The inaugural T10 Cricket League, which has attracted top international cricketers including Eoin Morgan and Shahid Afridi, has been brought forward by one week and will now be held between December 14 to 17.
The league was originally scheduled for December 21 to 24 but will now be played earlier at Sharjah Cricket Stadium to give players’ ample time to prepare for the Big Bash League and international tours.
Pakistan Cricket Board announced last week that their top players will be available for selection but wanted them back in time for a training camp ahead of their visit to New Zealand early next year.
“We have done this to accommodate the bigger pool of players because the Pakistan team is travelling to New Zealand on the 27th December,” Shaji Ul-Mulk, chairman of the T10 Cricket League, told Sport360°.
“They have a camp and will get ready on the 20th. We were advised by the Pakistan Cricket Board into looking into the possibility of moving the dates and we were able to do that. It will also allow players, who are competing in the Big Bash League, which starts from 19th December, to play in the T10 Cricket League as well.”
Although it’s a new format that will see around 70 elite cricketers – including Chris Gayle and Virender Sehwag play in 10-overs-a-side matches, which will last 90 minutes each, there has been no shortage of interest.
T10 Cricket League, from 14th Dec-17th Dec: https://t.co/vL5wFk046s via @YouTube
— T10 Cricket League (@ttencricketuae) October 20, 2017
The six franchises – Punjabi Legends, Pakhtoons, Maratha Arabians, Bangla Tigers, Colombo Lions and Kerala Kings were all announced during the glittering launch ceremony in Dubai earlier this month.
With the new tournament dates now in place, Ul-Mulk revealed that the player draft will now take place on Saturday November 5 in Dubai.
He also confirmed that tickets will be on sale from November 1.
“Tickets will be on sale in different outlets and will be starting from Dh20,” he said. “We want to make the cricket games affordable for people to watch.”
