be sidelined under the tournament’s new Indian ownership structure.
Elsewhere in the wildcard draft, several players from the Women’s T20 World Cup landed deals. Each franchise signed two male and two female players with minimum contracts to complete their rosters.
Scotland openers Darcey Carter and Katherine Fraser were picked up by Sunrisers Leeds and Southern Brave respectively, both classed as homegrown players.
In the men’s competition, notable selections included Sussex seamer Henry Crocombe joining London Spirit after a recent England Test call-up, while MI London added young fast bowlers Eddie Jack and Seb Morgan. Southern Brave also secured England Under-19 pacer Manny Lumsden.
The Hundred will be played from July 21 to August 16 this summer, marking the first season since private investors assumed partial or full control of the franchises following the sale of stakes in the teams last year.
Men’s Hundred Wild Cards (£31,000)
- Welsh Fire: Jordan Clark, Dillon Pennington
- Brave of the South: Manny Lumsden, Saif Zaib
- Manchester Supergiants: James Sales, Adam Finch
- Spirit of London: Henry Crocombe, Kiran Carlson
- Birmingham Phoenix: Tom Helm, Sean Dickson
- MY London: Eddie Jack, Sebastian Morgan
- Leeds Dawn: Matty Revis, Charlie Allison
- Trent Rockets: Ben Raine, Ben Sanderson.
Women’s Hundred Wild Cards (£15,000)
- Birmingham Phoenix: Mary Taylor, Fatima Sana
- Welsh Fire: Niamh Fiona Holland, Georgia Davis
- London Spirit: Trudy Johnson, Liv Barnes
- Trent Rockets: Amu Surenkumar, Eve Jones
- The Manchester Supergiants: Mia Rogers, Beth Langston
- MY London: Kate Coppack, Francesca Sweet
- Brave of the South: Naomi Dattani, Katherine Fraser
- Leeds Dawns: Darcey Carter, Sophia Turner.
