Dubai - Shahid Afridi is the latest star player to join the upcoming UAE T20x League. The announcement of Afridi being a part of the initial staging of the tournament was made on Sunday and the swashbuckling cricketer himself tweeted about the exciting developments. The tournament is all set to kick off on December 19.
UAE T20x is the newest kid on the block when it comes to T20 leagues over the globe. The league will see five franchises competing against each other, with the likes of AB de Villiers, Andre Russell, Eoin Morgan, David Miller and Afridi all set to each be at the helm of a team. The tournament is expected to conclude on January 11, 2019.
CEO of UAE T20x Salman Sarwar Butt said: “As UAE T20x moves into the franchise tender phase, we are delighted to be able to announce that Shahid will be joining us as a Playing Icon. We’re confident that this will be an exciting revelation for both the franchisees bidding for a team and all the fans that are excited about an international tournament coming to the region.”
Afridi, himself, is extremely excited to be a part of this new venture. As an all-rounder who has long garnered a reputation for the explosive brand of cricket that he plays, especially in the limited overs formats, big things are being expected from him, come UAE T20x. Commenting on his inclusion, the former Pakistan cricketer said, “T20 is a format that I’ve always loved, and that I hope to continue playing.
I have come across many T20 leagues in my career, and I can really say that UAE T20x brings something new and refreshing to the table. It has been created with the players and fans in mind before anything else, and it’s modelled to give players of all levels and from a variety of backgrounds the chance to compete in an extraordinary festival of cricket. It’s going to be very exciting for the fans, and I’m glad I get to be a part of it.”