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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Cricket keeps winning on and off the field as two of its international players — Blessing Muzarabani and Sikandar Raza — are among the overseas top names that have been nominated for the Australian T20 Big Bash 2022-23 season Player Draft.

Sikandar Raza

Big Bash 2022-23 will be conducted from December 2022 to January 2023 with the participation of eight teams, Adelaide Strikers, Brisbane Heat, Hobart Hurricanes, Melbourne Renegades, Melbourne Stars, Perth Scorchers, Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder.

The Big Bash overseas draft is set to take place “in the coming months”, with teams allowed to select three players each.

Entries have already opened to stars across the world.

The three teams who failed to qualify for last season’s knockout stages, Melbourne Stars, Brisbane Heat and Melbourne Renegades will be entered into a lottery to decide who gets picks one, two and three.

Clubs must sign at least two overseas players, and no more than three, while up to five replacement players can be selected during the competition but they must have been registered for the draft.

Raza and Muzarabani are among nominees for the top league together with other Zimbabweans Tawanda Muyeye and Eddie Byron. The latter duo are based in England.

Muyeye plays for Kent Cricket where he signed a three-year contract last year.

Raza has been in fantastic form for his national side. He is no stranger to the T20 leagues and has won a title with the Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League.

Muzarabani sustained a thigh muscle tear during the qualifying tournament held in Bulawayo earlier this month that Zimbabwe won to book their place at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 to be staged in Australia starting in October.

International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe on Tuesday won their first ever Twenty20 International series over Bangladesh after they held off the Asians by 10 runs in the third and final T20I at Harare Sports Club which saw the Chevrons clinch the three-match cricket series 2-1.

The result means that Dave Houghton has a perfect record in his latest stint as Zimbabwe coach which has seen him win seven and lose just one out of eight matches he has presided over since taking over the role from Lalchand Rajput.

— @innocentskizoe