The Abu Dhabi T10 will be back for its sixth edition at the end of November, promising a fresh start in the form of two new franchises.
There will be a distinct American flavour this season with the addition of two new teams from across the Atlantic – New York Strikers and Morrisville Samp Army.
Both teams have a strong presence in American cricket and are looking to expand their global presence.
The team from New York may be new but enter the tournament with some heavy hitters from franchise cricket. They will be captained by West Indies legend Kieron Pollard and supported by the likes of England great Eoin Morgan, Pakistan quick Wahab Riaz and Ireland veteran Paul Stirling.
For Strikers coach Carl Crowe, the mix of youth and experience in the side is one of its strong points.
"The beauty of our squad is the mix of youth and experience," the Englishman said. "Guys like Pollard, Morgan, Riaz, Ravi Rampaul ... these guys have fantastic experience in World Cups, winning important tournaments. We also have some exciting youngsters like Akeal Hosein, Tom Hartley, Izharulhaq Naveed, players who have done well in franchise tournaments.
"With Polly as captain, he is going to be crucial in deciding team make-up, balance. We are really pleased with that. We wanted a well-balanced team, and we got that."
Since T10 is a condensed version of an already hectic 20-over format, the requirements for it are equally bespoke. Coach Crowe said practice for the 10-over format has to show the same level of urgency that is required during the game.
"One of the exciting things about T10 is that you have to get going straightaway. Your practice needs to reflect that. When you are bowling, you don't ease into it. In batting, you might get a short time to bat. But you are practising for game time from ball one.
"The game moves very quickly, and your practice must reflect that. With that, while the game is moving quickly, you have to be calm inside your head."
Team owner Sagar Khanna is equally excited about the new venture. The prospect of moving outside the familiarity of the American market and into the Gulf region fills him with excitement.
"We are a successful franchise in US and had to take a step outside. We have won many championships in the US. Our vision is to take the franchise globally. Abu Dhabi T10 is very popular and good step for us. The UAE is the hub for franchise and international cricket as well."
The team will have former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh as mentor. The tournament will take place from November 23 to December 4.
Abu Dhabi T10 team of the tournament for 2021
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1). Evin Lewis (Delhi Bulls) - 216 runs; 242.69 strike rate. Unfortunately for Delhi he only stayed for a good time and not a long time in the final. Hit his first ball for six, but did not stick around past the third over. He had been destructive at the top of the order. All photos Courtesy Abu Dhabi Cricket -
2). Mohammed Wasim (Northern Warriors, UAE) - 212 runs; 225.53 strike rate. Not yet a UAE international, but it won’t be long now. By the end of his breakout tournament, the commentators were saying he and Pooran were the key men for the Northern Warriors. That is illustrious company. Courtesy Abu Dhabi Cricket -
3). Nicholas Pooran (Northern Warriors, wicketkeeper) - 241 runs; 243.43 strike rate. The pocket powerhouse has a fair claim to being regarded as the leading player in the short history of T10 cricket to date. His six hitting caught the eye, but he excelled as a leader, too. -
4). Sohail Akhtar (Qalandars) - 248 runs; 187.7 strike rate. Continued his affinity with Abu Dhabi. It was there that he captained the Qalandars to their first silverware, in the AD T20 festival a few seasons back. The leading run-scorer. -
5). Rovman Powell (Northern Warriors) - 192 runs; 240 strike rate. Given his frenzied pitch invasion when they beat Team Abu Dhabi on the last ball of the eliminator, this tournament obviously meant a lot to him. Apt that he hit the winning runs in the final. -
6). Fabian Allen (Northern Warriors) - 11 wickets; 9.81 economy. It was no fun being a spinner in this tournament. Rohan Mustafa and Sultan Ahmed were thriftier, but Allen’s wickets were crucial in getting his side to the final. -
7). Obed McCoy (Team Abu Dhabi) - 10 wickets; 8.17 economy. Other than the UAE players, McCoy was the find of the tournament. The young West Indian left-armer has a slower ball that should be punching tickets to the big leagues. -
8. Ali Khan (Delhi Bulls) - Seven wickets; 8.93 economy. Deprived a shot at a hat-trick by a combination of split webbing on his bowling hand and a tight hamstring. He had figures of three for none off five balls at that point. Courtesy photo -
9). Shiraz Ahmed (Delhi Bulls, UAE) - Three wickets; 7.67 economy. Had a great commendation before the tournament even started when Andy Flower took him to his new franchise, after they won the title together last season. He repaid his coach’s faith admirably. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
10). Junaid Siddique (Northern Warriors, UAE) - 11 wickets; 11.50 economy. Only Jamie Overton (12) took more wickets than the UAE pacer. In the final, he took the crucial scalps of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sherfane Rutherford -
11). Zahoor Khan (Deccan Gladiators, UAE) - Six wickets; 8.27 economy. Surely a move to one of the world’s biggest T20 franchise leagues must be beckoning? He exerts extraordinary control in the T10 format every season.
