UAE T20x League: AB de Villiers picks the top five emerging players
UAE T20x, organised by Emirates Cricket Board, is the latest league in the T20 circuit. The inaugural edition of the tournament is scheduled to run between 19 December 2018 to 11 January 2019 in the United Arab Emirates. Five teams are participating in this tournament with a maximum of sixteen players in each team.
South African icon AB de Villiers has been appointed as the global ambassador of the UAE T20x league and he is the non-playing ambassador of the tournament. He was appointed for the role on 14th August 2018.
The former Proteas skipper has picked his top five emerging players from those who are playing in the UAE T20x League. They are England batsman Dan Lawrence, England seamer Jamie Overton, West Indies batsman Shimron Hetmyer, Ireland opener Paul Stirling and Afghanistan leg-spinner Qais Ahmed.
Here's a tweet by AB de Villiers in his official Twitter account.
While Dan Lawrence is a promising right-handed batsman, fellow Englishman Jamie Overton is a bustling fast bowler. Shimron Hetmyer has already announced himself as a potential West Indies star.
Ireland's Paul Stirling is a destructive opener who has been around for quite some time. Leg-spinner Qais Ahmed is one of the most promising players to emerge from Afghanistan in recent times.
Among these players, only two have played international cricket. Stirling has represented Ireland in 1 Test, 100 ODIs and 52 T20Is. He made his international debut in July 2008.
Meanwhile, Shimron Hetmyer led West Indies to U-19 World Cup success in 2016. He made his international debut in April 2017 and currently plays all three formats for his team. The other three players are yet to make their way into their respective national sides.
Qais Ahmed plays for Speen Ghar region in Afghanistan's domestic tournament. He played in the 2018 U-19 World Cup. Jamie Overton plays for Somerset County Cricket Club in England and was part of their 2012 U-19 World Cup campaign.
Dan Lawrence, a part of Essex County Cricket Club, was the vice-captain of England U-19 team during the 2016 U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh. Much like Qais, Hetmyer and Overton, he will be playing an overseas T20 league for the first time in his career.