Warner's manager says batsman has chosen to make himself available for Australia's ODI series vs Zimbabwe, scheduled for August
Friday 20 March 2020 11:11, UK
David Warner is the first big-name overseas player to withdraw from The Hundred tournament, The Sydney Morning Herald reports, amid the coronavirus pandemic that grips world sport.
Warner's decision to pull out of the competition is said to be unrelated to the COVID-19 outbreak, with his manager James Erskine saying the Australian opening batsman has instead chosen to make himself available for the one-day international series against Zimbabwe scheduled for August.
That three-match series with Zimbabwe could clash with The Hundred, with the inaugural season of the new, 100-ball-a-side format set to run from July 17 to August 15 - although a delay to the competition is likely amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Warner as drafted by Southern Brave last October, picking up the maximum fee of £125,000, where he was set to play alongside fellow overseas picks Andre Russell and Shadab Khan, as well as England's Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan and Ollie Pope.
The Hundred has reportedly been identified as a priority for the ECB, along with international cricket and the T20 Blast tournament, as it prepares for the financial impact of the pandemic on the English cricketing summer schedule.
The ECB is facing the possibility of the County Championship, scheduled to start on April 12, being pushed back, while England's home Test series against West Indies starting in June is also in danger of being postponed.
