ILT20 2024: Pakistan spearhead Shaheen Afridi roped in by Desert Vipers

Dubai, August 14: Pakistan pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi has been roped in by Desert Vipers as the first player in the new players signings list for the DP World International League T20 (ILT20) Season 2.

Shaheen also becomes the first Paksitan player to be signed up by a franchise in the ILT20. The pacer has made a stunning impression around the world with his pacy left-arm deliveries, picking 229 wickets in 161 T20s.

"I am excited to join the Desert Vipers. I know there are many Pakistan cricket fans in the UAE, and I hope they will support our team in the upcoming DP World ILT20," Shaheen said in a statement.

Since his T20I debut in 2018, Shaheen has made phenomenal progress across formats. Last year, he was adjudged the ICC Player of the Year and earned The Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy - the biggest ICC annual award for a cricketer.

His international wickets tally stands at 239 (105 Tests, 70 ODIs and 64 T20Is). Shaheen has a real knack of taking wickets at the start of his bowling spells, the 23-year-old has so far captured 42 first over wickets in the T20 format.

Shaheen's signing adds even more value and quality to an already star-studded line-up of T20 stars in the squad of the Desert Vipers, the finalists of DP World ILT20 season 1.

The Vipers have succeeded in retaining some of the biggest names in the global T20 circuit including last year's top run-getter Alex Hales (Green Belt winner) as well as the likes of Colin Munro and Wanindu Hasaranga among others. Here is a look at the Desert Vipers Squad as it stands:

Desert Vipers Squad For ILT20 2024

Alex Hales (England), Ali Naseer (UAE), Colin Munro (New Zealand), Dinesh Chandimal (Sri Lanka), Gus Atkinson (England), Luke Wood (England), Matheesha Pathirana (Sri Lanka), Rohan Mustafa (UAE), Sheldon Cottrell (West Indies), Sherfane Rutherford (West Indies), Tom Curran (England), Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka), Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan).

The full list of new signings for ILT20 Season 2 will be unveiled in the next few days with the tournament being scheduled to take place in January-February 2024 window.

Andre Russell, Sikandar Raza, Chris Lynn, Kieron Pollard and Chris Woakes are amongst a whole host of the T20 bigwigs who will showcase their prowess in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah in the DP World ILT20 Season 2 with more big names to be unveiled soon.