AP

Former West Indies captain Chris Gayle will play for the KZN Dolphins.

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A host of international players, including Paul Collingwood, Brad Hogg and Chris Gayle, are expected to make appearances in the newly packaged T20 Challenge which gets underway on Wednesday.

Following a worldwide trend, the rules allow for two overseas players in each team, adding spice to the domestic competition and attracting bigger audiences to the stadiums.

With the ICC World Twenty20 tournament in Sri Lanka later in the year, South African players will be keen to showcase their talents, hoping to secure a place in the national squad.

A seventh team has been added to the competition, made up of fringe players from the provincial outfits.

“It's all about developing and exposing the talent in South Africa,” said Corrie van Zyl, Cricket SA's general manager of cricket.

“There is an abundance of players in this country and too many of them were slipping through the cracks.”

As a younger, less experienced side, Impi, who will be based in Benoni, are permitted to include four foreign players but, as yet, have only signed former England T20 captain Paul Collingwood as their captain and Dutch all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate.

Highveld Lions coach Dave Nosworthy said it was hard work whittling down his squad to just 16 players.

“We have so much depth and many players with plenty of talent in our wider cricketing net,” Nosworthy said.

“Nevertheless, we have had to narrow down the squad to suit the requirements and I believe that we have managed to put together a winning combination.”

He said the squad was a well-balanced unit and had what was required to compete at the highest level in T20 cricket.

“One of our real strong points is that we have had a core of the same players over the last few seasons,” Nosworthy said.

“Everybody knows each other's roles and strengths.”

The Lions have contracted Australian left-arm fast bowler Dirk Nannes and Pakistani spinner Sohail Tanvir as their two overseas players.

The Cape Cobras have retained Englishman Owais Shah and enticed 41-year-old Hogg to join their outfit, while West Indian big hitter Gayle is likely to turn out for the Dolphins.

The intense schedule of 42 group matches kicks off with defending champions the Cape Cobras up against the Warriors in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday night.

All the other teams will play their opening games of the six-week tournament on Friday evening. – Sapa