LAHORE:
The Zimbabwe Cricket Board has reached out to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to secure No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for Pakistani players selected to participate in the upcoming Zim Afro Cricket League, according to sources.
Sources confirmed that the PCB has given a positive indication, providing a green signal to ZC regarding the issuance of NOCs for Pakistani cricketers. However, the final decision is still under consideration by the PCB, and they have assured that the matter will be reviewed thoroughly.
Notably, players currently participating in the Champions One Day Cup will not be granted NOCs for the Zim Afro League. Sources suggest that only those players not involved in the domestic tournament stand a chance to receive the required clearance.
A total of seven Pakistani cricketers, including Shahnawaz Dahani, Asif Ali, Sharjeel Khan, Haider Ali, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Irfan, and Salman Irshad, have been selected to feature in the Zim Afro League.
However, among these, Haider Ali, Mohammad Asif, and Shahnawaz Dahani will actively play in the Champions One Day Cup. As a result, they will not be eligible to receive NOCs for the Zimbabwe-based tournament.
The fixtures for the second edition of the Zim Afro T10 tournament have been announced, with six teams set to compete for the top prize. The tournament will take place from 21 September to 29 September at Harare Sports Club, and preparations are already in full swing.
Each day of the tournament will feature three matches, beginning at 3pm local time (6.00pm PST). The second game of the day will be played at 5.15pm local time (8.45pm IST), and the third match is scheduled for 7.30pm local time (10:30pm PST).
The tournament will kick off with a grand opening ceremony on 21 September at 1pm local time, followed by the opening game between Durban Wolves and Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers. The second match of the day will see Cape Town Samp Army take on Harare Bolts, while the final game of the day will feature Bulawayo Brave Jaguars against NYS Lagos.
The group stage will consist of 21 matches in total, with each team playing several games across the nine days. The top two teams will face off in Qualifier 1, with the winner going directly to the final. The third and fourth-placed teams will play an Eliminator, and the winner will advance to Qualifier 2 to meet the loser of Qualifier 1. The winner of Qualifier 2 will then play in the final on 29 September.
Nawab Shaji Ul Mulk, founder and chairman of T Ten Global Sports, expressed excitement about the tournament, saying, “Season two of the Zim Afro T10 is definitely going to be bigger and better.