Malinga in top bracket for The Hundred draft

• Malinga one of six players in top bracket
• 23 Sri Lankans in total included in draft
• Competition to take place from July-August 2020

Sri Lanka T20I Captain Lasitha Malinga has been listed as one of the most expensive players in Sunday’s draft for the new English domestic tournament The Hundred, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced.

Australian trio of Steve Smith, David Warner and Mitchell Starc, West Indies opener Chris Gayle and South African speedster Kagiso Rabada are the others in the six-man group who will command a 125,000 pounds ($ 159,400) reserve price, the ECB said in a statement.

Malinga will be one of 23 Sri Lankan players listed in the draft for the inaugural edition of the 100-ball competition, which will be played from July-August next year.

Of the 23, Dhananjaya De Silva, Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne, Isuru Udana, Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella, Avishka Fernando, Danushka Gunathilaka, Suranga Lakmal, Kusal Mendis, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Pradeep, Lakshan Sandakan and Dasun Shanaka have all been listed with a reserve price, while those without reserve prices are Asela Gunaratne, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lahiru Kumara, Jeewan Mendis, Seekkuge Prasanna, Kasun Rajitha, Ramith Rambukwella and Upul Tharanga.

Five of the eight city-based sides meanwhile will have an Australian in charge with Shane Warne, Darren Lehmann and Tom Moody among them. None of the men’s teams have a local coach.

Twenty20 stalwarts Rashid Khan of Afghanistan and West Indian Andre Russell, with an identical 100,000 pounds reserve price, are among 239 players from outside the UK to enter the draft.

England World Cup winners Mark Wood and Liam Plunkett headline the 331 domestic players who have put their names forward for the draft.

“Teams will select 12 players on the night - with a maximum of three overseas picks - who will join the already-announced England red-ball contracted players and Local Icons,” the ECB said in a statement.