New Delhi, Oct 2 (IANS) Sharjah Warriorz head coach Adrian Birrell said extensive late-night preparation and rapid tactical adjustments were key to building a well-balanced squad for Season 5 of the International League T20 (ILT20) at the player auction, despite missing out on some initial targets.
In the auction held in Dubai on Thursday, the Warriorz secured the likes of Tom Banton, Logan van Beek, Craig Overton, James Rew and George Linde. “Well, I’m not very experienced with auctions. I’m usually sort of coaching somewhere and I’m on the end of the phone. So I haven’t done very many — I’ve done one recently, but I really enjoyed the process.
“We’ve had some very, very late nights and kept on thinking about many scenarios of if we got this player, we go in that direction, and got that player, we go in that direction. I think we had five teams that we had planned to get, and we were happy with any one of those teams, and I don’t think we landed any of those five teams, but we did land a hybrid of them.
“But I’m actually delighted with what we’ve got because I think our strength with all-rounders was better than I was anticipating. There was a lot of knowledge – we had all our coaches spending many, many hours on the phone, Zoom calls and the coaches here and the staff here put in a proper shift over the last few days to come up with a tool to get the players,” Birrell told IANS in an exclusive chat at the end of the auction.
The meticulous planning allowed the Warriorz to pivot quickly when early targets slipped away, ensuring the franchise bolstered its all-round depth and got match-winners too.
“Well, I didn’t anticipate that we’d get so many all-rounders. We missed out on one or two in the auction, and then we were able to rectify it at the end with some very good picks, I think.
“So, yes, we needed to get quite a few players into our squad, and I think we ended very well. We got Tom Banton, who has been a real star for England of late. We got Logan van Beek, who gives us an all-round associate option, and we got Craig Overton, another overseas player. So, those were three very good buys, I think,” said Birrell.
Speaking about drafting Rew again after he was a part of the side in the previous season, Birrell said, “Yes, very well, and we needed the backup keeper. We also needed the left-handed option because we got George Linde as a left-handed batting option.
“Obviously, his batting is a massive factor for us. But then we got Paul Walter up front as a left-hander, who will bat in the top three. So, we got that option to have another left-hander in the middle with James Rew,” he said.
A key focus of the late-night strategy was strengthening the pace attack across different phases of the innings, leading to the recruitment of English fast bowler Richard Gleeson alongside Craig Overton and direct signing Adam Milne.
“We needed that death option that he does so well, and he’s got high pace. I was very keen on getting him myself, but all of us were very keen because he’s a top performer. He, together with Milne, is a formidable seam bowling attack, I think, because both are highly skilled.
“Then in addition to that, Overton, who is more of an up-front bowler, gives us another option, and I think that was also a very good pick. He’s been in great form of late in England. But I’m thrilled with getting Richard Gleeson. He’s a top-class performer,” added Birrell.
With pitch conditions in the UAE requiring extensive spin-bowling options, Birrell stated that securing multi-dimensional spin depth was paramount. “Yes, absolutely. He (Adil Rashid) is not available for the full tournament. So we needed to have the variety available to us. But we got two wrist spin options.
“We then got two finger-spin and off-spin options. We got the left-arm spin option. We’ve also got some backups in our Afghanistan and UAE bowling as well. So I think we’ve got good depth in bowling, but especially the spin bowling department,” he said.
One of the biggest rewards of their tactical patience was securing South African left-arm spin bowling all-rounder George Linde at base price. “Well, we wanted left-arm spin bowling because the stats show that they are highly successful in Sharjah, and we’re preparing to try and win our home games. Then, the left-handed batting option with him is such a valuable asset, because he’s got power.
“For him to bat at 5, 6, 7, he’s very adaptable, but he gives us that left-handed power that we need in the tournament. So I’m thrilled to get him because I know him as well and what he can do. I was flabbergasted that he went at base price. I thought we’d have a bidding war for him, but I’m really pleased that we got him,” said Birrell.
To complete their roster, the franchise targeted three U-19 United Arab Emirates players: Nabeel Aziz, Ali Aamer Naseer and Tanish Suri, apart from pacer Junaid Siddique. “Well, we went for UAE sort of backup bowlers so that we had to get in. Bowlers are more likely to go down, and so they will be backup bowlers for us. So we were delighted to get them. We sort of targeted the bowling aspect of the UAE players,” said Birrell.
Ahead of his debut coaching stint in the ILT20, Birrell expressed enthusiasm for the overall quality of players associated with the league. “I’m very excited to be part of it. I haven’t been part of the ILT20 tournaments at all. This is my first time. I’ve been in other leagues quite a lot. But I’m really looking forward to it.
“I’m surprised by the quality of players. I think all the teams are really strong, and there are some very, very good players that will be on show, and I’m really looking forward to the tournament, especially staying in one hotel for the full duration.
“Usually, in these sorts of tournaments, you’re packing up every second day, and then you’re getting on a bus, and then you’re going to another hotel. In this, you stay in one place, and that’s what I’m really grateful for,” he concluded.
–IANS
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