Crawley missed the Hundred in 2024 after breaking a finger in England’s Test series against West Indies, and has struggled for form since making his comeback in Pakistan. He made 78 in his first Test back in Multan but scored 113 runs in his next 10 innings and was comprehensively worked over by Matt Henry in New Zealand, dismissed by him in all six innings of the tour.
The ECB confirmed which players have been retained for 2025 on Tuesday morning, with each men’s and women’s team allowed to re-sign up to 10 squad members from last summer. Most teams have also used the new direct signing model to bring in a new overseas player ahead of the draft, though four women’s teams opted to retain the same overseas trio.
In the men’s Hundred, Overton’s late decision to leave Manchester Originals came as a surprise. He was expected to stay at Old Trafford on a £200,000 contract but a change of heart saw Originals offer him £120,000 in order to keep a top-end spot free for an overseas player. He has therefore opted to leave, with Spirit and Trent Rockets potential suitors.
The three teams that reached the knockout stages last year – Invincibles, Southern Brave and Birmingham Phoenix – have retained the maximum 10 players, including the direct signings of Rashid Khan, Faf du Plessis and Trent Boult respectively. Fire have had the biggest clearout, keeping only six players – all of whom are predominantly batters.
Trent Rockets, the 2022 champions, have also had an overhaul, with captain Lewis Gregory, Luke Wood, Alex Hales and Rashid among their departures. Topley is leaving Northern Superchargers, Rehan and George Garton are leaving Brave, and Invincibles have let Dawid Malan go.
In the women’s Hundred, Sophia Dunkley is expected to stay at Fire via an RTM, while Issy Wong, Emma Lamb and Paige Scholfield are the biggest names available among domestic players. Phoenix, who have brought in Megan Schutt from Invincibles as a direct signing, will pick first and are understood to be considering Georgia Voll as an option.
The Hundred will run from August 5-31 this year, with the ECB treating 2025 as a transitional season. The competition’s eight teams were valued at a combined £975 million at the end of a privatisation process and the teams will become franchises – run as joint-ventures with host counties – ahead of the 2026 edition.
