T10 League 2017: Meet the teams

Paul Radley breaks down the leading player, top pick and UAE hopeful of five Pakistani teams

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - November 5th, 2017: Sarfraz Ahmed at the T10 draft. Sunday, November 5th, 2017 at Dubai Marina, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
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What: T10 League 2017

When: December 14 to 17, at Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Schedule:

December 14 - 6pm, opening ceremony, followed by:

  • Bengal Tigers v Kerala Kings
  • Maratha Arabians v Pakhtoons

December 15

  • Bengal Tigers v Punjabi Legends, 4pm
  • Maratha Arabians v Team Sri Lanka, 6pm
  • Punjab Legends v Kerala Kings, 8pm
  • Pakhtoons v Team Sri Lanka, 10pm

December 16

  • 1st in Group A v 3rd in Group B, 4pm
  • 3rd in Group A v 1st in Group B, 6pm
  • 2nd v Group A v 2nd in Group B, 8pm
  • 5/6th place playoff, 10pm

December 17

5.30pm, 1st semi-final – Team 1 v Team 4, followed by second semi-final and final

Tickets: Available online at q-tickets.com/t10 and at branches of UAE Exchange, Al Fardan Exchange, Al Ghurair Exchange, Leopards Courier, and Karachi Darbar.

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The teams

Maratha Arabians

Leading player: Virender Sehwag (India) - The only Indian player of note in the league, Sehwag has not played since the Masters Champions League in the UAE last year.

Top pick: Mohammed Amir (Pakistan) - The storied left-arm pace bowler was the first player recruited at the draft, on a yacht in Dubai Marina last month.

UAE hopeful: Zahoor Khan. Shaiman Anwar, the UAE's most experienced batsman, is the other locally-based Arabians player, but seamer Zahoor might have more chances.

The UAE will play their first home one-day international against a full member side in 24 years when they face Ireland in Dubai on Thursday. Satish Kumar / The National
The UAE will play their first home one-day international against a full member side in 24 years when they face Ireland in Dubai on Thursday. Satish Kumar / The National

Bengal Lions

Leading player: Sarfraz Ahmed (Pakistan) - Sarfraz has not played many significant innings of late. Most things he has done as captain have turned to gold, though.

Late pick: David Miller (South Africa) - Sunil Narine was the first draft pick for Bengal. When he opted out, they managed to secure a high-pedigree - if not like for like - replacement in David Miller.

UAE hopeful: Mohammed Naveed. The pace bowler has the best T20 international economy rate of anyone apart from Afghanistan's Rashid Khan in the past two years.

Eoin Morgan will take whatever practice he can get ahead of the ODI series in Australia. Reuters
Eoin Morgan will take whatever practice he can get ahead of the ODI series in Australia. Reuters

Kerala Kings

Leading player: Eoin Morgan (England) - En route to Australia where he will captain England's limited-overs team, he will get his eye in in Sharjah first.

Top pick: Kieron Pollard (West Indies) - The Trinidadian strongman has made a career out of pyrotechnic cameos in the shortest formats of the game

UAE hopeful: Rohan Mustafa. A major force behind the national team's remarkable renaissance in 2017, Mustafa is looking forward to playing for his hero, Morgan.

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Shahid Afridi, right, has long been one of Pakistan's limited-overs cricketers. Nigel Roddis / Getty Images
Shahid Afridi, right, has long been one of Pakistan's limited-overs cricketers. Nigel Roddis / Getty Images

Pakhtoons

Leading player: Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) - It almost feels as though Afridi's retirement was so keenly felt, they invented a new format just to keep him going.

Top pick: Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan) - Now world renown thanks to his Champions Trophy exploits with Pakistan, but he first forged his name on these pitches in the PSL.

UAE hopeful: Amjad Javed. The pace bowler was stellar for the UAE in the Asia Cup T20 in Bangladesh last year. Now back on a similar stage, he could thrive.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES-ABU DHABI: UAE's Ghulam Shabber, (R) bats during Match UAE vs Nepal, ICC World Cricket League Championship at Abu Dhabi, Dec 6 2017 on December 6, 2017, NEZAR BALOUT
UAE batsman Ghulam Shabber, right, will represent Pakhtoons at the T10 League 2017. Nezar Balout for The National

Punjabi Legends

Leading player: Shoaib Malik (Pakistan) - Despite his indifferent time as a captain in PSL, Malik was trusted to lead the Punjabi side in the first T10.

Top pick: Hasan Ali (Pakistan) - The top ranked one-day international bowler in the world, and a savvy practitioner in UAE conditions.

UAE hopeful: Ghulam Shabber. The powerful left-handed wicket-keeper batsman has been in fine form with the bat for the UAE in his debut season.

Sri Lanka's captain Dinesh Chandimal raises his bat and cap to celebrate scoring a century during the third day of their third test cricket match against India in New Delhi, India, Monday, Dec. 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Dinesh Chandimal will lead the Team Sri Lanka side at the T10 League 2017 in the UAE. Altaf Qadri / AP Photo

Team Sri Lanka Cricket

The side will be led by Dinesh Chandimal, and made up exclusively of players from Sri Lanka.