Ollie Pope replaces Jonny Bairstow at Welsh Fire as player window for The Hundred opens

London [UK], October 9 (ANI): Ollie Pope has replaced wicket-keeper batsman Jonny Bairstow and will represent Welsh Fire in the inaugural season of the Hundred.
The England Cricket Board (ECB) on Friday announced the names of the first 18 players that will take part in the showpiece event after its start was postponed by a year due to the coronavirus crisis.
Opening batsman Rory Burns too has changed his team and will represent Oval Invincibles.
"I'm incredibly excited to be joining Welsh Fire," ESPNcricinfo quoted Pope as saying.
"The side had a really strong squad lined up and I'm sure they'll be working hard to retain some of the star names and further strengthen the side in the upcoming draft," he added.
Manchester Originals have retained star batsman Jos Buttler while Northern Superchargers have retained all-rounder Ben Stokes.
Meanwhile, Katie George has been retained by Welsh Fire and West Indies internationals Deandra Dottin and Stafanie Taylor will remain at London Spirit and Southern Brave respectively.
"We were building a really strong side... I can't wait to see how the rest of the team falls into place and I'm really looking forward to getting going next summer," said Katie George.
"The Hundred is hugely important to the ongoing growth of the women's game, from both a performance and profile perspective. As a player I am hugely excited to get to play with and against some of the best cricketers in the world," she added.
Confirmed players for The Hundred:
Birmingham Phoenix - Amy Jones, Dom Sibley, and Chris Woakes
London Spirit - Zak Crawley and Deandra Dottin
Oval Invincibles - Rory Burns, Sam Curran, and Fran Wilson
Southern Brave - Jofra Archer and Stafanie Taylor
Trent Rockets - Joe Root and Nat Sciver
Welsh Fire - Katie George and Ollie Pope
Manchester Originals - Jos Buttler and Kate Cross
Northern Superchargers - Ben Stokes and Lauren Winfield-Hill (ANI)