Power at the top of batting order crucial, says Northern Warriors’ assistant coach Jacob Oram

Abu Dhabi, Nov 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) Former New Zealand cricketer Jacob Oram, assistant coach for Northern Warriors in the Abu Dhabi T10, hopes to see the power-hitters at the top of the batting order come good.

The Northern Warriors have won the Abu Dhabi T10 twice and the Kiwi is excited to be working with a successful franchise, and hopes to add a third title to the trophy cabinet.

"The aim is to win and that's why we are here. If you look at our squad, there's a lot of power at the top of the order and a lot of players have been retained too. It's all about power at the top of the order, and ensuring we plug the holes with quality players. I'm getting my head slowly around the tactics and the game plans of the competition. And I'm looking forward to getting stuck in," Oram said.

Asked about whether the T10 format requires different preparations, the former pacer explained that being flexible with the plans is essential.

"It's more about just understanding the basic plans, and you still have to bowl the good balls. It's about having variations and having death bowling options as well. One has to be adjusting and flexible a lot sooner than you would in the other formats. It's essentially all about that more than anything specific with regards to skill."

The upcoming season will see the addition of two new teams making it an eight-team tournament. Reflecting on the schedule and the intensity of Season 6 of Abu Dhabi T10, Oram said that the balance between rest and playing will be crucial, across teams.

"Everyone's going to have a condensed schedule. It is very intense, even though it's just 60 balls a side. It's not a long time but it will be very intense, and every ball is going to have something riding on it. So, mentally, emotionally and physically it's going to be quite draining. It's the ability to manage rest and recovery along with the playing side of things, just so that the players are able to maintain their physical recovery more than anything."

In the run-up to Season 6 of Abu Dhabi T10, Oram was a crucial part of the planning for the Player Draft, a situation which was a first for him.

"It was quite exciting actually, and we had a lot of meetings leading into the Player Draft. We had gone through our plans, priorities and preferred players. It was a very different world for me, but it was exciting and enjoyable. But it was a lot more planning and a lot more in-depth analysis than I realised," he added.

Source: IANS