Pakistan top-order batter Fakhar Zaman has been roped in by Abu Dhabi T10 League franchise United Tigers for the upcoming edition. Along with Fakhar, the franchise has also named Pakistan players Iftikhar Ahmed and Faheem Ashraf as their pre-draft signings. The draft will take place on September 30, while the tournament is set to start on November 7.
Fakhar has been named as their Icon signing, while both Faheem and Iftikhar are roped in the Platinum category.
Pakistan trio bring franchise cricket experience
All three players boast extensive experience playing franchise cricket across the world. Fakhar finished the recent Pakistan Super League (PSL) edition as the tournament’s third-highest run-scorer. He has featured in the ILT20, Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Lanka Premier League (LPL), Big Bash League (BBL), Vitality Blast and Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) besides PSL.
Iftikhar Ahmed would similarly bring a wealth of experience, having featured in the LPL, BPL, and CPL in addition to the PSL, though he hasn’t played any T20Is for Pakistan since the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Faheem Ashraf returns to Abu Dhabi T10 League
Faheem Ashraf, meanwhile, was part of Yorkshire in this year’s Vitality Blast. The all-rounder featured in what was his second county cricket stint, having previously played for Northamptonshire in the 2019 Vitality Blast. During his stay, he grabbed 11 wickets in as many games, though he was unimpressive with the bat, scoring 36 runs in seven innings.
This time, however, his returns were middling at best, grabbing only four wickets in eight games and scoring 74 runs at an average of 12 and a strike rate of 145.
Besides the Blast, Faheem is a regular in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), while also having featured in the Big Bash League (BBL) and Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
ALSO READ:
Asian Games: Pakistan through to the semi-finals after washout against Hong Kong