Amazing experience: Khurram

Sharjah - The 44-year-old player is a member of the Sagittarius Strikers

After having stood like a Colossus in UAE cricket for more than two decades, Khurram Khan is now happy to be sharing a dressing room with global superstars in MCL.
The 44-year-old player is a member of the Sagittarius Strikers. Led by the peerless by Adam Gilchrist, the team boasts an enviable array of big names - Mahela Jayawardene, Daniel Vettori, Jonathan Trott and Shane Bond.  
"It's been amazing. It's the first time I have been in a team with players like Gilchrist and Vettori. These are great names," Khurram told Khaleej Times on Tuesday. 
"It's also very relaxing to be part of such a dressing room because I am from an associate country. But the whole team has welcomed me with open arms. I have never been made to feel that I am in the presence of some of the legends of the game. I am really enjoying the experience."
The former UAE captain says the Strikers have a good blend of old and the young. "There are still few players in our team who have been playing in T20 leagues around the world. Imran Farhat and Yasir Arafat have been playing a lot of domestic cricket. 
"So we have got a mixture of young and retired players. So that's very good because you don't feel that everybody is done and dusted with their careers. Everybody is giving their hundred per cent for the team. They are working very hard."
Khurram believes having a tournament as big as the MCL will only help cricket in the UAE. "I think it's a great exposure for the kids who have started playing. There are lots of stars coming here to the UAE to play in these big tournaments like the IPL, MCL and PSL. 
"They get a chance to interact with them when they come to watch the practice sessions. I think it's a wonderful opportunity for them to learn from them."
rituraj@khaleejtimes.com