The Zim Afro T10 2024 will start on September 21 and run till September 29 in Harare. 

Organised by Zimbabwe Cricket, the Zim Afro T10 2024 will see as many as six teams compete in a total of 25 matches across nine days. 

Bulawayo Braves Jaguars, Cape Town Samp Army, Durban Wolves, Harare Bolts, Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers and NY Lagos Strikers are the six teams that will participate in the second edition of the Zim Afro T10.

The number of teams has been increased to six from the previous five teams in the inaugural edition with the inclusion of debutant NYS Lagos.

As per the Zim Afro T10 2024 schedule, each team will play seven matches in the league phase. The top four teams in the standings will advance to the Zim Afro T10 2024 playoffs.

The top two teams in the standings will square off in the Qualifier 1 for a place in the Zim Afro T10 2024 final.

The third and fourth-placed teams will clash in the Eliminator for a place in the Qualifier 2. The winner of the Eliminator will face the loser of Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2 for the other spot in the final.

The Zim Afro T10 2024 final is scheduled to take place on September 29.

All matches in the Zim Afro T10 2024 will be played at the Harare Sports Club.

David Warner, Sikandar Raza, Carlos Brathwaite, David Willey, Dawid Malan, Chris Lynn, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka, Blessing Muzarabani and Thisara Perera are some of the high-profile names that will feature in the upcoming T10 tournament in Harare.

Durban Qalandars won the inaugural edition of the Zim Afro T10 after they defeated Joburg Buffaloes by eight wickets in the 2023 final.

Where to watch Zim Afro T10 2024 live in India 

Live streaming of the Zim Afro T10 2024 will be available on the FanCode app and website.

There will be no live telecast of the upcoming T10 tournament on any TV channel in India.

Zim Afro T10 2024 schedule and live match start times

All timings are in India Standard Time (IST)

Saturday, September 21

Durban Wolves vs JoBurg Bangla Tigers - 6:30 PM

Cape Town Samp Army vs Harare Bolts - 8:45 PM

Bulawayo Braves Jaguars vs NYS Lagos - 11:00 PM

Sunday, September 22

Durban Wolves vs Harare Bolts - 6:30 PM

NYS Lagos vs JoBurg Bangla Tigers - 8:45 PM

Bulawayo Braves Jaguars vs Cape Town Samp Army - 11:00 PM

Monday, September 23

Harare Bolts vs JoBurg Bangla Tigers - 6:30 PM

Bulawayo Braves Jaguars vs Durban Wolves - 8:45 PM

Cape Town Samp Army vs NYS Lagos - 11:00 PM

Tuesday, September 24

NYS Lagos vs Durban Wolves - 6:30 PM

Harare Bolts vs Bulawayo Braves Jaguars - 8:45 PM

JoBurg Bangla Tigers vs Cape Town Samp Army - 11:00 PM

Wednesday, September 25

Harare Bolts vs NYS Lagos - 6:30 PM

Durban Wolves vs Cape Town Samp Army - 8:45 PM

JoBurg Bangla Tigers vs Bulawayo Braves Jaguars - 11:00 PM

Thursday, September 26

Durban Wolves vs Harare Bolts - 6:30 PM

JoBurg Bangla Tigers vs Bulawayo Braves Jaguars - 8:45 PM

Cape Town Samp Army vs NYS Lagos - 11:00 PM

Friday, September 27

Bulawayo Braves Jaguars vs Cape Town Samp Army - 6:30 PM

NYS Lagos vs Durban Wolves - 8:45 PM

Harare Bolts vs JoBurg Bangla Tigers - 11:00 PM

Saturday, September 28

Qualifier 1 - 6:30 PM

Eliminator - 8:45 PM

Qualifier 2 - 11:00 PM

Sunday, September 29

Zim Afro T10 2024 final - 9:00 PM

Zim Afro T10 2024 teams and squads

Bulawayo Braves Jaguars: David Warner, Carlos Brathwaite, Nick Hobson, Kobe Herft, Laurie Evans, Sabir Ali, Akila Dananjaya, Anamul Haque Bijoy, Richard Ngarava, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Wessly Madhevere, Panashe Taruvinga, Victor Chirwa, Kirk McKenzie, Vishas Thewmika

Cape Town Samp Army: Haider Ali, David Willey, Dawid Malan, Gulbadin Naib, Qais Ahmed, Adam Rossington, Shahnawaz Dahani, Rohan Mustafa, Salman Irshad, Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Ben Curran, Michael Frost, Brian Chari, Tawanda Maposa, Leonardo Julien, Sineth Jayawardena 

Durban Wolves: Colin Munro, Mark Chapman, Will Smeed, Sharjeel Khan, Muhammad Irfan, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Rohid Khan, Muhammad Waseem, Regis Chakabava, Gary Balance, Tinotenda Maposa, Donald Tiripano, Innocent Kaia, Emmanuel Bawa, Mbeki Joseph, Raveen De Silva

Harare Bolts: Dasun Shanaka, James Neesham, George Munsey, Rishad Hossain, Shehan Jayasuriya, Kennar Lewis, Richard Gleeson, Junaid Siddique, Lahiru Milantha, Sean Williams, Faraz Akram, Brandon Mavuta, Luke Jongwe, Alex Falao, Arinshto Vezha, Michael Palmer, Janishka Perera

Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers:  Chris Lynn, Kusal Perera, Charith Asalanka, Hazratullah Zazai , Adam Milne, Luke Wood, Karim Janat, George Linde, Mohammad Shahzad, Sikandar Raza, Tendai Chatara, Antum Naqvi, Tashinga Musekiwa, Johnathan Campbell, Tinashe Muchawaya, Kimani Melius, Kevin Koththigoda  

NYS Lagos: Blessing Muzarabani, Thisara Perera, Asif Ali, Najibullah Zadran, Binura Fernando, Akhilesh Bogudum, Oshane Thomas, Avishka Fernando, Matiullah Khan, Ryan Burl , Clive Madande, Dion Myers, Romario Roach, Nyasha Mayavo, Newman Nyamhuri, Joshua Bishop, Kaveesh Sathsara

Photo credit: Imago

In a Big Bash match against Adelaide Strikers earlier this year, Sydney Sixers sent injured batter Jordan Silk to the final over, only to retire him once he had reached the non-striker’s end. 

Carlos Brathwaite became the first batter in the history of the T20 Blast to be retired out for tactical reasons when competing for Birmingham versus Nottinghamshire at Edgbaston in a rain-affected eight-over match. Samit Patel of Nottinghamshire became the second, less than an hour later. 

In the event that there was some ambiguity there, Ravichandran Ashwin's act of selflessness for the Rajasthan franchise in the Indian T20 League in April marked the point that the tactical retirement has become widely accepted. “We haven’t cracked T20 cricket fully yet,�?Ashwin said by way of explanation. “These things happen constantly in football.�?/span>

The tactical retirement is a relatively recent concept that has been greatly influenced by the emergence of T20 and its emphasis on marginal benefits. Stephen Fleming, the head coach of Team Chennai in the Indian T20 League, believes that intentional retirements destroy "the beauty of the battle" by allowing struggling batters to leave without solving their problems in the middle. 

Some contend that in T20, retiring a batter deprives the fielding team of one of a wicket's primary advantages: a dot ball. It is likewise frustrating to witness a healthy batter leave the field on his own volition rather than as a result of being beaten by a piece of quality.

Implications of Voluntary Retirements in Cricket

The rise of the planned retirement has tactical and cultural ramifications that are significant. In terms of strategy, it places a greater emphasis on alternatives and match-ups and offers a new minigame. Some teams may find success by keeping wickets in hand and using tactical retirements in the final few overs.

The tactical retirement's most intriguing feature, though, is how it denotes a further turn away from the individual and toward the team. At its greatest level, T20 gradually shifts from a game of individual expression and problem-solving to one of systems and plans, shifting focus from the captain and players on the field to the general manager, the boardroom, and the analyst.

Mark Butcher is critical of the prospect. “I find it just an unnecessary addition, particularly as there’s no equivalent for the fielding side. I suppose the one thing that might balance that out would be that you’ve picked your five bowlers and a safety valve in the XI, but then you’re allowed to sub out one, bring in a relief pitcher for somebody who is having a bad day, and that would perhaps balance it up on both sides.

“But again, I don’t really see the point. I don’t see the need. Of course, it’s created some brilliant headlines and a lot of discussion about the fact that it’s been used at all. I just don’t see that it is necessary.�?/span>

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Featured photo: BBL

West Indies emerged champions of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2016 as they overpowered England by six wickets in a thrilling edge-of-the-seat final. The marquee event was played out at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in April.

Darren Sammy led the Caribbean side while Eoin Morgan skippered England. This was Sammy’s second title as a captain, having previously led the nation to a victory in the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 as well. 

Put to bat first, England scored a competitive 155/9 in their allotted 20 overs with Joe Root scoring a 36-ball 54 and later boosted by David Willey’s 21-run cameo to take the score past 150. Jos Buttler also contributed with a timely 21-ball 36 in the middle-order.

West Indies did not have the best of starts in the all-important contest and were soon reduced to 11/3 in their chase before Marlon Samuels steadied the ship with a 75-run fourth-wicket partnership with Dwayne Bravo who contributed 25. Samuels finished with an unbeaten 66-ball 85, a knock studded with nine fours and two sixes which is also the highest score in a T20 World Cup final. 

With England bowlers doing a fine job of controlling the middle and the death overs, it all boiled down to West Indies needing 19 runs to win from the final over. 

Carlos Brathwaite launched four consecutive sixes off Ben Stokes to seal an improbable victory from the jaws of defeat to give West Indies their second World T20 title.

Interestingly, West Indies entered the 2016 World T20 on the back of a T20I series in Sri Lanka that was drawn 1-1.

However, West Indies had a successful World T20 campaign with their only loss coming against Afghanistan in the league stage. They went on to defeat hosts India by seven wickets in the semi-final at Mumbai before going on to lift the title at Kolkata.

Records from ICC T20 World Cup 2016

West Indies are the first team to lift two T20 World Cup titles (2012 and 2016).

Bangladesh’s Tamim Iqbal topped the run charts with 295 runs, while Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi was the highest wicket-taker with 12 wickets. 

India’s Virat Kohli was named the Player of the Tournament.

West Indies�?Marlon Samuels registered the highest score (85*) in the history of a T20 World Cup final.

West Indies became the first and only team to win both the men's and women's World Twenty20 titles on the same day. West Indies defeated Australia women by eight wickets.

Featured photo : Dibyangshu Sarkar / AFP

Phil Simmons has returned to take charge of the West Indies three years after being dismissed in controversial circumstances, Cricket West Indies announced on Monday.

In a statement CWI said that Simmons would be head coach for the next four years. He led the Windies to the 2016 Twenty20 World Cup before being booted out amid tensions with his paymasters.

"Bringing Phil Simmons back is not just righting a past wrong, but I am confident that CWI has chosen the right man for the job at the right time," said CWI president Ricky Skerritt.

Former West Indies all-rounder Simmons, 56, was sacked in September 2016 for "differences in culture and strategic approach" between with the cricket hierarchy despite their remarkable T20 World Cup triumph, won in the last over of a dramatic final against England when Carlos Brathwaite hitting four consecutive sixes.

Simmons' success in the T20 arena however was not mirrored in Test cricket. During his reign the West Indies won only one of 14 Tests.

The strains between Simmons and the West Indies cricket authorities often bubbled to the surface, most notably in 2015, when he complained about the selection of the squad for a one-day series against Sri Lanka.

He was suspended after complaining of "interference" in the selection process, reinstated after a reprimand before being forced out the following year.

Featured image courtesy: AFP/ Jewel Samad

The story of Carlos Brathwaite smashing Ben Stokes for four successive sixes to win the T20 World Cup in 2016 is a thing of the past now. Brathwaite is the current West Indies skipper in the shortest format while Ben Stokes went on to redeem himself in another World Cup final last month. With another T20 World Cup looming next year in Australia, reigning champions West Indies have fallen behind in the race and how!

Since the 2016 event, the Caribbean side has played 35 T20Is, losing 22 of them, a win/loss ratio of 0.5 which is the worst after Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Ireland. With players preferring T20 leagues over the country, West Indies have probably been denied an opportunity to dish out their best XI every time. This lack of game time together showed at the World Cup in England last month when they thumped Pakistan before losing nine games on the trot.

While India, Pakistan and Afghanistan have managed over 20 wins in this time frame, the defending champions have won just 11 and have been a waning force with bat and ball.

What is striking about West Indies�?decline in a format that should ideally suit them is the despicable batting strike rate as a team. The T20 game has progressed beyond raw hitting and brute force, but even as that is still in demand, West Indies have struggled to match up with current trends.

Their batting strike and average are the worst for any team in this time period. The lack of telling contributions from individuals is evident when you see that they have scored only two hundreds and 13 half-centuries as an entire team in these three years. The batting strike rate of 117.25 and average of 18.12 is a far cry from that of the top teams �?New Zealand and India. 

But batting alone hasn’t been West Indies�?Achilles Heel. The bowling has been deplorable as well and their numbers ooze very little confidence. Kesrick Williams with 30 wickets and Carlos Brathwaite with 26 wickets are their top wicket-takers in this time frame but the former isn’t even part of the setup now.

The team bowling average lurks just below 30 and the economy is well above 8. Once again, the lack of a telling T20 bowler is evident in West Indies�?declining bowling returns.

West Indies have conceded the T20I series against India already. In their last eight T20I series�? West Indies have only won two and with the World T20 looming, the future looks bleak for the Men in Maroon.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Lindsey Parnaby

The club-over-country debate has long existed in football and has slowly but steadily started seeping into cricket. From South African players taking up Kolpak deals to West Indies players skipping matches to turn up for franchises, the concept isn't new to cricket.

But an extreme case involving Andre Russell on Friday has brought scrutiny back onto this trend. Russell was named in West Indies' T20 side - subject to fitness - to take on India in Florida in the first two matches. He had only just recovered from a knee injury which cut short his World Cup and was playing in the Global T20 Canada, when he experienced discomfort again.

Russell as such ruled himself out of the series against India. Fair enough? Hold on.

Hours after this, Russell turned out to play in the same league for his franchise Vancouver Knights against Edmonton Royals. If Russell could turn out to play a T20 match for his franchise, what stopped him from playing for West Indies?

This is a persistent issue with Russell who has time and again reported himself injured to the Cricket West Indies board only to turn up for a T20 franchise in a short time. However, this short a time-frame is unprecedented.

While it is pretty known that the West Indies board has less money and that the players make a bulk of their earnings through these T20 leagues, is it fair on the Windies if Russell pulls out at the last minute only to continue playing elsewhere?

He was eager to play in the World Cup for West Indies and played in four matches before a knee injury ruled him out of the rest of the tournament. Having been named in the T20I squad for the Indian series, Russell did not even take up the fitness test and opted to rule himself out.

The lack of eagerness to play for his country is quite evident in Russell's case. In this scenario, should the West Indies even wait for him to turn up?

Despite all this, their T20I skipper and Russell's close friend, Carlos Brathwaite, chose to defend him in the press conference ahead of the first game against India.

"I think he's been knocked in the press a bit because of his injury woes. And I think it's easy for us to see him hobbling around the field and just take for granted that he's injured but we can also look at it on the other side and say he can be home, he could be elsewhere and not trying to play for the West Indies," Brathwaite said.

The old adage of 'no player is above the team' is something  West Indies ought to be adopted here. Instead, by giving a free will to Russell, West Indies are setting a bad precedent. 

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Paul Ellis

Chris Gayle removed Afghanistan top-scorer Ikram Alikhil with his tame off-breaks as the West Indies secured just their second win of a chastening World Cup campaign on Thursday.

The Caribbean side scored 311 for six in their 50 overs in Leeds and although the Afghans put up a brave fight, they ultimately went down by 23 runs.

Gayle, almost certainly playing in his final World Cup match at the age of 39, failed with the bat but struck with the ball, trapping Alikhil lbw for 86 in the 36th over to put a huge dent in Afghanistan's slim hopes of victory.

Despite the victory, two-time former champions West Indies remain second-bottom of the 10-team table and will slink home with just two wins from nine matches.

Afghanistan have flickered in spells during only their second World Cup �?going close against India and Pakistan �?but head home with a dispiriting nine defeats out of nine.

The West Indies, who smashed 111 runs of the last 10 overs, had captain Jason Holder and Nicholas Pooran to thank for their acceleration after solid contributions from Evin Lewis (58), Shai Hope (77) and Shimron Hetmyer (39).

Gayle was caught behind after a slash against Dawlat Zadran for just seven and remains 10 runs short of Brian Lara's all-time West Indian record of 10,348 one-day international runs.

Pooran picked up where he left off against Sri Lanka, hitting 58 to add to his century in a losing cause earlier this week, Holder smashed a quickfire 45 while Carlos Brathwaite lashed 14 off four balls.

In reply, Alikhil put on 133 for the second wicket with Rahmat Shah (62) and there were notable contributions by Najibullah Zadran and Asghar Afghan but ultimately they did not have the batting firepower to get them over the line.

Paceman Kemar Roach was the pick of the West Indies bowlers, finishing with figures of 3-37 in his 10 overs.

West Indies began the tournament with a comprehensive seven-wicket win against Pakistan and many tipped them as dark horses for the title, with a power-packed batting line-up and fearsome pace attack.

But they have been error-prone and lacklustre, failing to turn their promising positions into concrete results.

Afghanistan will head home with more experience under the belts but with major questions over their batting strength and their lack of quality seam bowlers.

Even highly rated leg-spinner Rashid Khan ended the tournament with just six wickets after taking 1-52 on Thursday.

Feature image courtesy: AFP Photo/ Dibyangshu Sarkar

West Indies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite has been fined 15% of his match fee for showing dissent in his side's World Cup defeat against India.

The offence during the match at Old Trafford on Thursday constituted a level-one breach of the International Cricket Council's code of conduct.

One demerit point has been added to Brathwaite's disciplinary record. He now has two demerit points.

The incident occurred when Brathwaite protested against the umpire’s decision to call a wide off his bowling.

Brathwaite admitted the offence and accepted the sanction so there was no need for a formal hearing.

Level-one breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 percent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.

Brathwaite had been handed one demerit point for a similar offence earlier in the tournament, in the league match against England.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / SportsGridUK

Clive Lloyd has called on the current crop of West Indies cricketers to add application to their talent after a disappointing World Cup campaign so far.

The West Indies have won just one of their opening six games in England and look almost certain to miss out on the semi-finals.

"West Indies could be one of the best teams around -- they have the talent," Lloyd said in a column for the International Cricket Council.

"Had the West Indies batsmen turned some of those 50s, 60s and 70s, 80s into hundreds they would have been in a better position in the points standing.

"As for the bowlers, with a better understanding of the English conditions and better homework done on the opposing players, they could have performed much better."

Carlos Brathwaite smashed 101 from 82 balls but was caught in the deep when attempting to hit a six to win the game in an agonising defeat to New Zealand on Saturday.

And Lloyd, who captained the West Indies to World Cup glory in 1975 and 1979, believes the side need to show more patience at key points in matches.

"They weren't outplayed in at least three of their games that they lost (New Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh), it's just that they're not putting the clinical finishing touches necessary to win games," he said.

"Ultimately, the difference has been that the West Indies just aren't settling in and making big scores.

"Everyone in this tournament is making hundreds, but it says a lot that Carlos is the only West Indies player so far to do so.

"We have the talent -- it's just a case of pushing on and batting long."

Feature image courtesy: AFP Photo/ Ben Stansall