Zimbabwe Cricket has lured two more English players to its domestic Twenty20 competition ahead of its launch on Friday.

Sussex offspinner Ollie Rayner and Kent allrounder Darren Stevens both arrived in Harare on Wednesday and will play Twenty20 cricket for the Midwest Rhinos.

The franchise already has England hopeful Rikki Wessels, the son of former South Africa and Australia international Kepler Wessels, on its books.

ZC wants to attract foreign professionals to its domestic league in a bid to revive the sport in the southern African nation and raise playing standards.

Former Australia allrounder Ian Harvey arrived in Zimbabwe last week to take over as coach of the Southern Rocks.

"We want to showcase to the world that Zimbabwe is back," Harvey told The Associated Press at the tournament launch on Wednesday. "We want to show that Zimbabwe deserves to play test cricket again."

Harvey, who lives in the UK, quipped when asked why he agreed to come to Zimbabwe.

"I currently live in the UK _ look at the weather there now, and the sun here," he said. "When they asked me to come down (to Zimbabwe), I was pretty much on the next flight.

"It's good to help Zimbabwe cricket return to where it's supposed to be."

The gradual improvement of Zimbabwe's political and social environment has been reflected in cricket, a game once rocked by corruption, racism and internal conflicts in the country which resulted in a mass exodus of experienced players and administrators.

Other foreign personnel who have been in Zimbabwe since the domestic season began are former England bowler Chris Silverwood, who coaches Mashonaland _ the country's strongest province, and Kenya internationals Steve Tikolo and Thomas Odoyo, who both play for Southern Rocks.

ZC has also brought back exiled locally born players like Hampshire's Greg Lamb and Sean Ervine and Gloucestershire's Anthony Ireland.

Lamb has been in good form for Mashonaland, while Ervine scored a double century and another hundred in two innings for Rocks on his return last week.

Former Zimbabwe players Andy Blignaut and Douglas Marillier, who quit the professional game four years ago, will also take part in the Twenty20 competition.

By Staff reporter and agencies