New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has pulled out of the inaugural edition of The Hundred in order to manage his elbow injury.

Williamson was due to turn up for Birmingham Phoenix and had previously missed the ODI series against Bangladesh, the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 owing to the same injury.

According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, Williamson is likely to play the role of a mentor at Birmingham Phoenix as he is still in UK following the WTC final win against India. New Zealand batsman Finn Allen is in line to replace Williamson after his stint in the T20 Blast with Lancashire.

As per the report, Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has also withdrawn his name from the 100-balls-per-side tournament due to national commitment.

Meanwhile, South Africa speedster Lungi Ngidi is set to join Welsh Fire and could be available for five matches.

Earlier, Australia opener David Warner and all-rounder Marcus Stoinis had opted out of The Hundred. They were signed by Southern Brave.

Five Indian women cricketers namely Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Deepti Sharma will feature in the first edition of The Hundred.

The 100-ball cricket event is set to kick-off from July 21 with the opening game between the women’s team of the Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals. It will be followed by a clash between the men’s teams of the same franchises on the next day.