The Sharjah Warriors team looks like a strong contender for the upcoming UAE T20 league. Their squad includes some T20 ace players who already have got their hands on multiple white ball trophies.
Like any squad, Warriors also have some strengths and weaknesses that are discussed in this blog. Also, we have talked about their best starting XI and their expected performances in the league.
So, let’s just get right into it.
Sharjah Warriors Team Owner
Rajesh Sharma‘s Capri Global Capital Limited possesses the ownership of the Sharjah-based franchise. Sharjah Cricket Stadium will be SW’s home ground in the ILT20 league.
Sharjah Warriors Squad Breakdown
Batsmen: Dawid Malan, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Evin Lewis, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Chris Benjamin, and Mark Deyal
All-rounders: Moeen Ali, JJ Smit, Mohammad Nabi, and Danny Briggs
Bowlers: Chris Woakes, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Bilal Khan
Sharjah Warriors Likely Starting XI
By looking at SW’s revealed squad, here’s what their first-choice XI may look like:
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz
- Tom Kohler-Cadmore
- David Malan
- Moeen Ali
- Mohammad Nabi
- JJ Smit
- Local 1
- Chris Woakes
- Noor Ahmad
- Naveen-ul-Haq
- Local 2
SW Squad Strengths
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Reliable Top 5 Batsmen
The Warriors’ top 5 batters are going to play a massive role for them in the tournament. Their openers will provide the firepower that a team dearly needs at the top in T20 cricket. Tom and Gurbaz have a T20 strike rate of about 138 and 142 respectively.
Then, David Malan coming in at #3 can do the anchor role as well as anyone in the world. He has been in fine form recently and impressed at the ICC T20 World Cup 2022.
Malan will be followed by another English batter, Moeen Ali. Mo was also part of the World Cup-winning England squad. His ability to hit the spin all around the park makes him a perfect option for the #4 slot.
Then, the experience of Mohammad Nabi further adds to Sharjah Warriors’ batting strengths. Nabi can accelerate while playing spin or pace and has the ability to change the game quickly with the bat in hand. With these top 5, SW can rely on their batting any day.
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Reliable Spin Bowling
They have just one well-known specialist spinner (Noor Ahmed) in the squad. But, the likes of Moeen and Nabi solidify their spin bowling department. With these three guys, the Warriors can easily have 10 overs of spin in the middle phase, where they can keep the opposition in check.
Moeen and Nabi are vastly experienced in this format and they have 500+ T20 wickets between them. Whereas, Noor Ahmad is Afghanistan’s teenage sensation who is a renowned name in the cricket world at the age of just 17. Although he has played only 42 T20s, he has the capability to bamboozle the batters with his chinaman spin and googly.
SW Squad Weaknesses
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Fragile Pace Attack
The fast bowling lineup looks like an area of concern for the Sharjah-based franchise. Chris Woakes will be responsible to provide SW with early breakthroughs and then returning in the slog overs to deliver a couple of cheap overs. Naveen-ul-Haq will also be expected to do a similar job for his side.
However, there are no more reliable bowling options in the Sharjah Warriors squad. JJ Smit can be handy but he is yet to prove himself against quality batters. This shortcoming can prompt the Warriors to include a local pacer in their lineup to strengthen their pace bowling.
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Absence of Renowned Finishers
Sharjah Warriors have a dynamic top 5 but there’s not much reliability in their lower order. Death overs are highly crucial in this format and teams need destructive finishers at the crease during these overs. By looking at the current squad, it’s safe to say that the Warriors are lacking in this aspect.
Sharjah Warriors ILT20 Performance Prediction
The Sharjah Warriors side has a tailor-made batting lineup for the T20 format. Their spin bowling options are decent and Chris Woakes is a top-notch white ball pacer. All these things suggest that SW must get into the final 4 teams.
By looking at all the teams, it’s safe to say that the Warriors should play the final as well. However, we don’t expect them to get to glory and they might end up being the runner-ups.
