Eight of the leading cricket teams from beyond the Test arena will play for the first Desert T20 title this week, starting when Scotland play Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. The players might be lesser known than those from the tier above, but the new Twenty20 competition is not short of talent. Here are five players to keep an eye on.
Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)
The leg spinner is brilliant to watch — other than from 22 yards away, presumably. A revelation since debuting for Afghanistan in Zimbabwe in 2015, he takes a wicket every 16 balls on average in Twenty20 internationals. He is well suited to UAE conditions, too. On his first-class debut, against England Lions in Abu Dhabi last month, he took 12 wickets, and scored a 50 to boot.
Kyle Coetzer (Scotland)
The opening batsman recently succeeded the retired Preston Mommsen as Scotland captain. He will be leading them in the tournament opener against Hong Kong at a venue that holds happy memories for him. Playing for Durham in the floodlit, season-opening match against MCC in 2010, he scored a century at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.
Kevin O’Brien (Ireland)
Cricketers beyond the Test sphere get pitifully few chances to shine on the biggest stages. None has taken their opportunity more boldly than O’Brien managed at the 2011 World Cup in India. The powerhouse of Ireland’s middle order still holds the record for the fastest ever World Cup century, made in 50 balls against England.
Paul van Meekeren (Netherlands)
A product of age-group cricket in the Netherlands, Van Meekeren, who turns 24 on Saturday, was outstanding during the World T20 in India last year. His reward was a professional contract to play county cricket in England. His summer with Somerset was headlined by the three wickets he took against Pakistan on debut.
Rohan Mustafa (UAE)
An oasis of excellence in an otherwise deserted landscape for UAE batting of late. To show his consistency has not gone unnoticed, Mustafa has been named as the national team’s vice-captain for the Desert T20. “We have some stars, and Rohan is in very good form, and has been performing very well for UAE lately,” Amjad Javed, the UAE captain, said.
