
Hard-hitting Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi has signed to play Twenty20 cricket for South Australia in the 2009/10 KFC Twenty20 Big Bash, replacing Sri Lankan Ajantha Mendis, who had originally been signed to play.
Afridi, who will be in Australia with Pakistan and is expected to continue as his country's Twenty20 captain, has also recently signed a similar deal to play in South African domestic cricket with the Nashua Dolphins as teams strive to earn qualification for the lucrative Twenty20 Champions League competition.
“We narrowly missed out on finals last season and these signings are definitely a boost to our quest to qualify for the Champions League this year,” Jamie Cox told South Australia's website (www.saca.com.au).
“I have made no secret of the fact that I view the Big Bash competition as the most commercial on the domestic calendar and the inaugural Champions’ League also provides fantastic opportunities for young players to showcase their skills on the world stage.”
South Australia begin their campaign on 29th December when they play Western Australia at the WACA.
© Cricket World 2009
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