The Hundred: Jonny Bairstow set to captain Welsh Fire

England batsman Jonny Bairstow is set to captain the Welsh Fire men's team at the start of The Hundred franchise competition.

His availability will depend on whether he is involved in the Test series against India in August.

West Indies one-day captain Kieron Pollard, who was due to arrive late because of international commitments, is now a doubt through injury.

Injured England batsman Ollie Pope is missing and cannot be replaced.

"A lot depends on who is going to play for England and who isn't. Currently Jonny Bairstow is our captain but that will depend because he might not necessarily be there all the time," said coach Gary Kirsten, a former international coach with both his native South Africa and India.

"We're very fortunate we've tried to recruit experienced players, so we've got guys who have captained at various levels. We'll mix and match."

New Zealanders Glenn Phillips and Jimmy Neesham and Afghan spinner Qais Ahmad will start the competition as Welsh Fire's male overseas players, though Neesham is likely to be replaced by another signing during the tournament.

While Ahmad has been in all the versions of the Welsh Fire squad, the two Kiwis have been drafted in after the withdrawal of Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, and Jhye Richardson, together with the doubts over Pollard.

Phillips is playing for Gloucestershire and Neesham for Essex in the T20 Blast.

Jonny Bairstow was part of England's 2019 World Cup winning team

"I'm very encouraged by the squad. It doesn't make it easy when you lose a lot of players along the way, but the thing I'm encouraged by is the majority of the players have had a lot of success over the Blast which has been fantastic," Kirsten told BBC Sport Wales.

"Our international contingent has chopped and changed a little bit but Glenn Phillips has had a wonderful run of form. James Neesham has done very well internationally so we're fairly confident about the make-up and balance of the squad."

Kirsten, after completing his hotel quarantine in Montenegro en route from South Africa, will be assisted by Glamorgan's Matthew Maynard and Somerset's Jason Kerr.

After team-building exercises climbing Pen y Fan mountain in the Brecon Beacons and touring the Principality Stadium - which is a mile away from Sophia Gardens - Welsh Fire start their campaign away to Northern Superchargers in Leeds on Saturday, 24 July before hosting Southern Brave the following Tuesday.

Each side will play four home and four away matches in the group stage.