The Hundred 2025 - Zak Crawley among players released as London Spirit, Welsh Fire opt for revamps

The Hundred 2025 – Zak Crawley among players released as London Spirit, Welsh Fire opt for revamps

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Zak Crawley has lost his London Spirit Hundred contract amid a squad overhaul led by new coach Justin Langer. After a challenging winter, including an injury that sidelined him for the 2024 tournament, Crawley struggled for form, scoring just 113 runs in ten innings following a comeback. He was recently dropped from his SA20 franchise after poor performance. With his central-contract position now in jeopardy, he faces the draft next month where Langer aims to replace him with Jamie Smith. Other teams have also made considerable changes as they prepare for the upcoming season of the Hundred.

Zak Crawley has faced another setback during a difficult winter, losing his Hundred contract with London Spirit following a squad overhaul by their new men’s coach, Justin Langer.

Crawley missed the 2024 Hundred due to a fractured finger sustained during England’s Test series against West Indies, and he has struggled with form since returning in Pakistan. He scored 78 in his first Test back in Multan but managed only 113 runs across his next 10 innings, being dismissed by Matt Henry in all six innings during the New Zealand tour.

Recently, he traveled to South Africa aiming to regain his form but was released by his SA20 franchise Sunrisers Eastern Cape after accumulating 88 runs in eight innings. He has now forfeited his designated central-contract player position at London Spirit, worth £200,000 in 2025, and is expected to enter next month’s draft, with Langer looking to replace him with Jamie Smith.
The ECB is set to conduct a mini ‘central contract draft’ later this week after London Spirit and Welsh Fire decided to revamp their squads. Both teams are reportedly eyeing Smith and Chris Woakes for their respective positions. Crawley, along with Mark Wood and Rehan Ahmed, will also be available during this phase, although the Fire has retained several top-order batsmen, including Jonny Bairstow, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, and new acquisition Steven Smith.
Spirit have also let go of Dan Lawrence, who is being succeeded as captain by Kane Williamson after leading the team to three wins over the past two seasons, while retaining Crawley’s England teammate, Ollie Pope. Langer will have the first draft pick on March 12, with Jamie Overton, Reece Topley, and David Willey among the prominent domestic players available.

The ECB confirmed the player retention for 2025 on Tuesday morning, allowing each men’s and women’s team to re-sign up to 10 squad members from last summer. Most teams have utilized the new direct signing model to acquire a new overseas player ahead of the draft, though four women’s teams have opted to stick with the same overseas trio.

Spirit have navigated the system in the women’s Hundred, bringing back 11 members of their title-winning squad from the previous year. Heather Knight, their captain, has not yet officially re-signed but is expected to fill a vacant £65,000 position in the draft, with Spirit having the option to retain her through the right-to-match (RTM) mechanism if another team attempts to acquire her first.
Their most significant decision was to prioritize the retention of Australia’s Grace Harris, who was sidelined last year due to injury, over her compatriot Meg Lanning. Lanning has opted for a direct signing with the Oval Invincibles, joining her Delhi Capitals coach Jonathan Batty; Invincibles won in 2021 and 2022.

In the men’s Hundred, Overton’s abrupt choice to leave Manchester Originals surprised many. He was anticipated to remain at Old Trafford on a £200,000 contract, but changing circumstances led Originals to offer him £120,000 to open a top-tier spot for an overseas player. Consequently, he opted to depart, with Spirit and Trent Rockets likely candidates for his services.

The three teams that advanced to the knockout phase last year—Invincibles, Southern Brave, and Birmingham Phoenix—have each retained the maximum of 10 players, including direct signings of Rashid Khan, Faf du Plessis, and Trent Boult. Fire has experienced the largest turnover, retaining only six players, all of whom are primarily batsmen.

Trent Rockets, the champions of 2022, have also undergone significant changes, with captain Lewis Gregory, Luke Wood, Alex Hales, and Rashid all departing. Topley is leaving Northern Superchargers, Rehan and George Garton are on the move from Brave, and Invincibles have released Dawid Malan.

As reported by ESPNcricinfo last week, many teams have leveraged their new investors for recruitment purposes. After concerns over Nicholas Pooran’s availability arose, Originals secured Heinrich Klaasen, who plays for their new co-owners’ SA20 franchise, Durban’s Super Giants. Rashid, du Plessis, and Smith are also joining teams that are connected to franchises they play for in other regions.

In the women’s Hundred, Sophia Dunkley is likely to remain with Fire via an RTM, while notable domestic players available include Issy Wong, Emma Lamb, and Paige Scholfield. Phoenix, who have signed Megan Schutt from Invincibles as a direct signing, are set to pick first and are rumored to be considering Georgia Voll as a possible selection.

The Hundred is scheduled to run from August 5-31 this year, and the ECB regards 2025 as a transitional season. The eight teams in the competition were valued collectively at £975 million following a privatization process, and teams will transition into franchises—operating as joint ventures with host counties—before the 2026 edition.

England’s Test players should be available for most of the season after their series against India, although ESPNcricinfo revealed on Monday that Ben Stokes has chosen to skip the Hundred, focusing instead on the Ashes in Australia.

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