ILT20: UAE spin twins Aayan Khan and Zuhaib Zubair steal show for holders

Gulf Giants maintain chance of title defence thanks to two young spinners from Sharjah

Aayan Khan of Gulf Giants celebrates the wicket of Sikandar Raza of Dubai Capitals during match 24 of the DP World International League T20. ILT20

With their DP World International League T20 title defence on the line on Wednesday night, there were any number of world stars the Gulf Giants captain, James Vince, could have thrown the ball to.

World Cup-winning England quick Chris Jordan had overs in the bank. Towering Zimbabwe seamer Blessing Muzarabani, too. Dominic Drakes, the up-and-coming Barbadian, was grazing in the outfield awaiting his chance.

Instead, with Dubai Capitals requiring 55 from 45 balls and the in-form Sikandar Raza on strike, Vince decided to go local.

He handed the ball to his 18-year-old left-armer from Sharjah, Aayan Khan. The youngster repaid his captain’s faith, getting the first ball he bowled through Sikandar for the wicket which spun the game in the holders’ favour.

Then Vince doubled down on the theory. Two spin-bowling whizkids from Sharjah are better than one, after all.

Zuhaib Zubair was brought on in concert with Aayan, and he, too, spun a web. The 20-year-old leg-spinner took one for 16 from his four overs, while his mate at the other end managed a miserly two for eight from his three.

“He is so good, he makes games like this easy when he takes two or three wickets early on,” Aayan said of Zubair. “It helps others and me as well.”

Vince’s decision was an informed one. Only a few nights earlier, the UAE spin duo had taken six for 38 in seven overs between them to set up a landslide win over Sharjah Warriors.

When they subsequently managed five for 24 as a partnership to set up a 19-run win over the Capitals, it helped right a season that had been listing badly.

The Giants had been in danger of missing out on the play-offs until that point. Now, with two games remaining, they are sitting relatively comfortably in third place.

Aayan and Zubair might be starting to make names for themselves beyond the confines of UAE cricket, but they were already well appreciated by their teammates.

After each crucial intervention they have been ambushed by some of the stars of the world game. Shimron Hetmyer, the Guyanese batter who is an IPL regular, has rushed to embrace both whenever they have tasted success.

“He is a very good bowler,” Hetmyer said of Zubair, who is as yet uncapped by the UAE. “I was actually pretty surprised when I faced him in practice for the first time.

“He was really good, pitching the ball in good areas, and I am really happy for him. He is a really good UAE prospect and I can’t wait to see him playing some international cricket for UAE as well.”

Andy Flower, the Giants coach, pointed out at the start of the competition that having strong local players is key to success in the ILT20.

Sides must have a minimum of two UAE players in their starting XI in the ILT20. They have all limited themselves to that number, and yet local players are over-represented in many of the accepted metrics for success.

Muhammad Waseem, the UAE captain, is vying with his MI Emirates teammate Nicholas Pooran to be the leading run-scorer in the competition.

There are also four UAE bowlers in the top seven of the bowling averages, including the Giants spin twins.

While Zubair might be new to all this, Aayan is well used to it already – remarkably, given his youth. He played in the side which won the first ILT20 last year, as well as the GT20 Canada, in a side containing many of his Giants colleagues.

“There’s been great support from every single teammate and I am glad I had a great day like this,” Aayan said after his thrifty two-wicket salvo against the Capitals.

“I felt good that I took those two early wickets and on top of that my team kept having faith in my abilities, backing me to eventually help defend such a low-scoring total. It is my third league with them and it feels good.”