The Hundred, English cricket’s innovative franchise tournament, may be in for a major shakeup next season as its new investors push for an IPL-style open auction to attract the world’s top players. The eight franchises, now backed by deep-pocketed owners like India’s Ambani family and Silicon Valley venture capitalists, are keen to boost player salaries and create a truly global spectacle.
Pressure Mounts For Open Auction
Under the current Hundred Player Draft system, franchises select players in turns at fixed salary bands set by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). But many feel this structure is too restrictive and fails to attract the cream of the crop.
Despite a 25% increase in the salary pot this year, with top men’s contracts worth £200,000 and women’s deals up to £65,000, Hundred pay still pales in comparison to the Indian Premier League (IPL). England stars Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer will earn more individually in the IPL than an entire Hundred men’s squad, which has a maximum budget of just £1.17m for 15 players.
“There’s a strong feeling amongst the new owners that current salaries are insufficient to lure the biggest global stars and really grow the competition,” a franchise executive told The Guardian.
Franchise Owners Unite
The team owners plan to make their case via a new shareholder committee, which will include franchise CEOs and ECB representatives. Discussions are slated to begin early in the domestic season, with a decision on the 2026 player draft format expected by September.
While matching IPL salary levels may be a stretch, given the tournament’s infancy and smaller market, all stakeholders agree that a significant pay bump is needed to put the Hundred on the global map. An open auction, with franchises bidding for players, is seen as the quickest path to growth.
Talent Flight Fears
The Hundred’s struggle to compete for elite overseas players has been underscored by several high-profile stars opting for more lucrative deals in nascent leagues like Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA. Without the BCCI relaxing its ban on Indian men participating in foreign tournaments, an open auction is viewed as essential to assembling world-class squads.
- Alex Hales, dropped by Trent Rockets, chose MLC and the Caribbean Premier League over the Hundred this summer due to higher pay
- Australian stars Steve Smith and Pat Cummins prioritized MLC last year as well, citing superior salaries
As one franchise boss put it, “It’s an arms race out there now for the world’s best white-ball players. We need to up the ante or risk becoming a second-tier competition.”
PCA Backlash Brewing?
However, the push for an open auction and soaring overseas salaries could face resistance from the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), especially if the wage gaps between domestic and foreign players widen dramatically.
The players’ union has already accused the ECB of showing a “lack of respect” over pay disparities between men and women and across salary bands when this season’s wages were revealed. An uncapped auction risks exacerbating those fault lines.
Franchise Cricket’s Tipping Point
As the Hundred prepares for its fourth edition this August amidst surging global competition, all eyes will be on how the ECB and team owners navigate the tug-of-war between financial ambition and stakeholder cohesion.
The league’s future as a premier destination for the world’s top white-ball talent likely hinges on its ability to offer competitive wages while maintaining a sustainable, equitable ecosystem for domestic players. The outcome of the impending player draft negotiations could prove to be a tipping point for the sport’s rapidly-evolving franchise landscape.
