Global T20 Canada 2018: 5 players to watch out for
Global T20 Canada 2018 is a domestic T20 tournament starting on 28 June 2018. The event follows a league-format similar to the Indian Premier League, Big Bash League and the Caribbean Premier League.
Six teams will take part in the Global T20 Canada, and a player-draft was conducted on June 3rd, 2018, for the teams to form their respective squads. Ahead of the draft, international players of big reputes like Shahid Afridi, Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle, David Miller, Chris Lynn were named as marquee players. Around 1600 players registered for the draft in total, with almost 600 of them being natives of Canada itself.
Let us take a look into 5 key players who will be key to the overall performance of their teams as well as for the publicity of the entire league.
Steve Smith
Troubled times seem unending for the former Australian captain, ever since he had been caught in association with the ball-tampering fiasco that took place when his team toured South Africa in late March this year.
Smith has been suspended from playing international cricket for a year by Cricket Australia and was also relieved of his captaincy duties. As a result, he wasn't allowed to take part in IPL 2018 for Rajasthan Royals. Smith has been more or less absent from all forms of cricket in the past four months.
On 3 June, Smith was announced as one of the marquee players who would feature in the inaugural edition of Global T20 Canada. He was eventually snapped up by Toronto Nationals, who will have Phil Simmons as coach. Darren Sammy and Kieron Pollard are two other key players in the side.
As Smith takes a trial at a shot on redemption, it is important that he excels in the tournament. A top-order batsman who can bowl part-time leg-spin, Smith's talent and skill will be required by the Toronto Nationals if they intend to make it big.
His performance in the league may also have an effect on his immediate future, like the cricket leagues where he may be expected to show up as a player. He is expected to make an international comeback prior to the 2019 Cricket World Cup, and the GT20 is one of the few chances that he will have to impress the selectors and make it back to the Aussie squad.