16 UAE cricketers all set to showcase talent at T10 League

dubai — Eight franchise teams have picked up the top 16 UAE cricketers through a draft to complete their respective 16-member squads in preparation for their bid to win the second season of the T10 League that takes place at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

These 16 players have been chosen through a UAE-wide Talent Hunt for the T10 League.

Defending champions of the first T10 League, Kerala Knights have chosen Muhammad Naveed and Abdul Shakoor, to bolster their chances of retaining the title, while last year’s runners-up Punjabi Legends have selected two accomplished UAE players Shaiman Anwar and Sandy Singh to their side.

Bengal Tigers picked up Chirag Suri and Muhammad Usman while newcomers Sindhis opted for Ahmad Raza and Ghulam Shabbir to bolster their chances at the upcoming T10 League.

Zahoor Khan and Amir Hayat will play in Maratha Arabians while last while Pakhtoons selected Hafiz Kaleem and Sheer Walli. Rajputs picked up Rohan Mustafa and Ashfaq Ahmed while Northern Warriors have picked Imran Haider and Rahul Bhatia at the draw.

Shaji Ul Mulk, chairman of T10 League, said: “These 16 UAE cricketers have been selected through a rigorous country-wide Talent Hunt to promote UAE cricketers and give them a chance to prove themselves in a competitive international tournament like the T10 League.

“While the game of cricket is becoming a popular sport and more and more international cricket leagues are taking place in the UAE, we want to help develop local talents in cricket and give them international exposure so that the country could boost its prospects and become one of the top cricketing teams in the world.

“This is the beginning of a long journey and we want the UAE to be very much part of the global cricket movement.”

With the selection of the two UAE cricketers, each team is now complete with 16 players including the Icon Player, of which 11 players will play on a given match to bid for the cup.

Welcoming the UAE cricketers, Saadullah Khan, managing director and partner of the T10 League, said, “The selection of the UAE cricketers in the T10 League, reflects our strong commitment to the UAE and in developing domestic cricket.

“In the years to come, we will promote more UAE cricketers in the international competitive tournaments so that they could become global icons and raise the profile of the UAE in the global sports map.”