Pakistan cricket icon Shahid Afridi is ready to entertain his passionate fans in the UAE in the third edition of the T10 League which is set to take place in Abu Dhabi.

Afridi was on Sunday unveiled as the icon player of the Qalandars who are the latest franchise to join the league along with Bangla Tigers. The 10-over format league came into existence in 2017 with its first two editions being held in Sharjah and the tournament has now moved base for the upcoming 2019 edition after signing a five-year deal with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council.

“I was very excited to be a part of it from the time I heard it was going to be played in Abu Dhabi,” the former Pakistan all-rounder was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

“The first two editions of T10 were in Sharjah and now it is in Abu Dhabi. We will be here to provide fans all the entertainment in this short format of the game.

“T10 is a different concept where batsmen will have to have a go from the start. It’s good to have some variety for the fans.”

The Qalandars T10 franchise has a close connection to Pakistan Super League (PSL) outfit Lahore Qalandars with both teams being owned by Pakistan businessman Fawad Rana.

“We the Qalandars are delighted to be joining the Abu Dhabi T10 league as we look forward to helping build a new legacy for cricket in the UAE capital,” Rana stated.

“The game is built on big stars and fast action, so the Qalandars are very excited for this opportunity to bring iconic players like Shahid Afridi to play here.”

The third edition of the T10 League is slated to get underway in November this year with England’s Eoin Morgan, Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan and West Indies’ Darren Sammy being some of the other stars to confirm their participation in the tournament.