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Zim Afro T10 organisers address corruption doubts

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Harare: Organisers of the Zim Cyber City Zim Afro T10 have assuaged cricket fans about the integrity of the tournament ahead of its July 20 debut without compromising on the entertainment quotient 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, it is the first tournament of its kind in the continent of Africa. Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani gave his nod to what is a new journey in the history of Zimbabwe as well as African cricket in general.

ALSO READ: Stars descent in Harare for Zim Afro T10 League bow

“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.
Yet, there are questions about the integrity of the tournament with events mushrooming in distant parts of the world, and Mukuhlani addressed them with a straight bat. “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. We can assure you we are doing everything to ensure the fans and players enjoy the game properly.”

Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani, Zim Cyber City CEO Tendayi Hlupo-Mamvura and T10 franchise brand owner Shaji-ul-Mulk. Supplied photo

Adding to that, Mr 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, is the brainchild of Shaji Ul Mulk and originated from the UAE. “In our quest to become global, Zimbabwe is our first stop. 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 selected some of the good players for scholarships. We have also conducted a player development programme, and five of them will be inducted into the Zim Cyber City Zim Afro T10 squads,” he added.
Mulk also hinted that introducing the T10 format to women’s cricket was also in the pipeline, with Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka as possible destinations.

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>And there are cheerleaders here at the <a href=”https://twitter.com/ZimAfroT10?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@ZimAfroT10</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/zimafrot10_fans?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@zimafrot10_fans</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/CricketsFastestFormat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#CricketsFastestFormat</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/KwiriTravels?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#KwiriTravels</a> <a href=”https://t.co/84SGdtQgQl”>pic.twitter.com/84SGdtQgQl</a></p>&mdash; larry kwirirayi ✍🎬 (@kwirirayi) <a href=”https://twitter.com/kwirirayi/status/1682399569106141184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>July 21, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>

Journalist for 25 years with leading publications in India and UAE such as The National, Mumbai Mirror, DNA, Indian Express and former Sports Editor of eIndia.com. Now managing editor of Headline.ae, part of MEMc (https://www.memc.co)

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Mohammad Amir says comparisons of Virat Kohli with others like Babar Azam make him laugh

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Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Amir has called Virat Kohli the greatest batsman of this generation, rating the Indian cricket team’s talisman over others from this current generation like Babar Azam, Steve Smith, and Joe Root

Virat Kohli is the greatest player of this generation. I laugh when comparisons are made between him and Babar Azam, Steve Smith, or Joe Root. We cannot compare Virat Kohli to anyone because he has won so many matches for India, which seems impossible for any one player. Not just in one format, but in all three formats, Virat is the greatest batsman of this generation.

“Virat Kohli’s work ethic sets him apart from all players. After his bad phase in England in 2014, the way he made a comeback and then consistently performed brilliantly for the next 10 years was no ordinary feat. His wicket in the 2017 Champions Trophy final was very important for us, which helped us win the final. If Virat had not been dismissed, we would have lost the final because we all know how exceptional Virat’s record is while chasing runs,” Mohammad Amir said on the Cricket Predicta Show recently.

“Dismissing Sachin Tendulkar was the most special moment for me. I bowled to him only once in my life during the 2009 Champions Trophy, which was held in South Africa, and dismissed him while playing against India. I had seen him play cricket on TV and always used to think about how brilliant a batsman Sachin was… Bowling to Sachin Tendulkar was a big thing for me. For three days after his dismissal, I was not in my senses; I could not believe I had taken Sachin paaji’s wicket. I was new to cricket and he (Sachin Tendulkar) was the kind of player who had a deep understanding of every aspect of the game. When the captain handed me the ball, my heart was pounding. I took a deep breath and bowled to him. My condition was exactly like when I met Wasim Akram for the first time,” said Amir.

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Game Changers Falcons crowned Champions of World Tennis League Season 3, after a thrilling last-set victory over TSL Hawks

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Game Changers Falcons clinched the World Tennis League Season 3 title with a hard-fought 20-16 victory over TSL Hawks at the iconic Etihad Arena on Sunday. 

Despite losing the first two sets – women’s doubles and women’s singles – Game Changers Falcons staged a remarkable comeback, dominating the men’s doubles and men’s singles to claim the title in a thrilling fashion.

In a rematch of the season opener, Game Changers Falcons’ Elena Rybakina and Caroline Garcia began strongly, breaking the opening serve of the match against TSL Hawks’ Aryna Sabalenka and Mirra Andreeva. Despite their stellar performances in the league stage, Sabalenka and Andreeva looked unsettled early on. However, they mounted an impressive comeback as they recovered from a 0-5 deficit to level the score at 5-5. Rybakina and Garcia then managed to break the serve again to regain the lead, but a series of unforced errors allowed their opponents to force a tie-break.

In the tie-break, Sabalenka and Andreeva found themselves trailing once again but displayed remarkable composure to turn the tables and clinch the women’s doubles set 7-6.

Teenage sensation Andreeva carried her remarkable form into the women’s singles against Rybakina. She broke Rybakina’s second and third serves to gain the upper hand and comfortably close out the set 6-2, extending TSL Hawks’ overall lead to 13-8 in the match.

In the men’s doubles, Game Changers Falcons’ Andrey Rublev and Denis Shapovalov dominated the entire set against TSL Hawks’ Sumit Nagal and Jordan Thompson. They broke Nagal’s serve twice to maintain the lead and sealed the set 6-2. This win narrowed the overall game tally to 14-15, setting the stage for a thrilling men’s singles.

Riding on his form, Rublev held his opening serve to level the overall game tally at 15-15 before winning three consecutive games to take 18-15 lead and put his team firmly in control. While Nagal managed to pull a game back, Rublev closed the men’s singles set 6-1 in a dominant fashion to help his team clinch the title with a 20-16 win, marking a memorable end to World Tennis League Season 3.

Addressing the media in a post-match press conference, Game Changers Falcons Coach and Captain, John-Laffnie de Jager said, “I’ve done team events for a while, and I’ve been very fortunate over the years to have really good people on the team. They get along well, they’re professional, they show up and at the end of the day, they perform. First time we played against the Hawks, we were behind. We came back from that point to win it and the same happened tonight. So, the format is great, because you are never out and always have a chance to win it. It was an awesome campaign for us, and everybody enjoyed it.”

Shapovalov added, “You always look for matches in the off-season, and a team event like the World Tennis League is the perfect way to check where your level is at. It was great to be alongside these players and win the competition.”

Meanwhile, Garcia said, “In tennis it’s not very often you have an opportunity to play in a team set-up, and I really enjoyed it. I had a great time knowing a bit more about everyone in the team and looking forward to more fun next year.”

Rybakina reflected, “It’s always amazing to play in Abu Dhabi or Dubai. I really enjoyed my time at the World Tennis League. Hopefully next year also, it’s going to be the same fun.”

With the support of Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT), and Miral, Season 3 of the World Tennis League turned out to be bigger and more exciting than ever. The event featured thrilling world-class tennis action alongside electrifying performances by global artists such as Bryan Adams, Anastacia, and Akon, living upto the event’s true essence of being ‘The Greatest Show on Court!’.

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Honorfx Eagles beat game changers Falcons 20-15, gets first win of the season

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After suffering defeats in their first two matches, HonorFX Eagles bounced back with a 20-15 victory in their last match of the World Tennis League Season 3 held at the iconic Etihad Arena on Saturday. 

This win took HonorFX Eagles to second place with an overall game tally of 54 points, while the Game Changers Falcons, despite the setback, held on to the top spot with 68 points.  However, all eyes will be on the final league-stage match between TSL Hawks and Kites, as the finalists will be determined later in the evening after this showdown. With all four teams still in contention, the match promises to be a decisive and thrilling encounter.

The women’s singles clash between HonorFX Eagles’ Iga Swiatek and Game Changers Falcons’ Elena Rybakina began on an even note. Swiatek broke Rybakina’s third serve to seize the advantage and went on to comfortably close out the set 6-3 for HonorFX Eagles.

In the women’s doubles, Iga Swiatek and Paula Badosa made an immediate impact, breaking the opening serve of their opponents, Elena Rybakina and Caroline Garcia, to take control of the set. The duo cruised to a comfortable 6-2 victory, extending HonorFX Eagles’ lead to 12-5. 

The men’s doubles saw a similar dominance from HonorFX Eagles as Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Shevchenko outclassed Game Changers Falcons’ Andrey Rublev and Denis Shapovalov. The HonorFX Eagles duo closed out the set 6-4 with ease, giving their team a massive 18-8 lead.

In the all-important set of the match, Game Changers Falcon’s Rublev came out all guns blazing against HonorFX Eagles’ Tsitsipas. Rublev stormed to a commanding 5-0 lead before Tsitsipas managed to hold serve, making it 5-1. Rublev then sealed the set 6-1, narrowing the overall score to 15-19 and pushing the game into Over Time.

Despite his earlier struggles, Tsitsipas rose to the occasion in the Over Time, holding Rublev to love in a critical game to clinch the match 20-15. The victory marked the HonorFX Eagles’ first win of the season.

Rublev, who has been in fine form and has won all the men’s singles sets he has competed in at WTL so far, reflected on his performance. He said, “I don’t think I’m leading the team; it just happens that my singles matches have been the last ones, and I’ve managed to win them all, so maybe it looks that way. But the truth is, we’re a team, and we’re all trying to do our best together.” 

“Today, I think I played a good match. It was Stefanos’ first singles match here, so it’s understandable he didn’t feel his best. I struggled in my first match too, but now I’ve adjusted to the conditions, and I think I played really well today,” Rublev added while talking about his match-up against Tsitsipas.

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