Hussain urges Rockets to take Afghan spin twins

Nasser Hussain says the Trent Rockets should pick a mystery spinner, not a big-hitting batsman, first in the inaugural The Hundred draft. The former England captain reckons franchise head coaches should ignore the temptation to sign up big hitters and pick spin early in the process, which gets under way on Sunday night. Hussain named Afghanistan duo Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman as his top two selections when he assumed the role of Manchester Originals head coach Simon Katich for the purposes of a mock draft on Sky Sports News on Friday afternoon. Fellow pundit Rob Key, drafting for Trent Rockets – who will select first on Sunday – took West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell with his first pick. “He is one of the most sought-after players, an all-rounder who smacks it out of the park,” said Key. But Hussain shot back with his response and took a different approach to team-building for the month-long T20 tournament which will get up and running next summer. He replied: “Key is obsessed with hitting sixes and fours but white-ball cricket, short-form cricket, is all about mystery spin. So, Rashid Khan. You win with spin, so I would then go for more mystery with Mujeeb.”