Mississauga Masters sign star Pakistan batter for Canada Super 60
Ali becomes the fourth Pakistani cricketer to feature in the tournament
KARACHI: Pakistan power-hitter Asif Ali has been signed by Mississauga Masters for the upcoming Canada Super 60, scheduled to take place at BC Place Stadium, Vancouver, from October 8 to 13.
The franchise confirmed the signing through their official social media account, posting: “Big shots. Big moments. Big impact. Pakistan’s power-hitter Asif Ali joins the Mississauga Masters for Canada Super 60.”
Ali becomes the fourth Pakistani cricketer to feature in the tournament.
Veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik, young batter Khawaja Nafay, and former spinner Saeed Ajmal are also part of the event. While Ajmal will join Ali in the Mississauga squad, Malik and Nafay are set to represent Whiterock Warriors.
The 33-year-old is no stranger to franchise cricket. He has vast experience across top leagues including the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Lanka Premier League (LPL), Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Big Bash League (BBL) and the Mzansi Super League (MSL).
In the PSL, he has featured in 91 matches, scoring 1,243 runs at an impressive strike rate of 156.94, with three half-centuries. On the international stage, he has represented Pakistan in 58 T20Is, scoring 577 runs at an average of 15.18 and a strike rate of 133.87.
Meanwhile, Malik, a former Pakistan captain, brings a wealth of experience to the Super 60. The 42-year-old has accumulated 13,571 runs in 557 T20 matches, striking at 127.24, with 83 fifties, making him the fifth-highest run-scorer in T20 history.
Nafay, an emerging batting talent, has already gained exposure in major leagues. In the BPL, he scored 214 runs in eight matches at a strike rate of 135.44, with three half-centuries.
He also has 234 runs in 12 PSL games, including two fifties. Recently, he represented Pakistan Shaheens in the Top End T20 Series, where he notched up a 61-run knock against Bangladesh ‘A’.
Ajmal, one of Pakistan’s most successful T20 bowlers, adds experience to Mississauga’s bowling attack. He claimed 85 wickets in 64 T20Is for Pakistan at an outstanding economy rate of 6.36.
In franchise cricket, he has appeared in the PSL (10 matches, 9 wickets), BPL (5 matches, 4 wickets), and made a brief BBL appearance with Adelaide Strikers (1 match, 1 wicket).
Updated Mississauga Masters squad for Canada Super 60: Sikandar Raza, Imran Tahir, Ravi Bopara, Geroge Carton, Leus Du Plooy, Asif Ali, Saeed Ajmal, Shubham Ranjane, Rushil Ugarkar, Ali Khan, Hamza Tariq, Rayyan Pathan, Zahid Shirzad, Dilraj Doel, Ali Khan.
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