Abu Dhabi: The captains and head coaches of the ten teams participating in the Abu Dhabi T10 this year have now been revealed as the eighth edition of the league set to begin on November 21.
Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hassan is ready to lead Bangla Tigers yet again after having played the same role for them two years ago. On the other hand, former Pakistan cricket captain Younis Khan will continue his stint as the head coach of the Tigers for the third straight year.
Joining Deccan Gladiators once again, Nicholas Pooran will be captaining the squad for the third consecutive time. It was under his captaincy that the Gladiators won their second title in 2022 and also ended up as finalists in the 2023 edition. Not bringing any change in the coaching leadership, the Gladiators have decided to continue with Mushtaq Ahmed as their head coach.
Delhi Bulls’ leadership has been given to West Indies T20I captain Rovman Powell, who had also led the Northern Warriors in 2022. Andy Flower will replace Chris Silverwood and return to the position of head coach after three years.
Two-time champions Northern Warriors will also face a change in their leadership as the New Zealand star pacer Trent Boult will take over the reins from Angelo Mathews. On the coaching front, the former Australian cricketer Dav Whatmore will be joining the Warriors as the head coach.
English cricketer Phil Salt will replace Dwaine Pretorius as the captain of Team Abu Dhabi this season, while the former South African cricketer Mark Boucher will join the squad as the head coach.
Morrisville Samp Army will be led by Pakistan’s Rohan Mustafa while the former South African cricketer Lance Klusener has been given the head coach responsibility this season.
The defending champions New York Strikers have decided not to bring any change in their successful coaching-captain duo. Hence, Kieron Pollard and Carl Crowe, who have been associated with the Strikers ever since their inception in 2022, will continue to lead and train the team for the third time.
Former Sri Lankan limited-overs captain Thisara Perera will be replacing Charith Asalanka as the skipper of Chennai Braves Jaguars for season 8 of the league while the former Sri Lankan pacer Chaminda Vaas has replaced Douglas Brown to coach the squad this year.
UP Nawabs, who are making their debut in the Abu Dhabi T10 this year, will be led by the Afghanistan star Rahmanullah Gurbaz. The role of the head coach of the team has been taken up by the former English cricketer Owais Shah this year.
Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi will don the captain’s hat for Ajman Bolts during their debut in the tournament while the famous cricket coach Ottis Gibson will take up the coaching role.
With the league’s eighth edition featuring some of the best players around the world and an addition of two new teams to the roster, this year is indeed going to amaze the fans with some exciting cricket. The tournament will begin with the battle between Team Abu Dhabi and the newly inducted Ajman Bolts, while the defending champions New York Strikers will begin their title defense a day later against Morrisville Samp Army.
The T10 tournament will be held in a round-robin format, with the top four teams in the points table after the league stage qualifying for the playoffs. The playoff stage will begin on December 1, with the qualifier and two eliminators taking place on the same day.
The 12-day fight between the ten teams will conclude on December 2, with the winner lifting the Abu Dhabi T10 season 8 trophy in the final.
Abu Dhabi T10 Captains:
Deccan Gladiators- Nicholas Pooran
New York Strikers- Kieron Pollard
Northern Warriors- Trent Boult
Bangla Tigers- Shakib Al Hasan
Chennai Braves Jaguars- Thisara Perera
Delhi Bulls- Rovman Powell
Team Abu Dhabi- Phil Salt
Morrisville Samp Army- Rohan Mustafa
UP Nawabs- Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Ajman Bolts- Mohammad Nabi
Abu Dhabi T10 Coaches:
Deccan Gladiators- Mushtaq Ahmed
New York Strikers- Carl Crowe
Northern Warriors- Dav Whatmore
Bangla Tigers- Younis Khan
Chennai Braves Jaguars- Chaminda Vaas
Delhi Bulls- Andy Flower
Team Abu Dhabi- Mark Boucher
Morrisville Samp Army- Lance Klusner
UP Nawabs- Owais Shah
Ajman Bolts- Ottis Gibson
–IANS