Shimron Hetmyer, Chris Lynn named in Gulf Giants line-up

Dubai: The UAE international Twenty20 League is gaining momentum with the announcement of the third team – Gulf Giants – on Wednesday.

In a short video on the team’s social media handle, head coach Andy Flower introduced his 14 players that included West Indian star Shimron Hetmyer, England trio - Liam Dawson, Chris Jordan, Jamie Overton - and Australian Chris Lynn. Also featuring is Namibia’s David Wiese.

“There is this imperative to win, which is what we will be chasing, but our way to go about that endeavor is to get the best out of our troops”’ Andy Flower had said on being selected as the coach for the Gulf Giants.

Gulf Giants, after MI Emirates and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, are keeping the ILT20 fans guessing and going by the trend, one could expect the remaining three teams to make their big announcements over the next few days. The teams will also be adding the UAE players to the draft, who are an integral part of the programme.

Commenting on the team structure, Mubashshir Usmani, Emirates Cricket’s General Secretary, said: “It’s exciting to see how well the squads are shaping up for the first season of ILT20. Each team will consist of 18 players, including 4 UAE players and 2 from ICC Associate countries. One of the key objectives for ILT20 is to provide opportunities for players from UAE and other Associate nations to perform on the big stage.”

Making its debut in January 2023, the inaugural ILT20, which has received multi-year ICC approval, will be played in a 34-match format across the UAE’s exemplary, world-class facilities in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Reliance Industries Limited, Lancer Capital, the GMR Group, Capri Global and Knight Riders have acquired a team each in UAE’s T20 League.