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Abu Dhabi: Former Pakistan captain and World T20 winner Shoaib Malik is set to feature in the second season of the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament as the captain and Icon Player for the defending champions Maratha Arabians. The Abu Dhabi T10, powered by sky247net, will be played at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi from 28th January – 6th February 2021. Malik expressed that the T10 format is a perfect advert to attract new fans to the game, “It’s always nice to be part of something positive in the game. T10 is a perfect advert to bring new audiences to cricket as it’s short, exciting and a great way to show the best of cricket, especially the new skills that players are continually bringing.”
Malik, who has scored over 11,000 runs in international cricket, said that he is looking forward to playing with his long-time Pakistan teammate Mohammad Hafeez in the upcoming Abu Dhabi T10, “It will be nice to be a teammate with my long-time international colleague Mohammad Hafeez. Plus, there are always new stars to identify as T10 offers fantastic opportunities and exposure to so many players. Hopefully, those new stars will come from Maratha Arabians.”
The 39-year-old further added that his team will look to enjoy their cricket in the Abu Dhabi T10, “We have a mixture of experience and raw talent so hopefully we can all come together and contribute to the team cause and see if we can enjoy our cricket and win a few matches. You never know in T10. It’s an unpredictable format, which is why it’s exciting.”
The co-owner of the Maratha Arabians team – Anurag Maheshwari expressed that the team is committed to defending their title in the upcoming season, “This year we the Mobiflix Sports owned Maratha Arabians are as defending champions. Our team is committed to defend the Abu Dhabi T10 title and make history by becoming the first side to win the tournament back-to-back.”
Maheshwari believes that the Arabians have a great team for the second season of Abu Dhabi T10, “We have a great team and I am sure everyone will give their best to win the trophy this season also. The captain Shoaib Malik is a legend all-rounder and no one fits the bill as perfectly as Shoaib Malik does.”
The defending champions Maratha Arabians are set to open the second season of Abu Dhabi T10 with a mouth-watering clash against the Northern Warriors at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on 28 January 2021.