Malan cannot wait for Kiwis to join from IPL
IT WILL take baby steps for Middlesex to brush off a T20 Blast record that stands at 47 wins in 137 games – that’s according to new captain Dawid Malan.
The then Middlesex Crusaders won the competition – in its 14th edition this year – in 2008 but have only made it to the quarter-finals on one other occasion, a loss to the Leicestershire Foxes in 2005.
Brendon McCullum will add star quality next month after finishing his IPL stint with the Gujarat Lions, and with Malan taking over captaincy duties from England one-day skipper Eoin Morgan, he is excited about what lies ahead.
“You need to take baby steps, especially with the way we’ve been, and focus on every single game as if it’s a final,” said the 28-year-old, who toured with the England Lions in the winter.
“If we look too far ahead we are just going to shoot ourselves in the foot, especially with our team that is going to change week in, week out, with overseas players coming in and Irish internationals like Paul Stirling and things like that, we just have to take it game by game.
“Brendon is a superstar. The name he’s got in the short form of the game, the game in general, and the respect people have for him, is phenomenal.
“From my point of view it is going to be extremely exciting having him in the team and to be able to feed off him and pick his mind and see what he does and see if some of those things can help me in the way I approach a T20 campaign.
“It’s exciting for me, it’s something that I’ve wanted to do for ages. Fortunately Morgie stepped down and I was given the role from Angus [Fraser].”
Malan’s side open their 2016 T20 Blast campaign against Hampshire at Uxbridge tonight with Shahid Afridi set to be the visitors’ star man.
As well as beefing up their batting, Middlesex have brought in New Zealand fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan – when he too jets in from the IPL – and James Fuller, who won the 2015 One-Day Cup with Gloucestershire, to strengthen their attack.
“We would be naive if we went into a tournament not trying to win it, that is the ultimate goal,” added Malan.
“I am a massive believer that batsmen keep you in a game but the bowlers win you a game. By strengthening our bowling attack with Mitchell and James, it will be a massive asset.”
Elsewhere in the South Group, Essex visit Glamorgan and Sussex host Somerset on Wednesday. Essex and Glamorgan drew their County Championship Division Two fixture this week so bragging rights are still up for grabs as the south-east side look to kick-start their T20 Blast campaign, following an opening loss to Surrey.
The Sussex-Somerset game is guaranteed to attract the headlines though as Jim Allenby’s side welcome back the controversial Chris Gayle.
Gayle – in the headlines again this week after reportedly making crass comments to a female journalist – blasted 328 runs in three T20 appearances for Somerset last season.
The following evening sees Malan’s Middlesex take on Gloucestershire at Merchant Taylors’ School in Northwood, while Kent visit the Ageas Bowl for their clash with Hampshire.
Gloucestershire were left cursing the rain after losing their opening fixture by one run on Duckworth-Lewis to Sussex and will be looking to get their Blast campaign up and running with a win.
After losing out to eventual winners Lancashire Lightning in last season’s quarter-finals, Kent will be hoping to go further in this year’s competition and with Daniel Bell-Drummond and Joe Denly in the runs last week, could make it two wins from two.