Gayle not picked in The Hundred

Rashid Khan entered the history books as the first player picked in the draft for the inaugural season of The Hundred, while Andre Russell was snapped up but Chris Gayle and Lasith Malinga went unsigned.

Afghanistan spinner Rashid, the ICC’s top-ranked Twenty20 bowler, was selected in the top-tier £125,000 bracket by the Trent Rockets to join a team that also includes England Test captain Joe Root, Alex Hales and Australia big-hitter D’Arcy Short.

West Indies’ electric all-rounder Andre Russell was the second man chosen and is bound for the Southern Brave, where Australia slogger David Warner and England’s lightning paceman Jofra Archer are among his team-mates.

“I’m feeling good, I was nervous before, it’s the first time being in the draft in this competition,” Russell said.

“I’ve got a lot to offer, a 100 ball [format] is definitely see ball, hit ball. I don’t have to worry about my head [with Archer as a team-mate]. He’s a great character.

“I will try to just bowl faster than him.”

Windies legend Gayle and veteran Sri Lanka quick Malinga will not be involved in the tournament, which starts in July next year, after their reserve prices were not met.

Welsh Fire selected world-class Australian quality with the menacing Mitchell Starc and superstar batsman Steve Smith joining England international Jonny Bairstow.

Northern Superchargers coach Darren Lehmann went with Australian familiarity by selecting Aaron Finch and Chris Lynn.

Lehmann also chose Mujeeb Ur Rahman for a team that already has England’s Cricket World Cup hero Ben Stokes.

Glenn Maxwell, Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Amir and Mark Wood link up with Eoin Morgan – who skippered England to World Cup glory – at London Spirit, while classy New Zealand star Kane Williamson and Ravi Bopara are headed to the Birmingham Phoenix.

Manchester Originals landed Imran Tahir for their top-bracket selection, while Sunil Narine offers spin and top-order explosiveness for the Oval Invincibles.

T20 batting legend Gayle might have priced himself out of contention.

Gayle, who over the past decade has established himself as arguably the greatest T20 batsman in history with over 20 centuries to his credit, was surprisingly not selected by any of the franchises. He will only be able to get in if he is signed as an injury replacement.

Australian legend Shane Warne, who owns the London Spirit franchise, believes Gayle, who along with Malinga, who both entered the draft at a base price of £125,000, might have priced themselves too high.

‘I think they priced themselves wrong. ‘If they’d gone in at £100,000 and not £125,000, I think they’d have been picked up,’ Warne said in an interview with The Metro.