Today's Edition
Kuumar Shyam (Dubai)
Taking a cue from the Indian Premier League and other franchise tournaments in the world, the UAE's own flagship event, the International League T20 has launched a nationwide talent hunt to establish a feeder line.
A Developing Tournament has been organised to spot the talent for ILT20, which is the second richest league in the cricket world after the IPL. When it made its debut in January and February, the ILT20 went all out to promote domestic players by stipulating a mandatory four players in each of the six franchises participating. An additional two cricketers from the Associate member nations were also made binding on the team owners.
Now the first ILT20 Development Tournament, to be held from September 30 in Dubai, will provide a golden opportunity for players – even those who have played internationals (ODIs and T20Is) – to showcase their talent and impress the scouts at the DP World ILT20 franchises for selection to Season 2.
So far, the six franchises have retained 11 UAE players as part of their squads for Season 2. This means 13 spots are still up for grabs.
The 11 players retained are: Ali Naseer (Desert Vipers), Aayan Afzal Khan (Gulf Giants), Junaid Siddique (Sharjah Warriors), Matiullah (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Mohammad Waseem (MI Emirates), Muhammad Jawadullah (Sharjah Warriors), Raja Akif (Dubai Capitals), Rohan Mustafa (Desert Vipers), Sabir Ali (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Sanchit Sharma (Gulf Giants) and Zahoor Khan (MI Emirates).
Like ILT20, there will be six teams in the supplementary competition. Each team will play five matches in the group stage. The top four sides at the end of the group stage will progress to the semi-finals. The group stage matches will be played at the ICC Academy Grounds. The tournament schedule and the final squads will be announced in the next few days.
Each team will include 14 players overseen by experienced support staff and picked through a player draft which will take place next week. More than 300 domestic players have signed up for the draft.
The Emirates Cricket Board's Development Manager and Tournament Director of the ILT20 Development Tournament, Andy Russell will oversee the selection process.
ECB General Secretary Mubashshir Usmani said: "This initiative is truly a life changing opportunity for these players. I am confident that the tournament will be hugely beneficial for the growth of the game and will become a launch pad for participation in the DP World ILT20 as well as aiding in identification and selection of players for UAE's men's teams in the years ahead."
