Chronicle Editor
Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Cricket (ZC) has announced the dates for the inaugural Zim Afro T10 cricket tournament which will be played in Harare.
The global 10-over cricket event is scheduled to take place on 20-29 July 2023. The league will feature six privately owned teams and the dates for the player auction and the fixtures will be announced in the near future.
The tournament is a partnership between ZC and T Ten Global Sports and comes after six successful seasons of T10 cricket in Abu Dhabi organised by the partners.
The tournament, the first of its kind in Zimbabwe, 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.
ZC Managing Director, Givemore Makoni said the tournament will be exhilarating for cricket enthusiasts in the country and the world at large and is proud to be a part of such a history making event.
“The introduction of franchise-based cricket in the form of the Zim Afro T10 is a watershed moment in the history of the game in Zimbabwe and I am very proud to be associated with it, as it promises to entertain and captivate the fans in the country and elsewhere across the globe.
“In Zimbabwe, we have always loved our cricket dearly and I am sure T Ten Global Sports’ initiative with the T10 format will be received with plenty of fun and frolic from 20 July,” said Makoni.
T10 Sports Management Chief Operating Officer Rajeev Khanna said given the history between Zimbabwe and the sport, there is no doubt that the tournament will be enjoyed by everyone in the country.
“The 20th of July will be a landmark day for T10 Sports and Zim Afro T10 as well as we begin our journey in Zimbabwe. It is a country that has a special place in cricketing history and there is no doubt in my mind that the cricket family in this country will enjoy the tournament,” said Khanna.
Zimbabwe has 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 the tourism sector of the country.
The Ten Global Sports Founder and Chairman Nawab Shaji Ul Mulk said they are looking forward to their new partnership with ZC and hope that it continues for long.
“Spreading our wings and associating with a country like Zimbabwe is an important chapter in our story, and we can’t wait to begin the 10-day festival of cricket in Harare.
“We are delighted to be working with Zimbabwe Cricket and this is a partnership we hope will bat for more than 10 overs,” said UI Mulk.
Zimbabwe will however, be no strangers to T10 cricket having hosted a 10-over league last year in Harare for different clubs from around the country. The new league is set to attract big names from the world of cricket. – Follow on Twitter @brandon_malvin
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