ISLAMABAD: Two Chinese cricket players have been drafted to play in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) next year, giving a boost to the fledgling sport in China. The two players of China national cricket team will represent Peshawar Zalmi Team in the next edition Pakistan Super League.

According to the management of Peshawar Zalmi, the team has decided to include two Chinese cricketers Jian Li and Yufei Zhang in its squad. Both the players will be a part of the Zalmi squad for the third edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) scheduled to begin in February 2018.

A ceremony was held in Islamabad for drafting the players for Peshawar Zalmi team. The ceremony was also attended by former Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Zhang Chunxiang.

Both the players have already been selected from the Chinese national team and a formal contract will be signed by the head of Peshawar Zalmi, Javed Afridi during his visit to Beijing this month.

“Peshawar Zalmi is not only pleased to assist in top notch coaching and mentoring of cricketers in China, but also providing them a platform to recognise their talent and motivate them to achieve international recognition,” Zalmi's owner Javed Afridi said.

He said that Pakistan’s sports goods are famous all over the world and Pakistani businessmen could find a new market for their products by introducing cricket in China. “China is a huge market for sports items and Pakistan traders could create a new market by exporting cricket and footballs kits,” he added.

Muhammad Akram, the director of cricketing affairs for Peshawar Zalmi, said that the team's coaching staff will travel to China for a seminar to kick off collaboration with the Chinese board and hold coaching programs subsequently to identify and groom young Chinese talent.

He added that both the Chinese players will learn a lot from the other internationals cricketers during the third season of PSL in February next year.

China has both men and women cricket teams, which took part in some international tournaments but didn’t get any achievement so far to make a mark.