As the battlelines get drawn for the ILT20 Season 3 finale, Pakistan bowling legend Wasim Akram has backed the Desert Vipers to outshine.
The Vipers, MSF’s first team to clinch a playoff spot this season with their emphatic batting and bowling display, and defending champions MI Emirates finished the second spot in points table to qualify.
The decisive wins on Sunday, (the double-header by played in Abu Dhabi and Dubai) with a large local crowd behind them, took Sharjah Warriorz and Dubai Capitals into the playoffs as the third team and fourth team respectively.
Akram stated “I enjoy coming here for the DP World ILT20 as it is still competitive, obviously showing how the race for top four is going to be fierce. I have loved my time here commentating and following some very raw talent emerging from this league up close.
“There was only one team that was guaranteed a playoff spot until yesterday. It reflects on the standard of competition here, it reflects on the wickets in our region being consistent.
Desert Vipers goes into the play-offs in red-hot league-stage form, winning seven from nine games, and must have most fans asking what gives in terms of a big improvement over last edition’s poor performance.
Desert Vipers are my team and there is a reason why they are my team — Andrew Balbirnie Not because they were atop the Table but because of the fact that there were 3 Pakistani players who played a pivotal role for their respective sides and we did witness a few A-Class performances by them in the League stages. Azam Khan has not gone off yet but we still have a week’s play left during which he may hit a brisk 50 + runs and help his side win,” Akram said.
Akram said the exposure of the league, which gives UAE players the opportunity to play against world-class names, is paying off as players like Muhammad Waseem, Aayan Afzal Khan and Muhammad Rohid are stepping up to the billing.
This season, some UAE players have really caught the eye. Waseem has been very consistent & is also fairly senior at the top. If we were talking about fast bowlers, then Rohid is doing fine. Then Aayan walked in and struck a six to seal the game for his side with a chase. He has served as a decent allrounder for his team,” he spoke.
All I want from these youngsters now is to take the experience from here, be consistent and be at the top of the ladder with their performance. Having over a month with some of the best players in the world is a big plus for them. They ought to be learning mindset, training and nutrition.
This league in itself is actually a part of plan where we need to develop all the players for UAE and we are doing that. The time is now for the UAE to deliver on its potential as one of the strongest Associate Member nations.