LAHORE: Former Pakistan legends Shoaib Akhtar and Shahid Afridi have joined Legends League, which will be played in January 2022 at the Al-Amerat Cricket Stadium in Oman.
Oman recently attained rights to host their inaugural domestic league after Oman co-hosted the recently concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 along with Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi as the other three venues.
We find it most suited name with the lion-hearted players that feature in the team. Shoaib Akhtar running in to bowl and Jayasuriya cutting it over the square is what fans will now be eagerly waiting for,” said Raman Raheja, CEO of Legends League Cricket in a press release.
Ravi Shastri, commissioner of Legends League, is also excited for the event due to the presence of great players. “The Lions of Asia from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan coming together in one team will definitely give the other two teams a run for their money,” said Shastri.
The two players will link up with other Pakistani players including Azhar Mahmood, Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Yousuf, Umar Gul, and Younis Khan to form an 11-man team called the Asia Lions team.
Other players in the team include Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, and Asghar Afghan.
According to the information available, there are two more teams in the tournament; India and the Rest of the World. Squads for both teams are yet to be announced.
Asia Lions squad:
Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi, Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Azhar Mahmood, Upul Tharanga, Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammed Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammed Yousuf, Umar Gul, Younis Khan and Asghar Afghan.
