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 signal, giving a green signal to ZC regarding the issuance of No Objection Certificates to 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 One-Day Champions Cup will not receive a NOC for the Zim Afro League. Sources indicate that only players not participating in the local tournament have a chance to obtain the required permit.
A total of seven Pakistani cricketers, including Shahnawaz Dhani, Asif Ali, Sharjeel Khan, Haider Ali, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Irfan and Salman Ershad, have been selected to participate in the ZIM Afro League.
However, among them, Haider Ali, Mohammad Asif and Shahnawaz Dhani will be actively playing in the Champions One-Day Trophy. As a result, they will not be eligible for the NOC for the tournament to be held in Zimbabwe.
The dates for the second edition of the Zim Afro T10 Championship have been announced, with six teams set to compete for the top prize. The tournament will be held from September 21 to 29 at the Harare Sports Club, and preparations are already in full swing.
Each day of the tournament will feature three matches, starting at 3pm local time (6.00pm PT). The second match of the day will be played at 5.15pm local time (8.45pm EST), with the third match scheduled for 7.30pm local time (10.30pm PT).
The tournament will begin with a grand opening ceremony on September 21 at 1pm local time, followed by the opening match between Durban Wolves and Joburg Bangla Tigers. The second match of the day will see Cape Town SAMP Army take on Harare Bullets, while the final match of the day will feature Bulawayo Brave Jaguars taking on NYS Lagos.
The group stage will consist of 21 matches in total, with each team playing several matches over the nine days. The top two teams will face off in the first qualifiers, and the winner will qualify directly to the final. The third and fourth-placed teams will play an elimination match, with the winner advancing to Qualifier 2 to meet the loser of Qualifier 1. The winner of Qualifier 2 will then play in the final on September 29.
Nawab Shaji-ul-Mulk, Founder and Chairman of T Ten Global Sports, expressed his excitement at the tournament, saying: “Season 2 of Zim Afro T10 will definitely be bigger and better.