Joe Root is one of several Yorkshire players disgruntled at the name expected to be given to the Hundred franchise he could represent because “Leeds” will feature in it. The England captain is a big Sheffield United fan and has reservations about the prospect of competing under the name of their big Yorkshire rivals. Root’s dissatisfaction is shared by many of the county’s supporters and Andrew Gale, the Yorkshire head coach, who supports Huddersfield Town. The ECB has yet to confirm the identities of the eight Hundred franchises, but the cities of Leeds, Birmingham, Manchester, Nottingham, Cardiff, Southampton and two London teams will feature.

ECB chiefs’ draft copy

ECB executives attended the NFL player draft in Nashville last weekend to gain an insight into how