Two Chinese players to play for Peshawar Zalmi in next PSL

What’s the story?

The third edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), scheduled to be held early next year (2018) will now have representation from China as well. The current PSL champions, Peshawar Zalmi, have signed two Chinese players, Jian Li and Yufei Zhang.

There was a ceremony held at the Chinese Embassy to draft players into Peshawar Zalmi outfit. Chairman of the Zalmi franchise Javed Afridi said that China and Pakistan’s collaboration encompassed more than infrastructure, scientific research, industry and technology while talking to the media after the ceremony.

“The exchange of cultural values, as well as sport, is equally important in further reinforcing the bond between our two nations”, he said.

He also went onto to add that Peshawar Zalmi was not only pleased to assist top quality facilities, coaching and mentoring of cricketers in China, but also in providing them with a platform to recognize their talent and motivate them to achieve international recognition.

In case you didn’t know…

China has both men's and women's cricket teams, both of whom have taken part in some international tournaments but have so far failed to make a mark and have not received international recognition. These two players - Jian Li and Yufei Zhang have played for China.

Peshawar Zalmi are the current holders of the PSL title. They are captained by the flamboyant West Indies stronghold Darren Sammy, who is supporetd by star players like Hafeez, Dilshan, Eoin Morgan, Shakib Al Hasan and many others.

The details

Talking to media after a ceremony held at the Chinese Embassy to draft the players in Peshawar Zalmi outfit, Chairman of the Zalmi franchise, former criJaved Afridi spoke at length about the importance of reinforcing the bond between the two nations (Pakistan and China) and extending help towards cricketing activities in China.

Former Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Chun Xiang Zhang on the occasion expressed the confidence that this initiative would promote the sport of cricket in China.

A coaching team representing Peshawar Zalmi will soon travel to China for a seminar and coaching programmes to identify and groom young talent. Moreover, they will take part in tournaments organized by the Zalmi franchise under the initiative of Global Zalmi, a fan-based league of cricket enthusiasts with representative Zalmi clubs in over 25 countries around the world.

What’s next?

With the third season of the PSL scheduled early next year, it will be interesting to see how the players perform when they get their opportunity.

Author’s note

It is a positive move by Peshawar Zalmi to include the two players. It will not only motivate them to take up the sport but also strive for international recognition. This can prove to be a vital point in China’s cricketing matters.