dyton mupawaenda
Tinashe Kusema
Deputy Sports Editor
EION MORGAN, Robin Uthappa, Yusuf Pathan and Zimbabwe’s very own Sikandar Raza are some of the big names expected to headline the inaugural edition of the Zim Cyber City Zim Afro T10 Cricket tournament that bursts into life later this month.
With the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers expected to wrap up on July 9, with a final between the top two teams of the Super Six stage at Harare Sports Club, this new and innovative short version of the game should ensure a month-long period of non-stop cricket action.
The tournament, slated for July 20-29 in the capital, will see five teams — Harare Hurricanes, Cape Town Samp Army, Durban Qalanders, Jo’burg Buffaloes and Bulawayo Braves — slug it out for top honours, with the winner etching their name in the history books as the inaugural champions.
Proceedings start today with a player auction in the capital, the results of which will see more high-profile names added to those that were picked from the pre-draft.
The Sunday Mail Sports recently caught up with the man behind this fastest-growing format and tournament, Nawab Shaji Ul Mulk, who opened up on the motivation behind this tournament and various benefits it will bring to both the local game and the country as a whole.
For Mulk, a billionaire based in Dubai, cricket runs deep in his veins.
“I have always been an avid enthusiast of cricket, so for me, T10 cricket represents the growth, development and evolution of something that is very dear and personally meaningful to me,” said the founder of T10 Sports.
“Now, I get to share with cricket fans across the globe.”
However, passion without innovation breeds nothing, and Mulk is what some may consider an out-of-the-box thinker.
One needs only to look at Zim Cyber City for an illustration of the man behind this tournament and format’s ever-rising success.
Zim Cyber City is a state-of-the-art, mixed-use development project that is currently under construction in Mount Hampden.
The project is being developed by United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based diversified industrial conglomerate Mulk International and is the first real estate investment in Zimbabwe through the Zimbabwe Global Investments Special Economic Zone programme.
The Cyber City will bring together luxury villas, tax-free purchases, and duty-free imports, creating a vibrant retail and commercial district.
“In everything, innovation and growth are key,” he said.
“Cricket is a much-beloved global sporting phenomenon, and I am someone who is driven by an immense passion to create something new and out of the ordinary.
“This is why I asked myself how we could grow cricket to newer markets to reach more people who would not have followed the traditional formats.
“I especially wanted to provide opportunities that were previously unavailable for others,” he said.
Through his other project, T Ten Sports Management, the shortest version of the game has now come to Zimbabwe.
This is after it was launched in the UAE in 2017 with the Abu Dhabi T10 League.
“T10 cricket is the fastest paced, most exciting short format of cricket,” went on the T Ten Sports Management founder.
“With its innings restricted to 10 overs per team, each match lasts only about 90 minutes, and is guaranteed to have fans on the edge of their seats the entire time.
“Through this tournament, we will build on the massive success of the Abu Dhabi T10 league with over 300 million viewers and bring high-octane T10 cricket action to the African continent for the first time.
“We have five teams named after African cities, which will bring together local and international players, and these are Harare Hurricanes, Joburg Buffalos, Durban Qalandars, Bulawayo Braves and Cape Town Samp Army.
“The players’ draft is slated to take place on July 2 (today) at a grand ceremony in Harare,” he said.
Apart from the fast-paced and action-packed cricket, the benefits are expected to trickle down from an economic point of view right down to the game itself.
“T10 has provided the opportunity for cricket as a whole to grow.
“The format is exciting, fast-paced and the first league, the Abu Dhabi T10, took the world by storm.
“The short format is more appealing even to non-cricket fans, which is why it is garnering greater viewership, which, by extension, means bigger sponsorship deals, greater demand for more players and games, and, ultimately, greater economic impact.
“The financial benefits to the country include income streams from sponsorship deals, licensing deals, merchandising, ticket sales and other direct revenue streams.
“As an international tournament, Zim Afro T10 will also bring in sports tourists, and showcase the country,” he said.
Mulk also pointed out how the tournament would benefit locals, especially through the Emerging Player Development Programme.
“With Zim Afro T10, the aim is to build a lasting sporting legacy in Zimbabwe and nurture the immense cricket talent in the country.
“The league will help local cricket structures, systems and players to rise to international sports management standards.
“Zimbabwe’s top cricketers will be playing with some of the world’s best players, and this will give them unique experiences with different cricketing styles.
“We are also investing in discovering and nurturing new cricketing talent through our ‘Emerging Player Development Programme’, in conjunction with the Lahore Qalandars.
“The Qalandars will be bringing their talent scouting and development experience from the Pakistani Super League to help identify cricketing talent from across Zimbabwe and develop the best-emerging players.”
Online Reporter