Lahore Qalandars finalise squad for Namibia's T20 tournament

• Lahore Qalandars to participate in triangular T20 tournament in Namibia next month.
• BCCI denies Indian team permission to participate.
• Global T20 tournament to also feature Namibia’s Richelieu Eagles and South Africa’s DP World Lions.

KARACHI: Aiming to develop future starts, the winners of the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League and most active franchise Lahore Qalandars will participate in a triangular T20 tournament in Namibia next month.

The tournament was officially confirmed on Wednesday by the organisers. Earlier, it was expected to be a quadrangular tournament but India’s Bengal T20 side withdrew after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) denied them permission to participate.

The three-team Global T20 tournament will also feature Namibia’s Richelieu Eagles and South Africa’s DP World Lions.

Each team will play the other twice in the Global T20 tournament, with the top two sides then meeting in the final on September 5. Following the T20 matches, Richelieu Eagles will then meet Lahore Qalandars in two 50-over games on September 7 and 9.

Lahore Qalandars Chief Operating Officer (COO), Sameen Rana, said that Qalandars are thrilled to be part of the inaugural Global T20 in Namibia.

“Our thanks go to Cricket Namibia for making this unique tournament a reality. We enjoy a special relationship with the country and its cricket fans thanks to David Wiese’s integral role in helping us win our first Pakistan Super League trophy earlier this year and we can’t wait to see everyone in Windhoek,” he said.

"This historic first edition will allow our young players to continue their development against two excellent teams. The opportunity to test their skills against this quality of opposition in different conditions to what we're used to will only improve their cricket,” added Rana.

Cricket Namibia Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Johan Muller said that inviting top domestic teams from prominent cricket nations will attract high domestic and international interest while delivering quality on-field entertainment.

“The purpose of the tournament is to aid our player development, World Cup preparations and player exposure, while creating a commercial product," he said.

Lahore Qalandars squad for the tour: Hamza Nazar (Captain), Ahsan Hafeez Bhatti, Aitizaz Habib Khan, Dilbar Hussain, Jalat Khan, Jehanzeb Naveed (Wicket-keeper), Mamoon Ur Riaz, Mansoor Saleem (Wicket-keeper), Mehboob Ur Rahman Usmani, Mirza Tahir Baig, Muhammad Naeem, Shane Dadswell, Sudais Khan, Usama Mir, Usman Khalid.