Sikandar Raza to play for Bulawayo in T10

ZIMBABWE Cricket (ZC) has announced the pre-draft player picks for the inaugural Zim Afro T10 Cup which is scheduled for next month.

A total of five teams are expected to grace the event that promises to be one of the most riveting tournaments of the year. The five franchises involved in the new league have announced their pre-draft marquee players.

The five teams that will battle it out for top honours are Harare Hurricanes, Joburg Buffaloes, Durban Qalandars, Bulawayo Braves and Cape Town Samp Army.

The new league is a partnership between ZC and T Ten Global Sports.

The tournament is starting on 20 July and the finals are on 29 July. All the games will be played in Harare. Each squad needs to have a minimum of 16 players including at least six Zimbabwean players out of which one local player will be selected from the emerging player category during a nationwide talent hunt.

The final player draft is set for 2 July and ahead of the draft, the franchises can have a maximum of four top internationals as their pre-signed players.

Bulawayo Braves’ four international picks are Chevrons stalwart and all rounder Sikandar Raza, Ashton Turner, Tymal Mills and Ben McDermott.

“We are in the final stages ahead of the Zim Afro T10’s inaugural edition. This gives me immense joy because seeing this play out in reality has been a dream for the Zimbabwean cricket family. It is infact a great moment in the history of the sport in the country. The fans, I am sure, are keenly waiting for the opening day,” said ZC Managing Director, Givemore Makoni.

T Ten Global Sports Founder Nawab Shaji Ul Mulk said bringing the tournament to Zimbabwe has been on their to-do list and the announcement of the pre-player draft picks is a great day in the history of the sport and are looking forward to the start of the tournament.

“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,” said UI Mulk.

The tournament hopes to capture the imagination of fans in the country and beyond by bringing some of the best cricketers from across the world to the picturesque city of Harare.

Zimbabwe will become the second International Cricket Council (ICC) full member to launch a 10-over cricket league after Sri Lanka. The league was officially launched in April in Harare and was still awaiting commencement dates.

It is anticipated that it will be a multi million dollar industry while attracting cricket fans from nearby countries. The tournament is also expected to boost Zimbabwe’s tourism industry.

Zimbabwe is no stranger to T10 cricket having hosted a 10-over league last year in Harare for different clubs from around the country.

Apart from the big names already in the pre-player draft pick, the new league is set to attract more big names from the world of cricket.

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 Ahmed

Bulawayo Braves:

Sikandar Raza, Ashton Turner, Tymal Mills, Ben McDermott.