Winning crucial moments and maximising the powerplay – these are a couple of aspects that the Sharjah Warriorz have their eyes on as they prepare for an entertaining Season 3 of the ILT20. The Sharjah Warriorz, who will be captained by Tim Southee and has JP Duminy as the head coach, will commence their campaign at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium against the Gulf Giants on 12 January.
Former South African cricketer JP Duminy wants his side to keep things relatively simple and take it one game at a time. He said, “It is crucial to keep things simple during the game. From a tactical point of view, understanding the different phases in the game is important, and it is also crucial to be able to win them, so you give yourself the best chance.”
“Everyone wants to win the ILT20, but the critical piece will always be the how and that’s something that we’re going to discuss and understand as we progress in the tournament. It will depend on the conditions are we facing and that’ll be an evolving conversation,” the South African explained.
Leg-spinner Adil Rashid added, “The Sharjah Warriorz are not going to look too far ahead, and it’s about playing the game that’s in front of you, and executing the plans to perfection. It’s a game of cricket and there are ups and downs, so we want to keep things really simple. Whatever challenges lie ahead of us we want to win that battle first and then move onto the next.”
While it is a one-game at a time approach for the Sharjah Warriorz, the coach further spoke about the importance of consistency and experience.
“Adil is a very experienced bowler, who understands how to impact the game, and is one of the match-winners for the Sharjah Warriorz. Along with that, I think the top order with Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Johnson Charles and Jason Roy, if they can be consistent, it gives us a great chance to do well too,” the coach said.
“Our captain, Tim Southee also brings a wealth of experience into the team and has always done well in the T20 format over the years, and we just hope we can execute our plans well. How do we give ourselves the best chance is the critical question, and how do we ensure we are prepared every single day in training and in matches is going to be the critical piece,” added JP Duminy.
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Adil Rashid, who has played more than 400 T20 matches in his career, spoke about how he prepares for matches. “For me, it is about playing to my strengths and working on my plans, and keeping things simple. What is my role in the team? I’m in the team to try, create chances, and hopefully pick up wickets, so I work accordingly. I have been fortunate to play for 15-plus years, and knowing your game well definitely helps deal with situations during the game,” he said.
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