Brampton: Cricket fans are bound to be enthralled as the Global T20 Canada returns for an eagerly anticipated third edition.
Scheduled over the course of 18 days starting July 20, the marquee tournament will see six franchises from across Canada vying for success.
Following the Player Draft held last week that saw the likes of Chris Gayle, Harbhajan Singh and Shahid Afridi featured among the star-studded marquee players, the franchises launched their official jerseys for the competition. The vibrant and distinctive colours serve as each team’s visual representation as they seek to imprint their unique identities on the tournament.
Adorned in shades of blue and a slither of red the Toronto Nationals Jersey will also feature the iconic maple leaf embossed on their jersey. Speaking of his excitement ahead of the tournament, Aaqib Javed, head coach of Toronto said, “We are very excited for the upcoming season. The team registered a solid performance last season and with the guidance of experienced legends like Colin Munro and Shahid Afridi, we have a very strong combination.”
Predominantly featuring orange hues, last year’s table leaders, the Brampton Wolves are all set for another challenge at the title, head coach Shane Bond said, “The unit is really looking forward to competing in Canada, we have an exciting mix of youth and experience in the form Harbhajan Singh, Colin De Grandhomme and Tim Southee. We are confident that they will lead us to a successful campaign.”
With striped red and black jerseys, the Montreal Tigers are all-set to hunt for their maiden title this season. Head Coach Dav Whatmore expressed confidence in his side, “We have some of the finest players to have featured in the format, with a squad that comprises the likes of Andre Russel, Shakib Al Hassan, Chris Lynn, Sherfane Rutherford and Carlos Brathwaite, we are undoubtedly in very capable hands,” he said.
New entrants Surrey Jaguars led by the coach of last edition’s winners, Lalchand Rajput, will sport a spotted yellow jersey. With a title already under his belt, head coach Lalchand Rajput opined, “With big hitters like Alex Hales, Iftikhar Ahmed and Litton Das on board, the fans will be treated to a very entertaining brand of cricket, which is what this tournament and format is all about. The boys are very keen to get going.”
The Vancouver Knights will take to the field clad in emerald green, eager to improve on their runners-up performance from last edition. Representing the team, Donovan Miller reiterated the strength of the squad, “We are feeling good with the squad mix. All departments are well served, we have top quality batters in Mohammed Rizwan and Rassie Van Der Dussen and a formidable bowling through Naveen Ul Haq and the youngster Karthik Meiyappan, so we believe we will be serious contenders for the trophy again.”
Also debuting this season, the Mississauga Panthers will be predominantly draped in jet black and purple as they look to assert themselves in their inaugural campaign. CEO, Hassan Mirza said, “We were very happy with the draft. Any team that has the experience of players like Shoaib Malik and Chris Gayle has always got an advantage. We are brimming with anticipation to go out there and express ourselves on the field.”
–IANS