Zim Afro T10 scheduled for September

THE Zim Cyber City, Zim Afro T10 league will return for the second edition this year with the 10-over tournament pencilled for September.

A total of five privately owned franchise teams will once again battle it out for the top honours in the second edition of cricket’s most exhilarating format, which is pencilled for September 21 to 29 at Harare Sports Club.

The league is a partnership between Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) and T Ten Global Sports.

The five teams that compete in the league are Bulawayo Braves, Harare Hurricanes, Durban Qalandars, Joburg Buffaloes and the Cape Town Samp Army.

Player auction dates are yet to be announced.

History was made at the inaugural event last year when the T10 league became the first international franchise league in the country. It was also the first time that cricket was played under floodlights at Harare Sports Club.

Durban Qalandars won the inaugural tournament after defeating Joburg Buffaloes by eight wickets in the final. Last year’s event was the first-ever T10 league to be hosted by a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) with Sri Lanka following suit later on at the end of the year.

The second edition of the Zim Afro T10 League promises to be yet another thrilling extravaganza, injecting a wave of excitement into Zimbabwe cricket.

Apart from the history that comes with hosting such a league, it will also play a huge part in the growth and development of the game in Zimbabwe. The exposure to world-class stars will do local cricketers good.

Local stars such as Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams, Chris Mpofu, Craig Ervine, Blessing Muzarabani, Ryan Burl, Richard Ngarava, Bradley Evans, Tendai Chatara, Nick Welch and budding talents such as Tinotenda Maposa took part in the inaugural edition last year and will likely return to the fold again for the second edition.

Some of the international players that played last year in the league are England’s World Cup winning captain, Eoin Morgan, Mohamed Hafeez, Maheesh Theekshana, Mohamed Nabi, Taskin Ahmed, Junior Dala, Odean Smith, Yusuf Pathan, Sheldon Cottrell, Asif Ali, Mohammed Amir and Tim Siefert, among others.

With a strong line-up of teams and a perfect blend of local and international talent, cricket fans can look forward to 10 days of unforgettable cricketing moments. So, mark your calendars, Zimbabwe cricket fans and get ready to witness history in the making. — @brandon_malvin