The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

New UAE T20 league courts Smith, Warner

Is Steve Smith really so bad? (Photo by Philip Brown/Getty Images)
24th August, 2018
1

A new Twenty20 competition in the UAE hopes its development agenda will help convince Steve Smith and David Warner to sign up.

Salman Sarwar Butt, chief executive of the new league backed by the Emirates Cricket Board, has reached out to both Smith and Warner.

Smith and Warner, who have now served almost five months of the year-long international bans imposed by Cricket Australia (CA), will return from the Caribbean next month to play for Sydney clubs Sutherland and Randwick-Petersham respectively.

UAE T20x will run from December 19 to January 11, overlapping with the Big Bash League (BBL) but aligning almost perfectly with grade cricket’s mid-season hiatus.

CA has barred Smith and Warner from taking part in the BBL. If the superstars promote another T20 league running at the same time it would be a potential PR nightmare.

Smith and Warner are understood to be leaning towards staying home over the Christmas break.

But things can change quickly. Smith decided to skip the ongoing Caribbean Premier League then had a late change of heart because he was desperate for time in the middle.

“We are in contact with their agents. There is a positive indication but we need to wait and see,” Butt told AAP.

Advertisement

“We’d love to have them on board. Steve and David are obviously great international players and well known around the world.”

Butt, a banker who helped successfully launch the Pakistan Super League, suggested more than 300 players have already registered with the T20 start-up.

The five sides will each be allocated an internationals star. Franchises will then have the opportunity to sign five more top-tier internationals at an auction.

Remaining spots in the 16-man squads will be taken by young players from around the world plus talent from the UAE and other associate countries.

These unheralded players will have a rare chance to rub shoulders with greats, and a shop window to showcase their talent to other T20 leagues.

“I’m pretty sure they (Smith and Warner) would love to play and contribute to the development of cricket,” Butt said.

“Our league is unique because it helps the global development agenda.

Advertisement

“We already have access to some very exciting talent from more than 35 associate countries.”

Most Test nations, including England, have given the green light for their talent to sign up with UAE T20x.

But CA is expected to block the vast majority of its players from taking part.

Butt noted UAE T20x could help young Australians without a BBL contract further their skills.

“We really hope Cricket Australia help us with our development agenda,” Butt said.

“We all love the Big Bash. We all look up to it and enjoy it. We don’t want to disrupt Big Bash players.”

close