Fantastic to have Yuvraj in Abu Dhabi T10 League: Amla

By Baidurjo Bhose

New Delhi, Oct 26 (SocialNews.XYZ) Lack of Indian players in the different franchise leagues over the world has been a talking point in the last few years. But with Yuvraj Singh first playing in the T20 league in Canada and now joining the Abu Dhabi T10 League, former South Africa skipper Hashim Amla believes that it will be a wonderful experience for the youngsters to learn from the former India all-rounder.

Speaking to IANS, the Karnataka Tuskers icon player said that while the BCCI has its own set of regulations and has every right to decide on league participation of the Indian players, having Yuvraj ply his trade for Maratha Arabians will be wonderful.

"I suppose you want cricketers from all over the world and Yuvraj now is involved and that is fantastic. It is difficult to comment because Indian cricket have their own set of regulations. But to have Yuvraj involved in T10 and to have youngsters being able to play with him, he has been a fantastic cricketer for 20-odd years and he has got so much to add value to. It is just great having him around and there is no doubt that youngsters will look to feed off him," he said.

Asked about his own excitement as he gears up for his maiden appearance in the league, the batsman said that while T10 is being played professionally only in the last few years, everyone has grown up playing the format in their own backyard and he is supremely excited to be a part of the league.

"I am very excited. T10 is a new format in the sense that it has been around for only three or four years. But it has been around for many years in our backyards and when we were growing up playing with our friends. But to have it on a professional level is fantastic. The first few editions have been spoken of very highly and I am excited to be a part of it and see how it progresses and different skills it allows you to bring to the table," he explained.

The Abu Dhabi T10 League will also see a unique talent hunt program through which budding amateur cricketers from across the world may apply for selection to play in the league. This will be possible thanks to the Dreams2Play app. Amla feels it is a great opportunity for the young cricketers across the globe.

"It is a really mindboggling opportunity when you think of it from the point of view of a youngster. With the digital age, things have become a lot easier, but this has made it so much more wonderful for youngsters who want to play cricket with some of the international cricketers. You always hear of people not having enough opportunities across countries, but with this wonderful app that is available, you can bypass a lot of obstacles that could have been there and it allows the youngsters to be seen by some of the top coaches," he said.

Asked what he would look at if he was to pick some of the kids from the video footages, Amla said: "From a batting perspective, you know, you have a look at the person's style of play, the technique. It is like watching someone in the nets and you get a sense of how they are as batsmen. You get the sense after playing international cricket for around 20 years and then you can go one step further as you get to know the person. To see if they can make it to the next level is what is exciting."

Elaborating on the process put in place, Dreams2Play Founder and CEO Vishal Vyas said: "Each team in the Abu Dhabi T10 League will select 1-2 players from the emerging talent draft. It is an opportunity no talent hunt promises, we guarantee it. We put our budding sports stars in the driving seat of their own cricket careers and beyond. We hope to expand to other sports leagues but mostly are focused on the sport of cricket."

Source: IANS