Thursday 26 / December / 2024
Muscat: Omani all-rounder Sufyan Mahmood became the first cricketer from the Sultanate to be registered for an international Twenty20 league player auction when he was included in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Player Draft.
The Omani will be keeping his fingers crossed when the 2017 Hero Caribbean Premier League Player Draft takes place in Barbados on March 10 while ‘hoping to be picked by a team’.
The talented Omani all-rounder spoke to Times Sport immediately after being informed about the inclusion of his name in the 258-player draft and expressed his delight being in registered for the CPL draft.
While thanking the UK-based International Cricketers Association, with whom he has a two-contract, Sufyan said: “It is through the International Cricketers Association I have been registered for the CPL Player Draft. I am thankful to them.”
“Being included in the draft is a great news. Hopefully I will be picked by a team during the auction. Then it will be a even greater news not only for me but also for Oman Cricket as a whole,” Sufyan said.
Sufyan, who plays for Premier Division team Enhance as well as Fairtrade team in the Oman domestic league, has represented the Sultanate in international tournaments including World T20 Championship preliminary round in India in 2016.
“I would also like to thank all the officials of Oman Cricket for their support since the beginning my career,” Sufyan, who was also part of the Oman Cricket’s National Youth Development Team in the past, added.
Record number
According to news posted on crictracker.com, a record number of local and international stars have been officially registered for the CPL Player Draft. In all, 258 players from across the Caribbean and most of the leading cricketing nations are in the frame to secure a coveted place in the tournament, which is this year scheduled to take place between August 1 and September 9.
Director of International Cricket for CPL, Tom Moody said: “T20 is capturing the world of cricket by storm, and with the huge numbers of talented players from across the cricketing world eager to sign up to the biggest party in sport, I’ve no doubt that the 2017 season will be our best yet.
“In attracting the cream of international talent from a healthy blend of established and fast-developing nations, it extends the growing international appeal of the sport and of the Hero CPL itself, and I have no doubt that we are going to see a hugely contested Player Draft in Barbados on March 10th.”
There’s a strong list of West Indies talent who were both drafted and undrafted in 2016, including former Antigua Hawksbills and St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots star all-rounder Marlon Samuels who was the man of the match for the West Indies in their ICC World T20 final victory over England last year.
There will be 28 players from Australia in the Draft, including Brad Haddin, Ben Hilfenhaus, Brad Hogg and Adam Zampa, 17 New Zealanders, including Corey Anderson, Grant Elliott and Jimmy Neesham while England have four players.
Pakistan will have the highest representation in the Draft after increasing last year’s tally from 38 players to 46. There will also be five Afghanistan players.
