The high-voltage action from the upcoming GT20 Canada will see Pakistan heavyweights Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi among others in action for the first time as the of North America’s marquee T20 league kicks off on July 25 with a clash between the Vancouver Knights and the Toronto Nationals in the season opener.
GT20 Canada, which has established itself on the Canadian, North American and global cricketing calendar, continues to provide a massive platform to showcase the growth of the sport especially in the backdrop of Canada’s historic debut at the ICC T20 World Cup and some memorable performances from the homegrown cricketing stars.
While Afridi will bolster the Toronto Nationals, along with West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd. Pakistan skipper Azam, in the company of compatriots Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Rizwan, brings a wealth of experience and class to Vancouver Knights.
The tournament will feature some of the superstars of world cricket, along with the finest local talent on display.
The league phase of the tournament will run from July 25 to August 6, with each of the six franchises playing seven matches. The playoff stage will be held from August 9, with the final scheduled for August 11.
Barring the tournament opener, each of the next ten league match-days will be double-headers. There will be a total of 21 league games across 13 days, including two non-match days in between. This will be followed by the four playoff games.
The double-header action will begin with the Bangla Tigers Mississauga, featuring Bangladesh great Shakib Al Hasan, taking on the 2023 Champions, Montreal Tigers, who will be marshalled by Chris Lynn and then followed by some Aussie heavyweights as Brampton Wolves, featuring marquee star David Warner will be up against the Surrey Jaguars, who count Marcus Stoinis in their ranks on the second day of the GT20 Canada, July 26.
The entire Canadian national squad will also be participating in this edition of the GT20 Canada, including team captain Saad Bin Zafar, top run-scorer Nicholas Kirton, and Aaron Johnson, who recently became the first player to score a half-century on the challenging New York pitch during the ICC T20 World Cup, as Canada made their historic debut at the ICC Cricket T20 World Cup.
- Babar Azam
