Australian opener David Warner has decided to pull out of England Cricket Board’s new competition ‘The Hundred’ league, but the reason is not the coronavirus outbreak according to multiple reports on Friday.
While ESPNCricinfo reported that he has cited “personal reasons”, it is understood that the decision could be because it is clashing with national team’s limited overs series against Zimbabwe.
According to Australian website WAtoday, Warner’s manager James Erskine has said that the decision has got nothing to do with prevailing COVID-19 pandemic that has caused a global lock-down of cricketing activities.
Warner’s could be the first of multiple withdrawals from England’s new franchise league by international players, the website reported.
Warner, at a fee of $147,000, was the highest paid player for the 100-ball-a-side spectacle which was set to be held from July 17 to August 15.
“His decision to withdraw from the competition was unrelated to the COVID-19 outbreak, his manager Erskine said as he confirmed the move on Friday,” the report further stated.
Erskine on Thursday had said that Warner will be playing IPL if the COVID-19 pandemic is under control and the league gets rolling after April 15, the time till which the league has been suspended.
(With PTI inputs)
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