England all-rounder Moeen Ali has been named as the captain of the Sharjah Warriors ahead of the inaugural edition of the International League T20 2023.
Moeen Ali Appointed as Sharjah Warriors Captain
The first edition of the tournament was originally scheduled to take place during January and February 2022, but it was rescheduled to take place from January 2023, with six teams competing. In June 2022, the league was formally named the International League T20, with the dates for the first season also being confirmed.
“It is a great honour and would be a pleasure to lead Sharjah Warriors,” said Moeen.
“In this format, anybody can beat anybody, and it is important to keep evolving. With the team at our disposal, we can play aggressive, yet sensible cricket and hopefully be in the mix towards the business end of the ILT20. Playing at world-class facilities and especially the iconic Sharjah Stadium is a very exciting prospect, and we are all looking forward to it.”
Paul Farbrace – the former T20 World Cup-winning coach of Sri Lanka – has been named as the head coach of the franchise.
Farbrace, who has also briefly served as interim national men’s coach of England, apart from serving as the deputy of the side under Peter Moores and Trevor Bayliss, said,
“The T20 format has been challenging and yet most rewarding, It is nice to see talent from around the world getting more opportunities. I am aware of how cricket is followed here as an extension of the subcontinent. I hope we can work some magic here to inspire future generations and even generate local interest.”
Former India fielding coach R Sridhar will serve as the Director of Cricket while former Mumbai pacer Kshemal Waingankar will take charge as the Chief Operating Officer.
Speaking on the appointments, Rajesh Sharma, Founder Director, Capri Global Holdings said: “We are twinning the Emirates Cricket Board and ILT20 in our aspirations to become the fastest growing brand and occupy the top perch in international franchise cricket.
“And under Farbrace, we have the right resources to pack a punch in a league full of established players. Yet the beauty of cricket is that it is such a leveller. With the team shaping up as it is, we are confident our Warriors can build memories with the ILT20 and the sport just how Sharjah has had a beautiful relationship in cricketing history.”
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Franchises owners from the Indian Premier League (IPL), such as Knight Riders Group, Reliance Industries, GMR Group along with Lancer Capitals, and Adani Group were announced as owners of the teams.
Three original IPL franchises owners (i.e. the owners of Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, and Delhi Capitals) also get the chance to sign up to four players from their current IPL squads.
