Bellingham buys minority stakes in The Hundred franchise Birmingham Phoenix

April 22 : England international Jude Bellingham has acquired a minority stake in The Hundred franchise Birmingham Phoenix, co-owners Warwickshire County Cricket Club said on Wednesday.

The Real Madrid midfielder will take a 1.2 per cent holding and will focus mainly on community engagement and social projects. Warwickshire will remain the majority stakeholder with 50.4 per cent shares, and Knighthead Capital Management will hold 48.4 per cent.

"I feel like I owe the city something," the 22-year-old said in a statement.

"I was fortunate growing up I had the option of playing cricket and playing football, but some kids don’t have that opportunity. It’s important that if I can get involved in something like this to shine a light on an opportunity for kids, then even better."

The sixth season of the tournament, which uses a 100-ball format, runs from July 21 to August 16.