Birmingham Phoenix Coach Andrew McDonald Pulls Out From Inaugural Season Of The Hundred

Birmingham Phoenix Coach Andrew McDonald has decided to pull out from the inaugural season of The Hundred citing personal reasons. He was roped in as the coach of the club but will not be able to perform the required duties. He has given personal and logistical reasons behind his pulling out caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Former Kiwi skipper Daniel Vettori will replace him as the coach of the side. Meanwhile, Andrew McDonald will continue as a consultant with the franchise and will make a comeback as a coach in 2022.

The Hundred is the brainchild of the England and Wales Cricket Board which was supposed to start last year but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is an eight-team tournament with teams from eight different cities in the UK. Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Birmingham, Cardiff, Southampton and two in London.

Andrew McDonald Pulls Out Of “The Hundred” 2021

Andrew McDonald has now become a household name in Australian domestic coaching having led Melbourne Renegades to their first title in the Big Bash League, as well as, clinched the Sheffield Shield and One-Day Cup for Victoria – which forced his signing for the English event.

Recently in a conversation, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Colin Graves explained that BCCI has shown their interest in coming up with their own tournament alike to The Hundred.

Graves said that BCCI has been in their continuous touch to know further about the format. The rules of the league are very appealing as a team can only play a maximum of 100 balls in an innings. Moreover, the ends will change post every 10- deliveries.

“I know that some of the countries abroad, India in particular, are looking at their own. They have been talking to me about it for the last year on a regular basis. So around the world, it has created a lot of excitement”, Graves told Sky Sports.

Meanwhile, The Hundred has drawn a lot of criticism as well because of its format. The fans have questioned the sanctity behind a tournament with 100-balls per side saying that it would lessen the interest of the game. 

Also Read: ICC Provides Support To UNICEF’s COVID-19 Relief Efforts in South Asia