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Eddie Chikamhi and Tinashe Kusema
EOIN MORGAN headlined some of the big names that flew into the country for the inaugural edition of the Zim Afro T10 Cricket Competition.
The retired English wicketkeeper/batter flew in the country late last night together with West Indies’ Andre Fletcher and the Bangladesh duo of Taskin Ahmed and Mushfiqur Rahim.
“It’s actually my first time ever in Zimbabwe, and I am very excited to be here for this historic event in which the T10 league will be launched here,” said Morgan.
“I have been involved with this league and format from day one back in 2017, and it’s magnificent to see the Zim Afro T10 launched here.
“It is coming off the back of the World Cup Qualifiers, where Zimbabwe played really well and I am looking forward to the next ten days of festival style cricket,” said the former England captain.
His sentiments were echoed by Fletcher, who is also making his maiden voyage to Zimbabwe.
“I am here for Zim Afro; it promises to be exciting,” said Fletcher.
“Everyone knows me as the ‘Spiceman’, and I am here to spice things up.”
From the late arrivals, Taskin and Morgan are expected to head straight into the action when they take part in the opening match between Sikandar Raza’s Bulawayo Braves and Harare Hurricanes at Harare Sports Club.
The match, which kicks off at 7pm, will be the first ever to be played under the newly installed floodlights at the venue.
Zimbabwean all-rounder Raza was named captain of the Bulawayo Braves side coached by Scottish ex-cricketer and former head coach of the United Arab Emirates national team, Dougie Brown.
The fans should expect more in terms of entertainment. T10 is a thrilling and fast-paced format of cricket where matches are completed in just 10 overs per side.
It entails a magnificent festival that brings together cultures from across the globe.
“This game doesn’t afford any time at all and as a cricketer, if you want to be one of the best players in the world T10, which is the shortest format, I believe is the best way to learn your skills because there is no hiding place.
“It doesn’t matter if you are the best player in the world or not, there is no hiding place and for me that is exciting because cricket is a game of skill. If you have players who are able to repeat skills under pressure, you are going to have good players.
“As a tournament this will be the perfect opportunity for people to go and see some of the best players in the world as they commit their skills, which I think is very exciting to want to watch,” said Brown.
While most of the Zimbabwean cricket fans are yet to settle for a team to support, they should look forward to some top performances from stars such as Ahmed, Thisara Perera, Zimbabwe’s hard-hitting Ryan Burl and Mujeeb Ur Rehaman.
They also have Zimbabwean players like Timycen Maruma, Joylord Gumbie, Innocent Kaia and Faraz Akram.
Harare Hurricanes are captained by former England World Cup winning captain Eoin Morgan.
The 36-year-old retired from international cricket earlier this year.
He was captain during England’s transformation from also-rans in 2015 to 50-over world champions four years later at Lord’s.
The team also has Afghanistan’s Mohamed Nabi, West Indies batter Evin Lewis, India’s World Cup winner Robin Uthappa, Pakistan’s Shahzawaz Dahani and another Indian World Cup winner Irfan Pathan.
Australia-based former Zimbabwe batsman Regis Chakabva is back in the country to represent Hurricanes in the tournament. Zimbabwe all-rounder Luke Jongwe, Brandon Mavuta and Tashinga Musekiwa are expected to line-up for the Hurricanes tonight.
The game will be preceded by the opening ceremony that is expected to be as colourful as they come, with a choice of local artists like Jah Prayzah and Feli Nandi billed to perform.
There is also going to be an Indian flavour, with artists like Kriti Verma, Hritu Zee, Ishah Shah and Sneha Gupta part of the line-up for live performances.
German film actress and model Elnaaz Norouzi is also expected to feature in the opening ceremony.
The five privately owned teams involved in the tournament are Harare Hurricanes, Durban Qalandars, Cape Town Samp Army, Bulawayo Braves and the Johannesburg Buffaloes.
The Zim Cyber City Zim Afro T10 is franchise cricket’s first foray into Zimbabwe and it is expected to be an absolute carnival of cricket.
Zimbabwe Cricket Supporters Union has sourced 1 000 tickets per match for the Supporters Union.
Matches start at 3pm, 5pm and 8pm. Tickets available at the gate Harare Sports Club for $2, $5 9for the stands) and $10.
Fixtures:
Today: Harare Hurricanes v Bulawayo Braves (7pm),
Tomorrow: Cape Town Samp Army v Lahore Qalandars (3pm), Joburg Buffaloes v Bulawayo Braves (5pm), Harare Hurricanes v Cape Town Samp Army (7pm)
Saturday: Lahore Qalandars v Joburg Buffaloes (3pm), Cape Town Samp Army v Bulawayo Braves (5pm), Joburg Buffaloes v Harare Hurricanes (7pm)
Zim Afro T10 Squads
Harare Hurricanes
Eoin Morgan, Mohamed Nabi, Evin Lewis, Robin Uthappa, Donovan Ferraira, Shahzawaz Dahani, Duan Jansen, Samit Patel, Kevin Kothegoda, Christopher Mpofu, Regis Chakabva, Luke Jongwe, Brandon Mavuta, Tashinga Musekiwa, Irfan Pathan, Khalid Shah, and S Sreesanth.
Bulawayo Braves
Sikander Raza, Taskin Ahmed, Ashton Turner, Tymal Mills, Thisara Perera, Ben McDermott, Beau Webster, Patrick Dooley, Kobe Herft, Ryan Burl, Timycen Maruma, Joylord Gumbie, Innocent Kaia, Faraz Akram and Mujeeb Ur Rehaman.
Online Reporter