ABU DHABI: The first edition of Abu Dhabi T20 Cup will start on Thursday with six teams competing with each other for the title.
The three-day tournament will feature some of the biggest names of T20I cricket including Shaheen Shah Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Imran Nazir, Nuwan Kulasekara, Mitchell McClenaghan, Chris Morris, Albie Morkel, Colin Ingram, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Johan Botha and Kyle Abbott.
The six teams taking part in the tournament are Lahore Qalandars from Pakistan, Hobart Hurricanes from Australia, Boost Defenders from Afghanistan, Multiply Titans from South Africa, and Yorkshire Vikings from the United Kingdom.
Talking to media before the tournament, Lahore Qalandars vice-captain Abdul Razzaq said that it will be going to be a challenging event as all the teams have exciting players and it will be a treat for the fans to watch.
South African Albie Morkel praised the tournament stating that this can become as big as Champions League tournament where domestic teams from different countries play top level cricket.
“I am hoping that this will become as big as Champions League. I think it is great to expose young players to cricket like this,” he added.
The opening match of the tournament will be played between Auckland Aces and Boost Defenders while the second match of the tournament will be played between Lahore Qalandars and Yorkshire Vikings.