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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE all-rounder Sikandar Raza has been recruited by Bulawayo Braves as one of their marquee signings in preparation for the inaugural Zim Afro T10 set for next month in Harare.
Ahead of the player draft to be held this Sunday, the 37-year all-rounder was revealed as one of the pre-draft picks for Bulawayo Braves along with Tymal Mills of England and the Australian duo of Ashton Turner and Ben Mcdermott.
Raza has become a household name in franchise leagues having featured in T20 competitions in several countries such as India where he was part of the lucrative Indian Premier League, Bangladesh, UAE, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
He is also expected to feature in the inaugural season of the Major League Cricket competition next month in the USA after being signed by the Seattle Orcas.
But domestic cricket is currently seized with the Zim Afro T10 tournament, which begins soon after the conclusion of the ICC World Cup Qualifier currently underway in Harare and Bulawayo.
Five privately owned teams will battle it out in the Zim Afro T10 and these are Harare Hurricanes, Durban Qalandars, Cape Town Samp Army, Bulawayo Braves and the Joburg Lions.
The tournament will get underway on July 20, with a grand final scheduled for July 29, with all the games being played in Harare.
Billed to be one of the most riveting tournaments of the year, the Zim Afro T10, organised by Zimbabwe Cricket, in association with T Ten Global Sports, will have the player draft this Sunday at a grand ceremony in Harare.
The five franchises involved have announced their pre-draft marquee players. Ahead of the draft, the franchises can have a maximum of four top internationals as their pre-signed players.
Among the marquees signings is England’s Eoin Morgan, Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad, West Indies international Evin Lewis and Australian duo Ben McDermott and Ashton Turner
At the draft, each side will build a squad of at least 16 players, including a minimum of six Zimbabwean cricketers, one of whom will be drawn from an emerging player category from the nationwide talent hunt.
Zimbabwe Cricket’s Managing Director Givemore Makoni said, “We are in the final stages ahead of the Zim Afro T10’s inaugural edition.
“This gives me immense joy, because to see this play out in reality has been a dream for all of the Zimbabwean cricket family, and it is a watershed moment in the history of the sport in the country.
“The fans, I am sure, are keenly waiting for the opening day.”
T Ten Global Sports Founder and Chairman Nawab Shaji Ul Mulk is looking forward to a magnificent event.
“To bring the T10 to Zimbabwe has been high on the agenda for us in the recent past, and that we are on the home stretch ahead of the inaugural edition of the tournament, is a source of great satisfaction for me.
“This is a red-letter day in the history of the sport, there will be another landmark on the day of the player draft. We can’t wait to get things rolling and welcome the best of the best players to Harare,” he said.
Zimbabwe Cricket yesterday announced its collaboration with T10 Global Sports and Lahore Qalandars in a groundbreaking initiative to discover and nurture emerging cricketing talent.
As part of this exciting collaboration, Zimbabwe Cricket will be conducting its inaugural player development program (PDP) in Zimbabwe with the aim of identifying promising players who have the potential to become future stars of the game.
The trials will provide a unique platform for aspiring cricketers in Zimbabwe to showcase their skills and compete for a chance to feature in the inaugural Zim Afro T10 league.
The country’s first white ball cricket tournament with the franchise model promises to be an electrifying showcase of fast-paced cricket, offering an incredible platform for these talented individuals to gain invaluable exposure and enhance their skills.
T10 Global Sports, will be working closely with ZC and Lahore Qalandars to ensure the smooth execution of the trials and provide comprehensive support to the selected players throughout their journey.
“The Emerging Player Program is a great initiative for Zimbabwean cricket and I am excited to be partnering with T Ten Global Sports in this. It’s a fantastic platform for some of the best young cricketers in the country and I am confident that the players will make it very difficult for the coaches when they sit to finalise the players eventually,” said Makoni.
T Ten Global Sports’ Ul Mulk concurred.
“While we like to see the best international cricketers entertain the fans all over the world, I felt the young players must get their time in the sun.
“We want to see the best cricketers from the Zimbabwean system come out and leave a lasting impression on the senior pros and the fans, and the Emerging Player Program is designed specifically for that. I am confident we will unearth the crème de la crème in terms of talent from Zimbabwe.
“In the future we will expand the Talent hunt program to neighbouring countries to further develop the sport and give opportunity to more hidden talent,” he said.
Chief Operating Officer Lahore Qalandars Sameen Rana said their franchise is looking forward to the development initiative.
“We are delighted to join hands with T10 Global Sports and Zimbabwe Cricket in our quest to unearth exceptional cricketing talent.
“Lahore Qalandars has always been committed to nurturing young players and providing them with the opportunities they need to succeed.
“We believe this collaboration will pave a clear pathway for the aspiring cricketers of Zimbabwe to represent their country at the highest level as our PDP brought Shaheen Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf and Zaman Khan to make their way into the Pakistan cricket team,” said Rana.
Zim Afro T10 Pre-Draft Signings:
Harare Hurricanes: Eoin Morgan, Evin Lewis, Shahnawaz Dahani, Robin Uthappa
Cape Town Samp Army: Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Karim Janat, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Maheesh Theekshana
Durban Qalandars: Asif Ali, Sisanda Magala, George Linde, Hazratullah Zazai
Joburg Buffaloes: Yusuf Pathan, Mushfiqur Rehman, Tom Banton, Noor Ahmad
Bulawayo Braves: Sikandar Raza, Ashton Turner, Tymal Mills, Ben Mcdermott
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