Sports

Global T20 Canada returns with Gayle, Afridi, Harbhajan and more after player draft

Published

2 years ago

June 15, 2023

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The player draft for the third Global T20 Canada 2023 was held in a hybrid form on Tuesday night in Mumbai with representatives from each franchise joining from different parts of the world. The GT20 will begin on July 20 in Brampton, Canada, and the cricket extravaganza will see six franchises play 25 matches over the course of 18 days.

Building up the excitement ahead of an action-packed season this year, the player draft with franchise salary-cap of $579,500 revealed a star-studded line-up of marquee players. Bangladesh Test and T20 captain Shakib Al Hasan along with superstar Caribbean all-rounder Andre Russell and Chris Lynn of Australia will turn up for Montreal Tigers. Among India’s most successful spinners Harbhajan Singh will headline for Brampton Wolves this season with New Zealand all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme.

Toronto Nationals will feature legendary all-rounder Shahid Afridi, who was at the heart of Pakistan’s sole T20 World title, along with New Zealand’s reliable big-hitter Colin Munro while newcomers Mississauga Panthers will feature the explosive Shoaib Malik and West Indies icon and ‘Mr Universe’ Chris Gayle.

Surrey Jaguars, another new entrant this year, will have hard-hitting Nottinghamshire opener Alex Hales along with Pakistan’s top-order batsman Iftikhar Ahmed while Vancouver Knights have named Pakistan’s wicket-keeper batsman Mohammed Rizwan and Pretoria’s swashbuckling batter and right-arm leg spinner Rassie van der Dussen as their marquee picks for this edition.

The new teams Surrey Jaguars and Mississauga Panthers unveil the powerful lineup of their team squad for GT20 Canada Season 3 🫡#GameOn #GT20Canada #GT20Season3 #GT20CanadaDraft pic.twitter.com/Q0EvvCmE7Z

— GT20 Canada (@GT20Canada) June 13, 2023

Reputed coaches add to the fervour

Each squad consists of 16 players from Full and ICC Associate Member Nations. These squads include six international players, including two marquee stars, besides four players from Associate Nations and six Canadians. The tournament draft also revealed head coaches for each franchise.

While the legendary Dav Watmore brought his expertise to the fore for Montreal Tigers, Shane Bond worked the math to select the Brampton Wolves squad. Aaqib Javed joined the proceedings for Toronto Nationals while Hassan Mirza, CEO for Mississauga Panthers, represented his team in the draft on behalf of their head coach Lance Klusener. Lalchand Rajput and Donovan Miller will lead the dugout for Surrey Jaguars and Vancouver Knights respectively.

Team list for Global T20 Canada 2023

Brampton Wolves: Harbhajan Singh, Colin De Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Mark Sinclair Chapman, Usama Mir, Hussain Talat, Usman Khan, Logan Van Beek, Jan Nicolaas Frylinck, Max O Dowd, Jeremy Gordon, Aaron Johnson, Rizwan Cheema, Shahid Ahamdzai, Rishiv Joshi, Gurpal Singh Sandhu

Montreal Tigers: Andre Russel/ Shakib Al Hassan, Chris Lynn, Sherfane Rutherford, Carlos Brathwaite, Muhammad Abbas Afridi, Zahir Khan, Muhammad Waseem, Akif Raja, Aayan Khan, Dipendra Airee, Kaleem Sana, Srimantha Wijeratne, Matthew Spoors, Bupendra Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Anoop Chima

Mississauga Panthers: Shoaib Malik, Chris Gayle, Azam Khan, James Neesham, Cameron Scott Delport, Shahnawaz Dahani, Zahoor Khan, Tom Cooper, Cecil Pervez, Jaskarandeep Singh Buttar, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nikhil Dutta, Shreyas Movva, Praveen Kumar, Mihir Patel, Eathan Gibson

Surrey Jaguars: Alex Hales, Iftikhar Ahmed, Jason Behrendorff, Litton Kumar Das, Karim Janat, Mohammad Haris, Sandeep Lamichhane, Ayaan Khan, Jatinder Singh, Bernard Scholtz, Paragat Singh, Dilon Heyliger, Ammar Khalid, Sunny Matharu, Sheel Patel, Kairav Sharma

Toronto Nationals: Colin Munro, Shahid Afridi, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Zaman Khan, Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Hamza Tariq, Gerhard Erasmus, Johannes Jonathan Smit, Farhan Malik, Saad Bin Zafar, Nicholas Kirton, Armaan Kapoor, Sarmad Anwar, Rommel Shahzad, Udhaya Bhagwan

Vancouver Knights: Mohammad Rizwan, Rassie Van Der Dussen, Naveen Ul Haq, Reeza Raphael Hendricks, Corbin Bosch, Najibullah Zadran, Junaid Siddiqui, Vriitya Aravind, Karthik Meiyappan, Ruben Trumplemann, Ravinderpal Singh, Harsh Thaker, Rayyan Pathan, Nawab Singh, Muhammad Kamal, Kanwar Tathgur

Staff Reporter

Sports

DP World ILT20: MI Emirates bounce back in style as Farooqi, Bairstow lead the charge

Published

20 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Michael Gomes

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MI Emirates delivered a clinical all-round performance to seal a convincing seven-wicket victory over Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the ILT20, with left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi and opener Jonny Bairstow leading the charge.

Farooqi was the standout performer with the ball, ripping through ADKR’s top order with a superb 4-for that never allowed the hosts to settle. His early breakthroughs set the tone for MI Emirates as ADKR struggled to build momentum, eventually posting a below-par total.

Chasing the target, MI Emirates showed confidence from the outset. Bairstow anchored the innings with a composed, unbeaten 49, mixing clean hitting with smart rotation of strike. His calm presence ensured the chase stayed on track, while contributions from the middle order helped wrap up the match with plenty of balls to spare.

The win marks MI Emirates’ third victory of the season and a timely boost to their campaign. For ADKR, the search for consistency continues as they look to bounce back in their next outing.

With form on their side and key players stepping up, MI Emirates will be eyeing another strong showing when they return to action later this week.

Brief Scores:
MI Emirates beat Abu Dhabi Knight Riders by seven wickets

Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 122 in 19.3 overs (Alishan Sharafu 38, Sunil Narine 26, Fazalhaq Farooqi 4 for 14, Kamindu Mendis 3 for 21)

MI Emirates 123/3 in 13.5 overs (Jonny Bairstow 49, Tom Banton 29, Muhammad Waseem 27, Jason Holder 1 for 11, Ajay Kumar 1 for 30)

Player of the match: Kamindu Mendis

Sports

Dubai Basketball takes on Bayern Munich in blockbuster EuroLeague showdown this Friday

Published

2 days ago

December 11, 2025

Michael Gomes

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Dubai Basketball fans, get ready, because one of the biggest names in global sport is coming to town.

Dubai’s first-ever professional basketball franchise will hit the court against FC Bayern Munich at the Coca-Cola Arena on Friday, December 12. And they’re stepping into the game with some serious momentum, riding a 10-game unbeaten streak at home across both the EuroLeague and the ABA League.

After a strong debut season in the ABA League, where they powered their way to the playoff semi-finals, Dubai Basketball is now competing in the EuroLeague for the very first time.

For anyone new to it, the EuroLeague is Europe’s top-tier basketball competition, featuring 20 elite teams from 10 countries, all battling it out through a high-speed, high-intensity season that ends with the iconic Final Four showdown.

Big stage, big opponent, big moment for Dubai. Game on.

Sports

DP World ILT20: Desert Vipers beat MI Emirates by one run in last-ball thriller

Published

3 days ago

December 10, 2025

Michael Gomes

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Cricket fans at the Zayed Cricket Stadium were treated to a nail-biting finish on Tuesday night as the Desert Vipers edged MI Emirates by just one run in a dramatic DP World ILT20 Season 4 clash.

The victory marked the Vipers’ fourth straight win of the season, keeping them firmly at the top of the points table with eight points.

Payne Turns the Game on Its Head

Defending a total of 159, the Vipers found themselves under pressure until David Payne delivered a match-winning 19th over, picking up three crucial wickets to completely swing momentum. Payne finished with sensational figures of 4 for 29 and was named Player of the Match.

He was well supported by UAE pacer Khuzaima Tanveer, who took 2 for 34, as the Vipers held their nerve in the dying moments.

MI Emirates needed 16 runs from the final over, and Rashid Khan nearly pulled off the chase with a six and a four. However, the batting side fell two runs short on the very last ball, sealing a heartbreaking defeat.

MI Emirates Fight Hard in the Chase

Chasing 160, MI Emirates lost Jonny Bairstow early, but Muhammad Waseem (24) and Tom Banton (34) rebuilt the innings with a steady partnership. Later, Nicholas Pooran (31) joined Banton to keep the chase alive.

Kieron Pollard, leading the side, added a quick 23 off 13 balls and looked dangerous before being dismissed by Payne in the penultimate over, a moment that proved crucial.

Solid Start with the Bat for Vipers

Earlier, the Vipers got off to a strong start thanks to Fakhar Zaman (35) and Andries Gous (21). After Gous retired hurt, Zaman added 51 runs with Max Holden (42) to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Late contributions from Shimron Hetmyer (15), Sam Curran (19) and Dan Lawrence (15 not out) helped the Vipers reach a competitive 159 for 4.

For MI Emirates, young spinner Allah Ghazanfar impressed with 2 for 32, while Fazalhaq Farooqi also chipped in with a wicket.

David Payne, Player of the Match, said: “It went right down to the wire, and it was entertaining for everyone watching. We kept things simple, hit the right areas, and that made the difference.”

MI Emirates captain Kieron Pollard reflected: “We didn’t finish the innings well in the last couple of overs. In cricket, momentum can change quickly, and that’s exactly what happened tonight.”