The Hundred Men's 2024: Shaheen Afridi to be paid £5,000 Welsh Fire despite withdrawing from league

Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi will receive £5,000 from The Hundred cricket competition despite withdrawing from his contract with Welsh Fire recently. This development has sparked discussions about player commitments and financial implications in modern cricket leagues.

The Hundred, England's innovative cricket tournament, is set to run from July 23 to August 18, 2024. Afridi, one of the world's premier fast bowlers, was initially re-signed by Welsh Fire in the £100,000 category following his six-game stint with the team in 2023. However, he recently pulled out of the competition, opting instead to play in the Global T20 Canada, which runs from July 25 to August 11.

Despite his withdrawal, Afridi will still receive £5,000 from the Hundred, thanks to a clause in the competition's contracts. This sum represents 5% of his original contract value, allocated for image rights. Remarkably, players are entitled to keep this portion even if they don't participate in the tournament.

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According to The Telegraph, the payment comes at a time when English cricket faces financial challenges across various fronts, including grassroots development, domestic facilities, women's cricket, and national team salaries. The pacer's ability to withdraw without sanctions and potentially return for the 2025 season raises questions about the balance between player freedom and league stability.

With the amount of cricket being played in today's time, overlapping dates of The Hundred and Global T20 Canada shows the hardships of the sport. Welsh Fire have secured New Zealand's Matt Henry as Afridi's replacement, but at a slightly reduced fee of £95,000, as replacement players don't receive the initial image rights' payment.

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Welsh Fire 2024 squad: Jonny Bairstow, David Willey, Joe Clarke, Haris Rauf, Tom Abell, Glenn Phillips, David Payne, Luke Wells, Roelof Van der Merwe, Stephen Eskinazi, Chris Cooke, Matt Henry, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Jake Ball