Abu Dhabi League sees names like Mohammad Amir, Lasith Malinga being picked for lucrative price

The players who are set to light up Zayed Cricket Stadium for the inaugural Abu Dhabi T10 were locked into place at a glittering ceremony last night. The annual player draft in the nation’s capital saw 110 players allocated to eight teams, as well as a host of superstars unveiled for the first time.

“The lists of names have now grown into some formidable team sheets, and with everything now assembled, we can’t wait to experience the drama and passion of T10 cricket with local fans and those around the world.”

The newest addition to the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament, Team Abu Dhabi, made some well strategized decisions during the draft, placing an emphasis on a strong bowling side. With Moeen Ali already selected as the team’s icon player, the team had successful coups with Sri Lankan powerhouse Niroshan Dickwella, Kiwi all-rounder Corey Anderson, and left-handed fast bowler Mohammad Amir. The team will present a stiff bowling line-up for its opponents.

Revealed as the mystery eighth team, Team Abu Dhabi is supported by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, and will be trained by former England coach, Trevor Bayliss, and coach of the UAE National Cricket Team, Dougie Brown.

The West Indies all-rounder, Kieron Pollard, was quickly snapped up by the Deccan Gladiators. With Shane Watson as the icon player, the Gladiators favoured a team that was strongly led by all-rounders, with five eventually making it into the team. With a bowling line-up that mixed experience in the shape of Fawad Ahmed and the UAE’s Zahoor Khan with young talent such as England’s Mason Crane, the Deccan Gladiators adopted a varied line-up, allowing the team flexibility as they build up for the showpiece event.

The Gladiators’ first opponent on November 15 will be the Delhi Bulls, led by world-cup winning captain, Eoin Morgan. The Bulls pulled in former Pakistan captain, Shoaib Malik, to further buoy their strong batting line-up, which also includes Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi, Sri Lanka’s Kusal Perera, and Pakistan’s Aamer Yamin. England’s leg-spinning magician, Adil Rashid, was chosen to lead the bowling, which contains a variety of pace and spin. The team chose players from all corners of the globe, including Irishman Paul Sterling, the Dutchman Tobias Visee, and American Ali Khan, presenting a team with a strong mix of both batting power and bowling talent.

Similar to Team Qalandars, the Bangla Tigers opted to focus on big-hitting as their strategy for a chance to clutch the Abu Dhabi T10 Trophy, bringing in 12 players with impressive batting skills. Former limited-overs captain, Sri Lankan Thisara Perera, serves as the team’s icon player, and will be joined by names such as West Indies’ Andre Fletcher and South Africa’s Colin Ingram. The Tigers’ batsmen will be looking to pounce against the Deccan Gladiators in their first match of the tournament on November 16.

The Karnataka Tuskers took the opposite strategic tactic to the Tigers, opting for a team that places a heavy emphasis on a predominantly speedy bowling line-up. With icon player and big hitter Hashim Amla in attendance at the draw, the Tuskers brought on bowlers such as Nepalese Sandeep Lamichhane, promising English talent Pat Brown, and the slow-left orthodox Emirati player, Ahmed Raza. With batsmen joining Hashim at the crease including Evin Lewis and Johnson Charles, the Tuskers made sure they also had a strong batting powerhouse to provide stability in a format that can twist at each and every turn.