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Eddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
ALL-ROUNDER Sikandar Raza was among the top picks as Zimbabwean cricket players lined up for the upcoming Zim Afro T10 cricket tournament to take place in Harare later this month.
Raza was picked by Joburg Bangla Tigers during the final day player draft held at the weekend. The 38-year-old played for the Bulawayo Braves in the first edition in 2023.
But this time he will line-up with countrymen Tendai Chatara, Antum Naqvi, Tashinga Musekiwa, Johnathan Campbell, and Tinashe Muchawaya in the Tigers squad, for season two of the high-octane cricket tournament.
More than 400 players had registered for the player draft, which had a total of 12 rounds of player drafting.
On the day, across the six franchises, there were 64 players drafted in, with the Bulawayo Braves Jaguars drafting in a total of 12 players to make up their squad of 16.
A host of global stars and icons from across the world will descend on Zimbabwe for the second season of the Zim Afro T10 which is scheduled to run from September 21 to September 29 in Harare.
The spotlight at the weekend was also on the Zimbabwean players, who have been playing some fantastic cricket in recent months, which culminated in the National Premier League T20 blast won by SOGO Rangers at the weekend.
The NPL provided the platform to a host of talent and some of the players were immediately drafted in by the franchises for the shortest format of cricket.
SOGO Rangers players were among the biggest beneficiaries as Lennox Chando and Alistair Frost were taken by Cape Town Samp Army. Ryan Burl will play for NYS Lagos Wolves while Campbell was signed by the Tigers.
A group of the current national team and national team fringe players also got picked during the player drafts.
Tadiwanashe Marumani will play alongside Ben Curren, Brian Chari, Twanda Maposa, and Frost at Cape Town Samp Army.
Former national team opener Regis Chakabava, Tinotenda Maposa, Donald Tiripano, Innocent Kaia, and Emmanuel Bawa will play for Durban Wolves, where they will also be joined by retired former Zimbabwe and England batsman Gary Ballance.
Blessing Muzarabani was signed as a Global Superstar by NYS Lagos and will be joined by Ryan Burl, Clive Madande, Dion Myers, Nyasha Mayavo, and Newman Nyamhuri.
Zimbabwe pace bowlers Richard Ngarava, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Wessly Madhevere, Panashe Taruvinga, and Victor Chirwa will play for Bulawayo Braves Jaguars.
Veteran Zimbabwe all-rounder Sean Williams will be joined at Harare Bolts by Faraz Akram, Brandon Mavuta, and Luke Jongwe) and upcoming talents like Alex Falao and Arineshto Vezha.
Organisers of the event, T Ten Global Sports, are thrilled with the quality of players. Founder and Chairman of the organisation Nawab Shaji Ul Mulk said season two will be better and more entertaining than season one, which was won by Lahore Qalandars last year.
“There is a lot of excitement ahead of Season 2 of Zim Afro T10 as the most entertaining players are set to rewrite the record books in Harare.
“The squads are all very competitive, strong but with a good mix of youth as well. I hope the players have a fantastic tournament, and may the best team win!” said Mulk.
Among the big names waiting to entertain the crowds at the Harare Sports Club are the likes of Australian World Cup winner David Warner, Colin Munro, Dawid Malan, Carlos Brathwaite, Chris Lynn, and home favourite Raza.
Zim Afro T10 squads:
Cape Town Samp Army: Haider Ali (Pakistan: Global Superstar), David Willey (England: Icon), Dawid Malan (England), Gulbadin Naib (Afghanistan), Qais Ahmed (Afghanistan), Adam Rossington (England), Shahnawaz Dahani (Pakistan), Rohan Mustafa (Pakistan), Salman Irshad (Pakistan), Brian Bennett (Zimbabwe), Tadiwanashe Marumani (Zimbabwe), Ben Curran (Zimbabwe), Michael Frost (Zimbabwe), Brian Chari (Zimbabwe), Tawanda Maposa (Zimbabwe), Leonardo Julien (West Indies) and Sineth Jayawardena (Sri Lanka).
Durban Wolves: Colin Munro (New Zealand: Global Superstar), Mark Chapman (New Zealand: Icon), Will Smeed (England), Sharjeel Khan (Pakistan), Muhammad Irfan (Pakistan), Yasir Shah (Pakistan) Mohammad Rohid Khan (UAE), Muhammad Waseem (Pakistan), Regis Chakabava (Zimbabwe), Gary Balance (Zimbabwe), Tinotenda Maposa (Zimbabwe), Donald Tiripano (Zimbabwe), Innocent Kaia (Zimbabwe), Emmanuel Bawa (Zimbabwe), Mbeki Joseph (West Indies) and Raveen De Silve (Sri Lanka).
Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers: Chris Lynn (Australia: Global Superstar), Kusal Perera (Sri Lanka: Icon), Charith Asalanka (Sri Lanka), Hazratullah Zazai (Afghanistan), Adam Milne (New Zealand), Luke Wood (England), Karim Janat (Afghanistan), George Linde (South Africa), Mohammad Shahzad (Afghanistan), Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe), Tendai Chatara (Zimbabwe), Antum Naqvi (Zimbabwe), Tashinga Musekiwa (Zimbabwe), Johnathan Campbell (Zimbabwe), Tinashe Muchawaya (Zimbabwe), Kimani Melius (West Indies) and Kevin Koththigoda (Sri Lanka).
NYS Lagos: Blessing Muzarabani (Zimbabwe: Global Superstar), Thisara Perera (Sri Lanka: Icon), Asif Ali (Pakistan), Najibullah Zadran (Afghanistan), Binura Fernando (Sri Lanka), Akhilesh Bogudum (USA), Oshane Thomas (West Indies), Avishka Fernando (Sri Lanka), Matiullah Khan (UAE), Ryan Burl (Zimbabwe), Clive Madande (Zimbabwe), Dion Myers (Zimbabwe), Romario Roach (West Indies), Nyasha Mayavo (Zimbabwe), Newman Nyamhuri (Zimbabwe), Joshua Bishop (West Indies) and Kaveesh Sathsara (Sri Lanka).
The Bulawayo Braves Jaguars: David Warner (Australia: Icon), Carlos Brathwaite (West Indies), Nick Hobson (Australia), Kobe Herft (Australia), Laurie Evans (England), Sabir Ali (India), Akila Dhananjaya (Sri Lanka), Anamul Haque Bijoy (Bangladesh) Richard Ngarava (Zimbabwe), Brad Evans (Zimbabwe), Wellington Masakadza (Zimbabwe), Wessly Madhevere (Zimbabwe), Panashe Taruvinga (Zimbabwe), Victor Chirwa (Zimbabwe), Kirk McKenzie (West Indies) and Vishas Thewmika (Sri Lanka).
The Harare Bolts: Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka: Global Superstar), James Neesham (New Zealand: Icon), George Munsey (Scotland), Rishad Hossain (Bangladesh), Shehan Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka), Kennar Lewis (West Indies), Richard Gleeson (England), Junaid Siddique (Canada), Lahiru Milantha (Sri Lanka), Sean Williams (Zimbabwe), Faraz Akram (Zimbabwe), Brandon Mavuta (Zimbabwe), Luke Jongwe (Zimbabwe), Alex Falao (Zimbabwe), Arineshto Vezha (Zimbabwe), Michael Palmer (West Indies) and Janishka Perera (Sri Lanka).
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