Pooran joins Superchargers as No1 pick in Hundred draft

West Indies star Nicholas Pooran will debut in The Hundred later this year after joining Northern Superchargers in the 2024 draft.

The franchise coached by England legend Andrew Flintoff had first pick after finishing bottom of the pile last time out and opted to strengthen their batting with one of the world's best power hitters.

Pooran, 29, is a limited-overs specialist, possessing a wealth of experience from domestic tournaments across the world — including the Indian Premier League where he will represent Lucknow Super Giants in this year's edition.

The West Indies batsman, who averages 26.24 in T20 internationals, will be one of the headline acts in an exciting Superchargers squad looking to improve on their previous dismal showing.

Pooran joins famous England trio Ben Stokes, Harry Brook and Adil Rashid in Manchester, as well as Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse — and on paper it looks a side capable of going far in the competition.

The best picks

Pooran's team-mate and West Indies' one-day captain Rovman Powell will also debut in this year's Hundred after being snapped up by Trent Rockets, where he will play alongside Joe Root and Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan.

The London Spirit also bolstered their ranks with two more West Indian stars in the form of Andre Russell and Shimron Hetmyer.

And another legend of Caribbean cricket returns to The Hundred in Kieron Pollard, the 36-year-old joining Southern Brave.

Elsewhere, Birmingham Phoenix's bowling attack will be something to fear following their signing of Pakistan pacer Naseem Shah, as will Welsh Fire's after they picked up his international colleague Shaheen Shah Afridi.

As for England players, Dawid Malan was selected by defending champions the Oval Invincibles, while Test No3 Ollie Pope earned a place in London Spirit's squad.

There were also some big names and in-form players who were not snapped up in the draft, including Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Tim David and David Warner.