ZIMBABWE cricket team top order batsman Hamilton Masakadza has become the latest local cricket star to attract interest abroad after signingfor the Sylhet Royals during the Bangladesh Premier League player auction held in Dhaka on Thursday.
REPORT BY DANIEL NHAKANISO SPORTS REPORTER
Masakadza is one of three Zimbabwean players who will feature in the second edition of the Bangladesh Premier League together with national team skipper Brendan Taylor and former Zimbabwe all-rounder Sean Ervine.
The presence of the three locally-bred players is set to give a Zimbabwean flavour to the second season of the Bangladesh Premier League which begins on January 18.
Masakadza, who has in the past missed out on opportunities in several Twenty20 (T20) leagues, including the inaugural Bangladesh Premier League last year, finally got his breakthrough this time around.
The 29-year-old aggressive batsman was signed by the Sylhet Royals for a cool $30 000.
Masakadza has scored 585 runs from 22 T20 Internationals at an average of 26,59.
His inclusion for next year’s Bangladesh Premier League can be attributed to his form with the bat during the unofficial T20 tri-series in June, which also featured the Bangladesh side and South Africa.
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In that competition, Masakadza was the top scorer, amassing more than a hundred runs than his nearest rival and compiling four consecutive half-centuries and a hundred in the warm-up match.
According to reports from Bangladesh, the player will get 30% while 10% will go to Game On, the event management firm responsible for organising the tournament.
While Masakadza will be making his debut in the tournament, Taylor and Ervine will be having their second stints after featuring in the inaugural edition last year.
Taylor, who featured for the Chittagong Kings last year, has been retained by the same franchise after being snapped up for $30 000, while all-rounder Ervine returns to Duronto Rajshahi for $15 000.
Taylor is expected to feature in the Sri Lankan Premier League next year after signing a three-year deal last year.
