Five Pakistanis, Stallions part of CLT20

The Shoaib Malik-led Stallions will, however, need to qualify for the main event and will take on Auckland Aces soon.

Five Pakistanis will be part of the Champions League in addition to Sialkot Stallions which will become the first Pakistan side to feature in the Twenty20 event.

The Shoaib Malik-led Stallions will, however, need to qualify for the main event and will take on Auckland Aces (October 9) before taking on Hampshire two days later in a bid to seal their progress.

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has been named in Hampshire’s squad, while former all-rounder Azhar Mahmood will represent the Kiwi side.

The other qualifying group comprises Yorkshire, Trinidad & Tobago and Uva Next, winners of the inaugural Sri Lanka Premier League earlier this year who have named Fawad Alam and Umar Gul in their squad.

Sohail Tanvir, who will represent South Africa’s Highveld Lions, in the only Pakistani certain to take part in the Champions League.

Nine players opt for IPL teams

Meanwhile, all nine players named by two teams have opted to turn out for their IPL instead of the home sides. The Trinidad & Tobago players Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine will represent Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders respectively, while Faf du Plessis, Albie Morkel and Michael Hussey (Chennai), Mitchell Johnson (Mumbai), Brett Lee (Kolkata) and Morne Morkel (Delhi) are the other players named in two teams.

However, according to tournament rules, the IPL franchises will have to pay $150,000 to the ‘home’ teams of the players. It has also been reported that IPL contracts force players to turn up for them instead of their home teams.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15^th, 2012.