Hong Kong’s best cricketers to battle it out in 3-game All Star series
- HK Islanders and Kowloon Lions to play first of three 50-over games on Saturday at the Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground
- Babar Hayat and Nizakat Khan will captain the two 16-man squads
Hong Kong’s best cricketers play the first of three 50-over All Star games on Saturday, in a series initially intended to help national team coach Trent Johnston with his selection ahead of the ICC Challenge League B tournament in Uganda.
Originally scheduled for January, that competition has been postponed until later in the year and is now expected to take place before or after the global qualifiers for next year’s T20 World Cup.
In total, 32 players have been divided into two squads for the Epic Group All Stars Series, with Babar Hayat captaining the HK Islanders, and Nizakat Khan taking charge of the Kowloon Lions.
Both teams have a mix of players who have represented the city internationally, and younger players seen as being potential stars of the future.
Kowloon Cricket Club captain Jamie Aktinson joins his club teammate Hayat in the Islanders side, as does Ateeg Iqbal and Haroon Arshad.
Nizakat Khan, meanwhile, can call upon the bowling talents of Aizaz Khan and the up and coming Ayush Shukla for Kowloon Lions.
The two other games in the series will be held next Thursday, and on Sunday, December 19. All the matches are being played at the Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground.