THE excitement of any competition is built on strong rivalries, which are an integral part of the appeal and popularity of many sports.
The second edition of the Zim Afro T10 competition comes back to our shores this weekend, building on the rivalries of the first edition which saw Durban Qalanders crowned the inaugural champions.
The champions have returned for the second edition as Durban Wolves, the Joburg Buffaloes have morphed into Joburg Bangla Tigers, Harare Hurricanes have changed their name to Harare Bolts, Bulawayo Braves are now called Bulawayo Braves Jaguars.
Only Cape Town Samp Army have remained with their name from the first season.
The Zim Afro T10 family welcomes a new franchise, NYS Lagos, to further increase
Fans tend to be much more emotionally invested in games between rival teams. The heightened sense of competition and desire to see one’s team prevail over the other fuels passionate support and involvement from fans.
In the inaugural edition, local fans chose teams based on the city the team was named after, Zimbabwe players playing for the teams, some chose the team to support based on retired international legends playing for their team.
Others chose a team sorely on the appeal of the team’s anthem and Samp Army won many in this regard.
Zimbabwe white ball captain Sikandar Raza who was at the peak of his game and becoming one of the most sought after all-rounder in T20 franchise cricket, drew many people to his then franchise Bulawayo Braves.
It will be interesting to see if his loyal fans and some neutrals will follow Raza to his new franchise, Joburg Bangla Tigers.
Those that truly love and identify with Bulawayo Braves, who have rebranded to Bulawayo Braves Wolves, have every reason to stay with the franchise as they have managed to secure the services of the mercurial former Australia hard hitting opener, David Warner.
It also looks like Bulawayo Wolves recruitment department got it right on the Zimbabwe contingent of Richard Ngarava, Wessly Madhevere, Panashe Taruvinga, Wellington Masakadza, and Victor Chirwa.
This will surely bring in more fans to the franchise that got the wooden spoon in the first season.
Tadiwanshe Marumani who turned out for Samp Army, is one batter from Zimbabwe who in the first edition managed to put his case across to be considered for the Global T10 franchise leagues.
Lord Maru, as he is known by his legion of fans, has a huge local following, some genuinely like him and some through banter have to identify with the teams he plays for.
Last season the former Indian right hand batter Robin Uthappa and England World Cup winning captain Eoin Morgan brought support to Hurricanes in the last tournament
It will be interesting to see which team rivalry will add a compelling narrative and dramatic element to this year’s tournament by creating a captivating storyline that hooks fans and draws in casual audiences.
The 2024 tournament boasts of names like former New Zealand opener Colin Munro, Chris Lyn, Carlos Brathwaite and Dawid Malan and we can therefore anticipate some new rivalry which will heighten the entertainment value of the Zim Afro T10.
