Lauding the ILT20’s popularity in the Gulf region, legendary fast bowler Waqar Younis shared his thoughts on the league’s growth, and the UAE team’s upward trajectory and the impact of well-known players in the tournament.
The former Pakistan pacer with 789 wickets in his international career has been involved with the ILT20 since its inception. He features in the commentary panel that comprises many stalwarts of the game including the likes of Wasim Akram, Simon Doull, Virender Sehwag, Shoaib Akthar and Harbhajan Singh.
Speaking on his experience with the league he said, “Last year the tournament was new, and we were lucky to be involved. I had a great time, especially since the quality of cricket was good. I feel the ILT20 is going to get bigger and bigger. It’s just early days, but I am sure the level of cricket and the crowds will only get better with each season.”
The UAE National Cricket team has had several impressive results recently, including victories against Afghanistan and the U-19 triumph against Pakistan in the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup. Highlighting that these victories bode well for cricket in the region and the role of ILT20 in expediting these successes, Waqar Younis said, “I believe tournaments like the ILT20 will undoubtedly inspire youngsters in the UAE to take up cricket. We’re already witnessing significant improvements at the international level, defeating strong sides, which is always beneficial. I see the tournament is expanding and greatly benefiting UAE cricket.”
Renowned for his searing pace and reverse swing in the 1990s which saw him capture more than 100 international wickets in Sharjah, Waqar reminisced about his personal connection to the UAE, and foresaw a lot of international cricket in the coming years, “For Pakistan, I was fortunate to have played well in this region for about 10-11 years, contributing to the growth of cricket in both UAE and the broader region. We always had great support here. More teams are starting to come here now with teams like England and Australia choosing to come here for their pre-season camps or tours of the sub-continent as well. I am sure we will see a lot of more of this.”
This season, the ILT20 features some of Pakistan’s finest cricketers such as Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Shadab Khan and Azam Khan. Expressing his thoughts on the same, Waqar Younis said, “When it comes to T20 cricket, these are big names. There are already many big players in the ILT20, and these Pakistan players will help the tournament grow further and inspire the players from the UAE with their big fanbase here.”
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