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The 2023 edition of The Hundred will be held across a four-week window in August next year. The tournament is set to be contested on a tight schedule, from August 1 to August 27, in order to avoid a potential clash with England's international season.
England's home season will start with a one-off Test against Ireland on June 1. This will be followed by the Ashes from June 16 to July 31, leaving the next month free of any international commitments.
After their five-match series against Australia, England's next challenge comes in the form of a T20I series against New Zealand, which starts on August 30.
The first two seasons of The Hundred, especially the second half, overlapped with England's home tours of India and South Africa, leaving several local players unavailable.
According to a report by ESPN Cricinfo, the tournament will kick-start with the defending champion Trent Rockets taking on the Southern Brave on August 1 in Nottingham. The tournament will be in a round-robin format, with the group stage ending on August 24.
Teams progressing to the next stage are set to compete on August 26, with the final scheduled for August 27. Both knockout matches (Eliminator and final) are slated to be played in the capital city of London.
It is to be noted that there will be eight double-match days in the 2023 edition of the Hundred, compared to just three in the previous edition.
ODI World Cup could be an obstacle to player availability for The Hundred
The franchises will have the option of retaining up to 10 players ahead of the draft in March, on a mutually agreed salary. Up to three overseas players can be included in the squad, with all of them allowed to be part of the playing XI.
While The Hundred takes place in a window where England are not occupied with any international fixtures, players could be tempted to skip the tournament given that the ODI World Cup takes place only a few months later.
Richard Thompson, the new chairman, told The Guardian:
"We're open but treading carefully in that space. We're not going early. It's just two years old, we can't get greedy, we have to see it play out. The worst thing would be to do something too early, then see the value go through the roof and you've lost out and someone else benefits. It's important to let it grow and develop first."
West Indies players' participation might also be in doubt since the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has an August schedule. Cricket West Indies might not be willing to tweak their schedule, especially with the ODI World Cup taking over their home season.
Who will win The Hundred 2023? Let us know what you think.
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