Hants pick Maxwell, Afridi in Champions League squad

By Bruce Talbot

Hampshire have included Glenn Maxwell and Shahid Afridi in their 15-man squad for the ICC Champions League Twenty20 in South Africa next month.

They effectively replace Neil McKenzie and Simon Katich, who are both playing at the Champions League for their domestic T20 sides, the Highveld Lions and the Perth Scorchers respectively, having helped the Royals to win last month’s Friends Life t20.

Maxwell's power-hitting was a big factor in Hampshire's qualification from the group stage, and since those blistering performances with the bat he has also starred on the international stage following a call-up by Australia.

His signing is a real coup for the county as he could also have played the for Delhi Daredevils, for whom he played two games in this year’s Indian Premier League.

Afridi is available for Hampshire for the first time since failing to see off Somerset with bat and ball in last year’s FLt20 semi-final Super Over at Edgbaston.

The Royals play their Champions League qualifiers against the Auckland Aces and Sialkot Stallions on October 10 and 11, at Centurion and Johannesburg respectively.

Hampshire Royals squad: Shahid Afridi, Adams, Ervine, Dawson, Vince, Carberry, Bates, Mascarenhas, Griffiths, Briggs, Wood, Maxwell, Kabir Ali, Riazuddin, Shafayat




Date: 14/09/2012 10:33:29 by Bruce Talbot
In: Today | Hampshire |