South Africa all set for Pak-India rivalry

Indo-Pak fans get ready, as Javed Afridi's Benoni Zalmi is expected to face Shah Rukh Khan’s Cape Town Knight Riders in a highly anticipated opening match of Global T20 league in South Africa.

Afridi, who's Benoni Zalmi team logo was launched at a high school in the suburb east of Johannesburg on Friday, is building the match against SRK's Cape Town Knight Riders as a virtual Indo-Pak match which in his words would be a "marquee clash" in the first T20 global league in the continent.

The Zalmi owner talking to India Today said, "Today was a big day for me, personally. There was so much enthusiasm amongst the locals. These people from Benoni are the real owners of our franchise and not me."

Posters of Benoni vs Cape Town being 'the league's version of Pak vs India' and carrying photographs of Afridi and Shah Rukh are already doing the rounds in social media.

The Benoni Zalmi team will be led by Proteas opener and wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock.

"I own Peshawar Zalmi team in the PSL and so badly wished that IPL champions and my team, the PSL winners, should have three-match T20 series. Unfortunately, the present circumstances don't allow that to materialize,” he further said.

“ Inshallah, this could be a reality in future. But for now, I am happy and excited to see my Benoni team taking on SRK's Cape Town Knight Riders,” Afridi added.

“There is so much diaspora from both the countries in South Africa and neighbouring Zimbabwe too. This will be like an India vs Pakistan game. And, let us not forget that Delhi Daredevlis owner GMR Sports also own the Johannesburg franchise. So, there will be a lot of action in store," said Afridi.

The player draft is scheduled to be held on Saturday with Cricket South Africa (CSA) claiming that almost 400 players from 10 countries have confirmed their interest to participate in the new league.