iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
It is Perez's second career pole and second in Saudi Arabia, while Verstappen will start from 15th
KT APPDOWNLOAD
Exclusive: ILT20 will give UAE players tremendous exposure, says Indian legend Dilip Vengsarkar
The ILT20 has drawn marquee names like Trent Boult, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, Alex Hales and Mooen Ali
UAE's Karthik Meiyappan celebrates his hat trick with teammate Junaid Siddique during the ICC T20 World Cup match against Sri Lanka at Kardinia Park in Geelong on October 18, 2022. — AFP
In the autumn of 1975, a fearless teenager launched a blistering attack on Bishan Bedi and Erapalli Prasanna, two of the greatest spinners in history, scoring a scintillating hundred in a high-profile Indian domestic match.
It was a knock that catapulted that teenager named Dilip Vengsarkar into the big league.
Now the legendary Indian batsman believes the brand new DP World International League T20, the UAE's home-grown franchise tournament, will give local players the ideal platform to prove their talent.
The ILT20 has drawn marquee names like Trent Boult, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, Alex Hales and Mooen Ali.
With all six teams needing to field two local players in the playing eleven, the UAE cricketers have found the perfect stage to test their skills against some of the best players in the world.
"Two players in the playing eleven and four players in the squads, this will give the UAE players tremendous exposure," Vengsarkar told the Khaleej Times.
"It's great for UAE and its cricketers as some of the greats of the game are playing in this tournament. These are very experienced international players and they can guide these young UAE players.
Former Indian captain Dilip Vengsarkar
"I think their work ethic will improve, they will learn from these stars how to plan their innings, how they go about their game in every match.
"This experience will help them improve their game very quickly. So it's very good for UAE cricket."
Vengsarkar, the former chairman of BCCI's Talent Resource Development Wing, also emphasised the importance of school cricket in the development of the game.
"You have to get cricket grounds in all schools, you need to have inter-school tournaments," the former India captain said.
"In Mumbai alone, we have more than 200 schools that participate in inter-school tournaments. It's a huge platform where you can spot talent."
The UAE's very own Karthik Meiyappan, the young leg-spinner, proved his talent on the biggest stage when he took a stunning hat trick against Asian champions Sri Lanka in the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup.
The country's under 19 team also made history last year by winning the Plate Division title at the ICC Under 19 World Cup, registering wins over two Test-playing teams, the West Indies and Ireland.
"I am sure there is huge talent in the UAE. But the important thing is how you groom that talent," Vengsarkar said.
"That's why it's important to have great school cricket infrastructure. If the talent is developed well, the UAE can do extremely well in international cricket."
More news from Sports
Qalandars had also defeated Sultans in last year's final
Fresh from his five-goal salvo against RB Leipzig in midweek, the Norwegian forward proved insatiable again to demolish the Championship leaders at The Etihad Stadium
Leeds boosted its survival hopes with a 4-2 win at Wolves
He is evidently still finding his feet in ODIs and has gone without a fifty in all five ODIs this year
Barca has been charged with corruption by Spanish prosecutors for payments between 2001 and 2018 to the company of former refereeing chief Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, totalling around $7.8 million
The U.S. currently bars unvaccinated foreigners from entry into the country, a policy that is expected to be lifted when the government ends its Covid-19 emergency declarations on May 11
With the video assistant referee system (VAR) not operated in second-tier games, Mohamed Farouk had to use the phone of a crowd member during the match between Suez and Al Nasr