Kerala Kings, one of the six franchise teams for the first internationally organised 10 overs-a-side cricket league in this region, got a boost on Monday when former legend Brian Lara was named as their mentor and coach.
Confirming the news, Dr Nawab Shafi Ul Mulk, co-owner of the Kerala Kings franchise along with Hussain Adam Ali, said: “This is a great way to get things moving after Eoin Morgan agreed to take up the captain and brand ambassador roles for the Kings recently.”
Speaking about the role, Lara said he was looking forward to taking up a role where the new version (T10 cricket) would be challenging and interesting.
The players’ draft (auction) will be held in the UAE on October 25 where over 120 leading names in the sport will be listed.
The event coined as ‘T10 Cricket League’ will be held at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium from December 21-24. Nawab Shaji Ul Mulk, UAE cricket veteran and a long time supporter of the sport, came out with the innovative idea to introduce 10 overs-a-side cricket to this part of the world. It has brought in a lot of interest among the followers of both Test and limited overs cricket.
The other franchises taking part in the shortest, most condensed version of the sport are Punjabi Legends, Pakhtoons, Maratha Arabians, Bangla Tigers and Colombo Lions.
Lara holds the record for the highest individual score in a Test innings after scoring 400 not out against England at Antigua in 2004. He is the only batsman to have ever scored a century, a double century, a triple century, a quadruple century and a quintuple century in first class matches.
Trinidadian Lara, acknowledged as one of the greatest batsmen of all time, registered the highest individual score in first class with an unbeaten 501 for Warwickshire against Durham at Edgbaston in 1994, which is the only quintuple hundred in first class cricket history.
