T10's diversity is unique, says Shane Anderson

Anderson also hailed the impact of Team Abu Dhabi coach Paul Farbrace in the tournament

The ongoing Abu Dhabi T10 has produced many engrossing battles at the Zayed Cricket Stadium. And the excitement level reached fever pitch when Team Abu Dhabi played Deccan Gladiators in a top-of-the-table clash on Monday.

The two teams fought tooth and nail and eventually it was Team Abu Dhabi that emerged winners, clinching the top spot in the points table with the eight-run win.

Shane Anderson, General Manager, Team Abu Dhabi, revealed what sets the T10 league apart from other franchise tournaments in the world.

“The big difference between Abu Dhabi T10 and all the franchises around the world is that we don’t have a quota for players from certain nationalities. The beauty of T10 is that it’s extremely diverse,” Anderson said.

Anderson also hailed the impact of Team Abu Dhabi coach Paul Farbrace in the tournament.

“We always want a mix of good people to be involved in this team. If everyone’s got the right attitude, everyone’s positive and everyone’s together then we are going to have success,” Anderson said.

“And I think Paul Farbrace really stood out when we started discussing strategy for the team. I like his thought process and therefore it was an easy decision for us.”

The General Manager also spoke about their efforts of building a fanbase for Team Abu Dhabi.

“We are a young franchise. This is our third year. We are building our fanbase organically here in Abu Dhabi. We’ve had some great crowds this year. And we will continue to build our fanbase over the next few years,” he said.

Finally, Anderson opened up about T10’s chances of taking cricket into the Olympics.

“A lot of established players have been talking about the T10 as a potential way into the Olympics,” he said, referring to top players like Chris Gayle and Faf du Plessis that have backed the format to get into the Olympics.

“The entertainment in T10 is undeniable,” Anderson added.