Australian opening batsman David Warner has pulled out the inaugral edition of The Hundred, citing "family and personal reasons" behind his withdrawal.
The Hundred is slated to take place from July 17 to August 15 this year. However, the tournament is all set to clash with Australia's three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) against Zimbabwe which Cricket Australia have postponed from June to early August in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandamic that has shaken the world.
The three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe is a part of ODI League, which will serve as a qualification pathway to the 2023 World Cup to be held in India.
Reflecting on Warner's withdrawal from The Hundred, the opener's manager James Erskine clarified that the Australian's decision to pull out from the tournament has nothing to do with the COVID-19.
Warner was slated to feature for the Southampton-based Southern Brave side, who had bought him for maximum fee of £125,000 during the draft in October 2019.
Australia's Marcus Stoinis is likely to replace Warner in the squad, ESPNcricinfo reported.
Meanwhile, Warner's fellow Australian teammates Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell, Steven Smith and Mitchell Starc will participate in the inaugral edition of The Hundred. Former Australian cricketer Andrew McDonald, on the other hand, has been appointed as the the coach of Birmingham Phoenix.
