Harare [Zimbabwe], June 19 (ANI): With the much-awaited Zim Afro T10 coming up soon, one of the teams for the tournament has been announced. The Pakistan Super League Champions Lahore Qalandars have acquired the Durban franchise in the Zim Afro T10, and it will be called the Durban Qalandars.

The Zim Afro T10 represents franchise cricket's first foray in Zimbabwe and the tournament will have five privately owned teams battling it out for the top prize. The other four teams will be Harare Hurricanes, CapeTown Samp Army, Bulawayo Braves and the Joburg Lions.

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The Zim Afro T10 will get underway on July 20, with a grand final scheduled for July 29, with all the games being played in Harare.

The franchise is owned by the Pakistani businessmen Atif Naeem Rana and Sameen Naeem Rana and the Lahore Qalandars have won two titles (2022 and 2023) in the Pakistan Super League. Along expected lines, the Qalandars franchise will look to replicate their success with the Durban team in Zim Afro T10.

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The players' draft is slated to take place on July 2 at a grand ceremony in Harare.

Zimbabwe Cricket Managing Director Givemore Makoni said, "We are elated to welcome the Qalandars to the Zim Afro T10 and Zimbabwe Cricket family. They have been very successful in Pakistan and we hope that they can bring their entertaining brand of cricket for the local fans here as well. They come with a tradition of attracting the best players, and we hope to see more of that."

"After winning two consecutive seasons in the PSL, we want to expand our footprint and Zimbabwe is a great chance for us to make a mark. The Zim Afro T10 is surely going to be a very exciting tournament - it is the fastest format in the game after all, and we cannot wait to connect with the fans there and create a strong fanbase for ourselves," Sameen Naeem Rana, Owner and CEO of Durban Qalandars said.

T Ten Global Sports Founder and Chairman Nawab Shaji Ul Mulk said, "It is great to have the champions from the Pakistan Super League join us in the Zim Afro T10 as the Durban Qalandars. They have had a long-lasting effect in the PSL and we hope to see them play a similar kind of role in the Zim Afro T10. I expect a stiff competition and some entertaining cricket from the Durban Qalandars from the very first ball. The fans are eagerly awaiting for this festival of cricket to begin." (ANI)

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