The Hundred: Domestic and international stars retained for 2022 competition

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The Hundred men's and women's teams have announced which players they have retained for the 2022 competition.

England men's Test players on a central contract, including Joe Root (Trent Rockets) and Ben Stokes (Northern Superchargers), have all been retained.

Jofra Archer is set to feature for the first time for champions Southern Brave, depending on his fitness.

Ellyse Perry (Birmingham Phoenix) and Alyssa Healy (Superchargers) are set to play in the women's competition.

The Australia stars had to withdraw from last year's tournament because of Covid-19 travel restrictions.

Smriti Mandhana will head back to the Brave and Jemimah Rodrigues returns to the Superchargers following approval by the Indian cricket board (BCCI) for its players to take part in the women's competition.

In total, more than 150 players in both the men's and women's competitions have been retained.

There was no limit on the number of players the women's teams could retain from last year, while men's teams were permitted to keep up to 10 players as well as at least one England Test contracted player.

Men's players who have not be retained will go into The Hundred draft on 30 March.

The draft will be conducted in reverse order of the 2021 finishing positions, with London Spirit getting the first pick.

Women's players who have not been retained are now free to be signed by other franchises and those signings, both domestic and overseas, will also be announced on 30 March.

Both men's and women's sides will be able to sign a fourth overseas player in a wildcard draft in June, but can only field three overseas players in a starting XI when the tournament begins.

In the men's competition, Quinton de Kock, David Warner, Kane Williamson, Nicholas Pooran, Kagiso Rabada, Kieron Pollard, Adam Zampa, Mohammad Amir and Aaron Finch are among the international stars not retained.

In the women's competition, Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney and Nicola Carey - who all had to withdraw last year - have been released.

The men's and women's overseas stars may still feature in this summer's Hundred as teams should have a better idea by the time of the draft which international players will be available and for how long.

The 2022 Hundred starts with a men's fixture between champions Southern Brave and Welsh Fire at the Ageas Bowl on Wednesday, 3 August.

The women's competition begins on Thursday, 11 August, following the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, with champions Oval Invincibles hosting the Superchargers at the Kia Oval in a double header following the men's game.

The final of the 100-ball tournament, which launched last year, will take place at Lord's on 3 September.

Dawson & Banton released

Brave - who beat Phoenix in last year's men's final - have retained the maximum 10 players including England's Chris Jordan, but have released all-rounders Delray Rawlins and Liam Dawson and spinner Danny Briggs.

Welsh Fire will have eight available picks at the draft - the most of any squad - having released several players including England batter Tom Banton.

Eoin Morgan's London Spirit, who finished bottom in 2021, will have six players to sign and have four overseas spots to fill, as do Welsh Fire. Batter Joe Denly is among the players released by Spirit.

"The first year of The Hundred was a huge success - we saw quality cricket in front of incredible crowds, and it was awesome to see so many families coming to watch," said Morgan

"We are delighted to have the first pick in the draft and can't wait to see who's available to snap up."

Batter Laurie Evans, who hit a match-winning 76 not out in the Big Bash final for Perth Scorchers last month, has been released by Invincibles.

Ex-England fast bowler Steven Finn and batter Joe Clarke have not been re-signed by Manchester Originals and will be available in the draft.

Seamer Olly Stone, who missed last year through injury, has been released by Superchargers.

Trent Rockets have not retained Luke Wright and D'Arcy Short, but Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan has been included despite uncertainties on his availability because of international commitments.

Invincibles stick with stars & Beaumont misses out

Women's champions Invincibles have also kept the majority of the squad which helped them beat Brave in the final, including South Africa trio Dane van Niekerk, Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail and 17-year-old all-rounder Alice Capsey.

Phoenix will be be boosted by the inclusion of overseas stars Perry and New Zealand's Sophie Devine, while Brave have retained England trio Anya Shrubsole, Danni Wyatt and Sophia Dunkley.

England captain Heather Knight will stay on with Spirit, but her international team-mate Tammy Beaumont has been dropped from the squad.

Originals have retained England bowlers Sophie Eccleston and Kate Cross, although Test Match Special pundit Alex Hartley - who co-hosts the BBC's No Balls podcast with Cross - has been released.

"The Hundred is such a cool competition to be involved in and I'm thrilled to be taking part again," said Ecclestone.

"We were really getting into a groove in the back end of the competition last year, so we have nothing but high hopes for this summer."

Rockets only retained five players from last summer, including England's Katherine Brunt, Sarah Glenn and Nat Sciver, while Fire keep hold of West Indies' Hayley Matthews but still have seven spots to fill.

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