By Kevin Mapasure
ZIMBABWE national cricket team players have missed out on playing in the lucrative Pakistan Super League (PSL) following a player auction held at the weekend.
Batters Brendan Taylor, Sean Williams and Sikanda Raza as well as the bowling trio of Tendai Chisoro, Kyle Jarvis and Blessing Muzarabani had been given a fighting chance after they were listed in the draft, but none of them were picked.
Last year, Raza joined the Peshwar Zalmi ahead of the semi-finals after a number of foreign stars pulled out due to COVID-19.
The year before Raza and Taylor were picked by Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars.
Taylor particularly had a good outing when Zimbabwe toured Pakistan last year and it looked like he had a good chance of clinching a deal.
He scored a century (112) and a half ton (56) in the second and third one-day international (ODI) after being dismissed for 38 in the first ODI.
His T-20 record was not that good with his top score being 20 in the three match series in which Zimbabwe was whitewashed.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Likewise, Williams had good numbers in the ODI series where he also scored a half century (75) and a ton (118), yet his T-20 record in that tour might have also let him down.
Muzarabani starred with the ball for Zimbabwe, taking seven wickets in the ODIs and four in the T-20s but that too wasn’t enough to persuade the PSL teams to pick him.
The Zimbabweans once again missed out on an opportunity to line up their pockets as they also continue to be shunned by the Indian Premier League.
They will have an opportunity to continue pushing for recognition in the T-20 leagues when they get involved in a three-match T-20 series against Afghanistan when they tour at the end of the month.
During the tour they will also play three Test matches.
