Brave Captain Adams Doubts Switch To Hundred Auction

Southern Brave skipper Georgia Adams formed uncertainty connected mooted plans to move to an auction for adjacent year's Hundred and says "players want to person immoderate opportunity successful wherever they go".

Hundred head director Vikram Banerjee wants squads to person a "refresh" adjacent season, external and 1 action favoured by immoderate of nan new investors successful nan 8 teams is to present an auction akin to nan Indian Premier League and switch nan existent draught system.

Teams could beryllium capable to clasp arsenic fewer arsenic 4 players for adjacent year's tournament, which will people nan commencement of a caller era aft nan investors return power astatine nan franchises from 1 October.

"I wouldn't beryllium a instrumentality of an auction because I conscionable don't spot it afloat moving aliases having a awesome effect successful this country," said Adams, whose broadside play successful nan women's last connected Sunday aft topping nan group shape pinch a 100% record.

"It is difficult erstwhile you're sitting astatine nan apical and you've sewage a halfway group, that you'd astir apt beryllium looking to support together and that we've besides worked difficult to build and get together.

"A batch of females are motivated by their environments arsenic good and if you want to look to get nan champion retired of people, players want to person immoderate opportunity successful ideally wherever they go, particularly homegrown home players."

The Hundred finals 2025

31 August (Women's 14:15 BST, Men's 18:00 BST)

Women's final: Southern Brave v Northern Superchargers/London Spirit Men's final: Oval Invincibles v Trent Rockets/Northern Superchargers

Adams said she has turned down much money successful erstwhile seasons to stay astatine Brave, who she has played for since 2022.

This twelvemonth teams could clasp up to 10 players, pinch nan the remaining slots filled astatine definite value brackets astatine nan draft.

"Having played successful nan Big Bash [Australia's home T20 competition], there's specified beardown affiliation to their broadside and a batch of passion down nan teams that they're playing for and I do deliberation that helps nan title thrive," Adams said.

Decisions connected nan early of title will beryllium made by a recently formed Hundred board, which will characteristic representatives from nan England and Wales Cricket Board and 1 from each of nan 8 franchises.

New squad names and kits are expected for 2026 arsenic nan investors, who collectively person spent much than £500m successful securing their stakes successful teams, make changes.

The ECB are keen for immoderate changes to use some nan men's and women's competitions, though location could beryllium flimsy differences betwixt nan building of an auction for each.

In nan men's tournament, Oval Invincibles will pursuit a 3rd consecutive title successful Sunday's final, having benefited from keeping together a halfway group of players crossed nan 5 seasons.

In contrast, Welsh Fire's women person vanished bottommost successful 3 retired of 5 seasons while their men person ne'er reached nan second stages.

Invincibles skipper Sam Billings played down concerns specified upheaval will lead to a nonaccomplishment of personality and said an auction will thief support nan title competitive.

"I would happily enactment astatine The Oval and effort and triumph a title each twelvemonth but location is an statement that alteration does bring affirmative alteration and makes it much competitive," Billings said.

"If it was changeless turnover each year, I don't for illustration nan thought of that.

"What nan IPL does good is aft various cycles you get change, you still support nan icon players. For example, Sam Curran will beryllium retained sloppy astatine The Oval.

"Not only because he is 1 of our champion players but he is nan Oval poster boy. From a trading constituent of position it would beryllium a nary brainer.

"You still support that halfway group of players, admittedly not 10 players but 4 players.

"It decidedly does springiness opportunity to different teams, that haven't had nan success. It gives them a blank canvas to opportunity we tin build a squad to triumph a title successful nan adjacent 3 years."

Both Billings and Adams said nan tourney should support its double-header structure.

Men's and women's teams playing nan aforesaid guidance astatine nan aforesaid venue connected nan aforesaid time has been a staple of The Hundred since nan title started successful 2021.

That will stay successful 2026, but earlier this twelvemonth ECB main executive Richard Gould said organisers were considering "de-coupling" immoderate matches, external successful an effort to waste retired standalone women's fixtures.

"We bask it," Billings said. "It is thing truthful unsocial to this tourney that has been, without doubt, nan biggest affirmative of nan tournament."

Adams added: "If you've sewage young families, you tin spell and watch nan women's crippled and time off halfway done nan men's earlier it gets rowdy.

"If you're location for a spot of a statement you tin get a spot later, watch immoderate of nan women's cricket and enactment on.

"The merchandise conscionable useful truthful well, arsenic a double-header, not conscionable for those playing successful it, but besides for those watching it, everyone loves it."