First 18 players for The Hundred 2021 confirmed as England centrally contracted stars are announced

Ollie Pope has swapped Southern Brave for Welsh Fire, Rory Burns joins Oval Invincibles and Dom Sibley will represent Birmingham Phoenix

• The Hundred reveals details of player retention process after postponement
• Women's contracts for 2021 retained

The initial batch of players intending to participate in the inaugural season of The Hundred in 2021 have been revealed by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The maiden season of the 100-ball competition was postponed in the summer due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But plans for the first running of the tournament have begun, starting with the re-building of squads ahead of next year.

Eighteen names have been announced to appear, with one new face in the form of Dominic Sibley who has joined Birmingham Phoenix as a local icon after being handed a central contract for 2020-21.

For the men's competition, Ollie Pope and Rory Burns have become the first players to swap teams.

Pope, handed a central contract for the first time for this cycle, has left Oval Invincibles for Welsh Fire - which could lead to the departure of Jonny Bairstow who previously filled the spot. If he is unable to negotiate a deal he will be released to the draft.

Burns, meanwhile, has moved across the capital from London Spirit to Oval Invincibles, who have retained Zak Crawley - their new centrally contracted star.

England's other centrally contracted players remain unaffected, with James Anderson and Stuart Broad opting out of the competition.

^{Dom Sibley has won a berth after being awarded a central contract}

The second stage of the process, which runs from today (October 9) until the end of January, will see teams decide which players to retain from their 15-man 2020 rosters. Players can move up and down the salary bands, which have been re-adjusted to £100,000, £80,000, £60,000, £48,000, £40,000, £32,000 and £24,000.

A draft will then take place next year to fill any remaining slots in the squad. The opportunity for a wildcard pick on the eve of the tournament, as per 2020, remains.

The first group of players confirmed for the women's showcase has also been announced.

All players selected for 2020 can roll-over their contracts on the same terms, and eight have confirmed they will remain in place.

West Indies pair Deandra Dottin and Stafanie Taylor have committed themselves for 2021, staying with London Spirit and Southern Brave. England stars Amy Jones, Kate Cross, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Fran Wilson, Nat Sciver and Katie George have all agreed to remain, too.

All players with an existing deal can hold on to their contracts should they wish and teams have until May 2021 to fill at least 13 of the 15 berths in their squad.

Sanjay Patel, managing director of The Hundred said: "This is a really exciting moment for The Hundred to see where the England Men’s Test Central Contract players will be playing next year and to announce the first wave of re-signed players for the women’s teams. 

"Over the next few months we will see world-class players and massive names from around the world committing to The Hundred and we can’t wait to launch the competition in 2021."

^{Deandra Dottin is one of two Windies players to remain for 2021}

The Hundred 2021 squads so far

Men's competition:

Birmingham Phoenix – Dom Sibley and Chris Woakes

London Spirit – Zak Crawley

Manchester Originals – Jos Buttler

Northern Superchargers – Ben Stokes

Oval Invincibles – Rory Burns, Sam Curran

Southern Brave – Jofra Archer

Trent Rockets – Joe Root

Welsh Fire – Ollie Pope 

Women's competition:

Birmingham Phoenix – Amy Jones

London Spirit – Deandra Dottin

Manchester Originals – Kate Cross

Northern Superchargers – Lauren Winfield-Hill

Oval Invincibles – Fran Wilson

Southern Brave – Stafanie Taylor

Trent Rockets – Nat Sciver

Welsh Fire – Katie George

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