GLT20 Canada 2019: Brampton Wolves picks Shakib Al Hasan for the upcoming edition

Shakib Al Hasan, the dynamic Bangladesh all-rounder, has been picked to play for the Brampton Wolves in the second edition of the GLT20 Canada. The tournament is set to get underway on July 25 and will take place until August 11. The 32-year-old Shakib is a massive pick in the drafts as the southpaw is currently the second-ranked all-rounder in the ICC rankings of the T20I format.

Shakib is a veteran in T20 cricket, having played franchise cricket across the globe for a number of years. In 298 matches, the Jessore-born has scored 4,763 runs at an average of 20.98 with a top score of 86 not out. He also has 18 half-centuries to his name in the format. Furthermore, the left-hander has 346 wickets in the format and the numbers are a testament to why he is deemed as one of the greatest all-rounders.

Though Bangladesh is yet to establish itself as a formidable T20 team, Shakib has done his bit for them in the shortest version of the game. In 72 T20Is, Shakib has 1,471 runs with eight half-centuries. Furthermore, he is currently the Tigers’ leading-wicket taker in T20I cricket, having scalped 88 wickets with his best figures reading 5/20 versus the Windies last year in December in Dhaka.

Vancouver Knights – champions of the first edition

Last year, the inaugural edition of the T20 championship took place from the end of June to the mid of July. This time around, the games start from the last week of July in order to avoid a clash with the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales, which is currently underway. The Wolves have come in place of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) B team.

Earlier, a team by the name of New York Legends was set to be CWI’s replacement, but that idea was later shelved by the tournament authorities. Vancouver Knights are the defending champions as they beat the CWI B team by seven wickets in the final at the Maple Leaf North-West Ground in King City. This time around the T20 extravaganza will take place at Brampton in Ontario.