ILT20 2023 | Moeen Ali named as captain of Sharjah Warriors for inaugural edition

Amidst the growing horizon of league cricket, International League T20 is set to kick off from January 23. Dubai Capitals will lock horns with Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the opening fixture. As only a few days are left before the beginning of the competition, the teams are planning their strategies ahead of the season. 

Sharjah Warriors will play their opening fixture against the MI Emirates and they have announced the leadership role for their campaign. The team announced on social media that Moeen Ali will lead the side in the upcoming tournament. Moeen shared his excitement regarding the captainship duties and also mentioned that they can opt for a combination of being aggressive and sensible to succeed in the tournament. 

"It is a great honour and would be a pleasure to lead Sharjah Warriors. 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,” Moeen commented. as quoted by Cricbuzz.

The franchise also named the coaching staff ahead of the tournament. They have roped in Paul Farbrace - the former T20 World Cup winning coach of Sri Lanka as franchises’ head coach. Also, he has served as interim national men’s coach of England in the past. Reflecting on his appointment, Farbrace remarked that they aim to generate local interest in the UAE around cricket. 

"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,” he explained. 

Matthew Maynard will join as the batting coach with the franchise while G Jayakumar will work as the bowling coach for the side. Former India fielding coach R Sridhar will serve as the Director of Cricket while Kshemal Waingankar will be the chief operating officer.