BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA
The inclusion of six Zimbabwean cricket players in the Cape Town Samp Army, Zim Afro T10 squad, is evident of the great experience the players have and the amount of support they command from local fans, owner of the team, Ritesh Patel has said.
Patel revealed this in Harare today during a press conference ahead of the second season of the shortest cricket format which also begins today.
“The tournament is being held in Zimbabwe and I think it’s important to have Zimbabwean players in the team because we will have all the support and also they have been playing here for long so that is the biggest support to the whole entire franchise so that is the reason why we have great international experienced guys with the Zimbabwean guys, so it’s great combination.
“We are here to entertain Zimbabwean fans, and that’s why there are six Zimbabwean players in my team. I hope to get the support of local fans, and I invite everyone to come large numbers and cheer for Cape Town Samp Army and enjoy our matches. We are also thankful to our title sponsor, Dafabet, for trusting our brand.”
And to add the icing on the cake, another Zimbabwean, Stuart Matsikenyeri is the coach of the team.
Patel said they were excited to aannounce their participation in the second season of the Zim Afro T10 hosted and organized by Zimbabwe Cricket.
He added: “The name SAMP stands for unity, and the team lives up to this spirit, as it is composed of players from England, Afghanistan, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, UAE and Zimbabwe.”
Rohan Mustafa, the Captain of Cape Town Samp Army, expressed his joy saying, “I’m delighted and excited to have world-class players from all over the world.
“The format demands quick but composed action on the field and I am sure this team has the right temperament to succeed.”
David Willey, the team’s Vice Captain weighed in saying, “we don’t have big names, but we have the right combination give us an edge over others.”
Representing Zimbabwe, Benjamin Curran, spoke of his thoughts on playing with International players.
“It will be a great experience playing with and against world class cricketers, and I’m proud to add local Zimbabwean power to the team.”
Samp Army has previously participated in various T10 tournaments with renowned international players like Moeen Ali, Faf du Plessis, Jason Holder, David Miller, Shimron, Hetmyer, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Mahesh Theekshana.
During the press conference which also coincided with a special event where the team’s jerseys were officially handed over to players, many (players) echoed similar sentiments about the team’s culture, stating: “the owner and management of Samp Army treat us like family.
“Playing as a team and maintaining a strong team culture is their top priority.”
And the players were visibly excited and happy as they received their jerseys, reflecting a positive team spirit.
Cape Town Samp Army’s first match is scheduled for today at 5 PM.
And for this season of Zim Afro T10, Cape Town Samp Army will feature the following players:
1. Rohan Mustafa (UAE)
2. David Willey (England)
3. Dawid Malan (England)
4. Gulbadin Naib (Afghanistan)
5. Qais Ahmad (Afghanistan)
6. Amir Hamza Hotak (Afghanistan)
7. Salman Irshad (Pakistan)
8. Leonardo Julien (West Indies)
9. Ben Curran (Zimbabwe)
10. Brian Chari (Zimbabwe)
11. Brian Bennett (Zimbabwe)
12. Tawanda Maposa (Zimbabwe)
13. Tadiwanashe Marumani (Zimbabwe)
14. Milton Shumba (Zimbabwe)
15. Sineth Jayawardena (Sri Lanka)
16. Stuart Matsikenyeri (Coach, Zimbabwe
