Harare: The much-awaited Zim Afro T10 is expected to be one of the finest cricket tournaments, as entertainment and high-quality sport come together in Harare, where some of the most exciting names in white-ball cricket have descended.
Organised by Zimbabwe Cricket along with T Ten Global Sports, the Zim Afro T10 is the first tournament of its kind in the continent of Africa.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, Zimbabwe Cricket’s Chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani was all praise for the initiative and gave his nod to what is a new journey in the history of Zimbabwe.
“The Zim Cyber City Zim Afro T10 tournament, which is the first in Africa, the glamour and the opportunity around it with the international cricketers that are there, we thought it was a good opportunity for us and Zimbabwe cricket in a quest to rebuild and reposition ourselves in the arena of global cricket. It is a great opportunity for us to have this tournament here and everyone, the technical staff, players and even the fans and media, are all excited about,” said Mukuhlani.
While Zimbabwe and the cricketing fraternity are excited about the Zim Afro T10, there have been questions raised about possible activities about the integrity of the tournament.
Addressing the same with a straight bat, Mukuhlani said, “Integrity is of top priority in any tournament. Whether it is club cricket or bilateral cricket. And it’s no less for this tournament. We have gone through a whole process of due diligence, prior to licensing T10, and that involves working together with the integrity unit at the ICC. T10 is in its sixth year and the integrity checks have been put into place and addressed and we are working with the ICC Integrity Unit and our own security systems in Zimbabwe to ensure that the integrity of the game is not jeopardised. Maintaining the integrity of the game is of top most priority for us and we can assure you we are doing everything to ensure the fans and players enjoy the game properly.”
Adding to that, Shaji Ul Mulk, chairman T Ten Sports, said, “T10 when it first started needed to be sanctioned by the ICC. So, we took a conscious call that the integrity and anti-corruption contract to monitor would be given to the ICC themselves. For the last 6 years, in Abu Dhabi, the entire contract has been with the ICC, and even this year it is with the ICC for the Zim Cyber City Zim Afro T10, the Zimbabwe cricket board, who themselves have a robust system in place are working on it as well. We have a zero-tolerance policy on corruption.”
The T10 format, the most explosive in the game of cricket, and it is the brainchild of Shaji Ul Mulk. The journey took off in grand style in Abu Dhabi, and it is now the turn of Zimbabwe to experience the razzmatazz and high-octane cricket that comes along with the T10 format in the Zim Afro T10.
“In our quest to become global, Zimbabwe is our first stop, and we are very happy to be here. We go to the US from here, then back to Abu Dhabi, and then Sri Lanka and then India after that. For us, it is about investing in the domestic structure all over and here in Zimbabwe we have conducted a grassroot school tournament and we have selected some of the good players. 10 of them will be given scholarships and we have also conducted a player development programme to help the players who are in the furthest corners of the country and system, and five of them will be inducted into the Zim Afro T10 squads,” said Shaji.
Opening up further about the way the T10 has expanded and is leaving an indelible mark on the cricketing fraternity around the globe, Shaji, said it is a dream come true for him. He went on to add that introducing the T10 to women’s cricket was also in the pipeline, with Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka as possible destinations, that would be finalised in the near future.
“T10 has been inspired from football due to the 90-minute games. And we are doing many things differently from the regular tournaments. T10 is a form of entertainment, and it attracts the young crowds, to the families and the core-cricket fans as well. There will be music and entertainment along with the cricket, every day. There is something for everyone involved, and we are going full throttle towards ensuring the check boxes are ticked off properly,” said Shaji.
The inaugural edition of the Zim Afro T10 will commence with a cracker of an opening game with Bulawayo Braves playing the Harare Hurricanes on July 20. The grand final is scheduled for July 29, with all the matches being played at the Harare Sports Club.
-Input by Agency
