UAE: ILT20 Is Getting Bigger And Better Every Year, Says Shoaib Akhtar

2025-02-06 02:49:32

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) With the ILT20 Season 3 inching closer to the mega finale on Sunday, Pakistan bowling great Shoaib Akhtar praised the quality of cricket teams have displayed at the tournament.

“The ILT20 is getting bigger and better every year. I am honoured to be part of the league for the second time. I think the numbers tell the truth when it comes to the TRPs and reach of the tournament. You can see the quality of players performing here,” Akhtar said during a press conference in Dubai.

He also highlighted the depth of bowling talent in the league, and went on to underscore the performance of Fazalhaq Farooqi from MI Emirates, who leads as the highest wicket-taker amassing 21 wickets this season while Jason Holder picked up 17 wickets for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.

UAE's rising star and Gulf Giants all-rounder Aayan Afzal Khan too has been a fan-favourite with 10 wickets in his kitty while Pakistan's Khuzaima Bin Tanvir has been efficient for Desert Vipers with five wickets.

“I think Fazalhaq Farooqi is one of the greatest finds for Afghanistan. He is very good when it comes to the new ball and he is learning fast. I think he should look at the bigger picture in terms of playing for his country,” expressed Akhtar.

“Aayan also has a bright future in UAE cricket. The vision behind this league is to promote UAE cricket and this has been successfully achieved seeing the standout performances this season. Khuzaima (from Faisalabad) has also shown a lot of promise.”

On being asked what he would advice the young and upcoming pacers, Akhtar said,“I would like to see them bowl more aggressively and mix up fast bowling with bouncers and make sure that the batters are staying on the backfoot.”

“I have bowled around 23,000 balls and about 10,000 bouncers in my playing career. The stats show you how much I love aggressive, fast bowling. It's important to bowl in good areas, and in good length. That's what matters, that's what will make you take wickets,” he concluded.

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