Success of T10 League Season 2 has established game as part of UAE sporting landscape

Northern Warriors' Hardus Viljoen takes the wicket of Pakhtoons' Colin Ingram. Chris Whiteoak / The National

There was much to cheer about the second season of the T10 League. There was a cast of highly-respected, exciting players involved, for starters.

The batsmen, more or less across the board, hit new levels of performance, the like of which were previously considered inconceivable.

On at least two occasions it was only the fact a run-chase had been completed, rather than the overs running out, that prevented batsmen reaching centuries. It is a tantalising landmark, but the batsmen this year showed it might be just about possible to score a century in a 10-over game.

The best bowlers found a way to stay relevant, too. There was a five-wicket haul, and, in the final, an off-spin bowler swung the game in his side’s favour with 2-11 off two overs. If an off-spinner can do it, then no-one else really has grounds for complaint.

And there were some players who emerged from the shadows of more famous peers to find a new level of celebrity.

Hardus Viljoen, a one-Test wonder for South Africa, was picked up as a replacement player by Northern Warriors in the lead up to the tournament. He ended it as its pre-eminent player, with 18 wickets from the 18 overs he bowled.

His colleague, Chris Green, was the spin-bowler who turned the final. Green has yet to play international cricket for Australia in any format.

And Nicholas Pooran, who has just five West Indies T20 International caps to his name, gave clear evidence he has a big future ahead of him, with a string of batting blitzkriegs.

1 Andre Fletcher (Pakhtoon) Consecutive scores of 68 not out, and three successive man of the match awards set the tone for a fine tournament for the Grenadian opener. Chris Whiteoak / The National

2 Alex Hales (Maratha Arabians) Set the record for the highest score in the format when he made 87 not out against Bengal Tigers, and he was the fourth highest run-getter overall. Satish Kumar for The National

3 Nicholas Pooran (Northern Warriors) The outstanding batsmen, with string of match-winning knocks – none more scintillating than the 25-ball 77 against Punjabi Legends. Chris Whiteoak / The National

4 Rovman Powell (Northern Warriors) Few players hit the ball harder anywhere in the world game than the broad-shouldered Jamaican, who made 61 not out in the final. Chris Whiteoak / The National

5 Mohammed Usman (Bengal Tigers) UAE players struggled to get noticed in this tournament, but Usman shone in the two matches he played – with the second highest strike-rate in the tournament.

6 Shahid Afridi (Pakhtoons) Still the greatest crowd-puller for matches in Sharjah, 22 years after he first started coming here with Pakistan. A match winner with bat and ball. Chris Whiteoak / The National

7 Dwayne Bravo (Maratha Arabians), right. The Maratha captain was his usual reliable self with the ball. His 10-wicket haul was the second best in the tournament, and his economy rate of 9.75 was by no means poor. Getty Images

8 Chris Green (Northern Warriors) Bowling off-spin must be a difficult job in the T10 slogathon, but the Australian thrived. Not least in the final, when he took two for 11, including the decisive wicket of Fletcher. Chris Whiteoak / The National

9 Hardus Viljoen (Northern Warriors) Eventually named player of the tournament, the South African quick bowler had the remarkable record of 18 wickets in the 18 overs he bowled. Chris Whiteoak / The National

10 Zahir Khan (Punjabi Legends) The left-arm wrist-spinner from Afghanistan was named the tournament’s leading emerging player. He managed eight wickets and one of the more miserly economy rates.

11 Pravin Tambe (Sindhis) The 47-year-old Indian only played four games, but his legend was sealed in the first one, where he took a hat-trick, and five for 15 in all. Not bad, given his first two balls amounted to five wides. Chris Whiteoak / The National

All of which is the cricket. Which goes to show, T10 does just about allow enough scope for the sport to market itself.

A year earlier, T10 had made a splash on debut, but had at times appeared a gaudy vanity project – almost literally an advert rather than a sporting event.

This time around, there was less airtime for the celebrities flown in from the subcontinent. There were no sponsored dot-balls or boundaries.

The cricketers were generally left to be the entertainment. Smart move, given the likes of Mohammed Shahzad, Alex Hales, Rashid Khan, Hazratullah Zazai and Jonny Bairstow were members of the cast.

Shaji Ul Mulk, the chairman and founder of T10, seemed content in the aftermath of Season 2.

“T10 is unique in itself,” he said. “It more complements the other leagues than competes or ranks against them.

“Ideas are many, but proof of concept was achieved last year and consolidated this year.

“Here is the real achievement. Now the world is talking about what T10 is all about. The players love it.

“That is the real achievement as far as T10 is concerned. Yes, for us looking ahead, we would not be surprised if there is a T10 World Cup and a T10 Olympics.”

Northern Warriors lift the trophy after their victory. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Warriors celebrate with the trophy. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A jubilant Warriors side after defeating Pakhtoons. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Warriors' Nicholas Pooran at the crease. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Warriors' Hardus Viljoen takes the wicket of Pakhtoons' Colin Ingram. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Fans during the game between between Pakhtoons and Northern Warriors. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Warriors' Rovman Powell makes his 50. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Pakhtoons' Shahid Afridi bats. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Warriors' Hardus Viljoen takes the wicket of Pakhtoons' Colin Ingram. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Warriors' Andre Russell celebrates their win. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Grand plans, then, but at least the UAE-based league will stay as it is for the foreseeable. Ul Mulk said the event will remain an eight-team league, with a broadly similar, 12-day timespan next year, and will only be re-evaluated in “two to three years”.

The league is already starting to feel like an established part of the UAE sporting landscape, and its sponsors say they are committed to growing the format further.

“Although I am new to cricket, the enthusiasm and passion that I have seen among the crowd tells me that this game deserves fresh capital, resources and strong corporate support to grow and I am happy that our organisation has taken this as seriously,” Sami Al Refai, the director of Ghalia Group, said.

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Read more:

Hardus Viljoen explains joy of dismissing Shahid Afridi in T10 League final

Northern Warriors beat Pakhtoons to win T10 League title in Sharjah

The Cricket Pod: T10 League proves it has place in game's calendar