Eight Pakistani cricketers will participate in the UK’s T20 Vitality Blast, which is set to begin at the Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham on Saturday. The tournament, previously called the Twenty20 Cup, was first launched in June 2003.
The Pakistani players to feature in this year’s edition include Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Shan Masood, Shadab Khan, Zafar Gohar, Usama Mir, Haider Ali, and Zaman Khan. This nine-week long competition will witness some exciting performances by these players.
Shaheen Shah Afridi
Afghanistan will play for Nottinghamshire Outlaws in the 2021 T20 Vitality Blast tournament. In the 2020 edition, the left-arm fast bowler briefly played for Hampshire Hawks and took four wickets on four deliveries in a match against Middlesex.
Shan Masood
Left-handed opening batsman Shan Masood is leading Yorkshire Vikings this year and was the highest run-scorer for Derbyshire Falcons in last year’s tournament. He scored 547 runs and led Falcons to the quarterfinals.
Hasan Ali
Veteran Test cricketer Hasan Ali has signed a contract with Warwickshire CCC for this season and will play for Birmingham Bears in the T20 tournament. He is likely to lead the pace attack along with Chris Woakes.
Shadab Khan
All-rounder Shadab Khan has signed a deal with Sussex Sharks and will represent them in the entirety of the tournament. He played for Yorkshire the previous season.
Haider Ali
Explosive batsman Haider Ali will play for Derbyshire Falcons in the county season and the T20 Blast tournament. Haider has played 33 T20Is for Pakistan and also played for Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings in the PSL.
Zafar Gohar
Left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar will play for Gloucestershire CCC for the fourth consecutive season. He will play for Gloucester Gorillas in the T20 Blast this year.
Zaman Khan
21-year-old pacer Zaman Khan has been drafted by Derbyshire Falcons along with Haider Ali and will make his debut in this season’s T20 Vitality Blast. He recently made his international debut against Afghanistan in a T20I series.
Usama Mir
Leg-spinner Usama Mir will represent Worcestershire Rapids in the T20 Blast tournament. He has played six ODIs for Pakistan and has also featured for Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans in the PSL.
