Mushfiq named marquee player in Zim Afro T10 League

Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim was named as one of the 20 marquee players in the upcoming inaugural edition of the Zim Afro T10 League.

Right-hander Mushfiq was roped in by Joburg Buffaloes and will have teammates in Yusuf Pathan (India), Noor Ahmad (Afghanistan) and Tom Banton (England). 

The five teams picked a maximum of four marquee players in the pre-draft, ahead of the official players' draft Sunday.

Of the 20, only one – Sikandar Raza of the Bulawayo Braves – is a Zimbabwean.

As per the tournament regulations, each team are to form squads with a minimum of 16 members and comprising at least six Zimbabweans.

The tournament is scheduled to run from July 20-29 in Harare. 

The tournament in Zimbabwe is being organized by Zimbabwe Cricket in association with T Ten Global Sports.

The 10-over format of cricket has gained popularity primarily with the arrival of Abu Dhabi T10 League in 2017 sanctioned by the International Cricket Council.

It has been the most high-profile tournament of the format, but over the years, several other leagues have been launched around the world, including the Qatar T10 League and the 30-team European Cricket League.

Marquee signings

Harare Hurricanes: Eoin Morgan (England), Evin Lewis (West Indies), Shahnawaz Dahani (Pakistan), Robin Uthappa (India)

Cape Town Samp Army: Bhanuka Rajapaksa (Sri Lanka), Karim Janat (Afghanistan), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan), Maheesh Theekshana (Sri Lanka)

Durban Qalandars: Asif Ali (Pakistan), Sisanda Magala (South Africa), George Linde (South Africa), Hazratullah Zazai (Afghanistan)

Joburg Buffaloes: Yusuf Pathan (India), Mushfiqur Rahman (Bangladesh), Tom Banton (England), Noor Ahmad (Afghanistan)

Bulawayo Braves: Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe), Ashton Turner (Australia), Tymal Mills (England), Ben McDermott (Australia)