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The Abu Dhabi T10: The English contingent

by Wisden Staff 10 minute read

The Abu Dhabi T10 is just a few weeks away. Here are the English players picked up in the draft of the 10-over-a-side competition.

Tom Banton (Lahore Qalanders)

The 20-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman shot to prominence this season with some stunning white ball innings for Somerset. His 69 in the One Day Cup final went a long way to securing his side the silverware. In the T20 Blast, 549 runs in 13 innings, scored at a strike rate of 161, meant he finished as second-highest run scorer despite not progressing past the group stage.

Sam Billings (Northern Warriors)

He missed most of the 2019 county season through a shoulder injury, but upon returning showed his class with three hundreds in consecutive innings in the Championship. Despite not having many chances, he showed his white ball pedigree as well with 55 from 40 balls against Gloucestershire in the Blast.

Pat Brown (Karnataka Tuskers)

Having shot to fame in 2018 by spearheading the Worcestershire attack as they achieved T20 triumph, this season could have been seen as a year of consolidation for the trick-filled seamer. But he will be pleased with returns of 17 wickets and an economy just over 8, very respectable considering how many of his overs were bowled at the death. His canny bowling could well see him end as a leading light in the T10.

Mason Crane (Deccan Gladiators)

It’s been a rollercoaster ride for the 22-year-old leggie. Since first representing England in a T20I in June 2017, he achieved the high of selection for an Ashes tour. But after enduring the worst debut figures for England, the fall from grace was both steep and rapid. Since then injuries and playing for the same county as Liam Dawson have limited his opportunities. This year though he has fought back strongly, with 11 wickets at 16.63 and an economy just a smidge over 7.

James Fuller (Maratha Arabians)

Having endured a difficult T20 campaign this year, playing mostly as a specialist batsman despite being primarily a bowler, Fuller is one of the more surprising inclusions in the tournament. But in the hyper-specialised world of a 60-ball innings, Fuller’s ability to hit from ball one – shown in a 12-ball 28 to take Hampshire to victory over Somerset earlier this year – could be hugely important. His bowling may remain sidelined barring exceptional circumstances.

Lewis Gregory (Team Abu Dhabi)

Despite being a fixture of the Somerset team for the best part of a decade, it was only in 2018 that Gregory’s star truly began to rise. He led his county to Finals Day of the Blast with 328 runs at a strike rate of 202, as well as taking 18 wickets. His bowling with the red ball has been recognised with inclusion in an England Test squad this summer, but it’s his batting which has earned him a call-up for England’s T20I series in New Zealand, and which could dominate in the T10.

Richard Gleeson (Team Abu Dhabi)

A latecomer to county cricket, the right-arm quick only made his T20 debut in 2016, aged 28. But what an entrance he made, taking 14 wickets while keeping his economy rate under six. Since then he has performed solidly without producing anything quite as remarkable as his debut season.

The lightning-quick Richard Gleeson plies his trade for Lancashire in the T20 Blast

Harry Gurney (Team Abu Dhabi)

A real short-form specialist, Gurney has played only one non-T20 match in 2019 – a One Day Cup match in which he took 1-86 in his 10 overs. His height, pace, and variations all contribute to his T20 success though, evidenced by 22 wickets at 18.00 in this year’s Blast. He now has to try and transfer that form into the even shorter T10.

Chris Jordan (Lahore Qalanders)

The Barbados-born England player is a more-than-useful short form cricketer in all three facets of the game. His bowling can be penetrative, and he has a good yorker to call upon along with a slew of slower balls. His batting can be destructive, with a penchant for six-hitting. And his fielding can be sublime, especially his catching off his own bowling which has produced more than one viral clip for the Twittersphere.

Adam Lyth (Maratha Arabians)

The Yorkshire veteran appeared in a lone game for the Arabians in last year’s T10. Having been parachuted in for the 3rd place play-off, his 52 off 24 was not enough to stop Bengal Tigers surging to victory. But it was certainly enough to gain himself a share of the spotlight, and another stint this year.

Tymal Mills (Deccan Gladiators)

Injuries forced Mills into making an early move into T20 specialism. But the left-arm fast bowler has thrived since making the decision to abandon longer formats in a bid to preserve his troublesome back. He played in the tournament last year and ended with a respectable economy of 10.87, but Mills will believe he can do better and will be targeting a real stand-out performance this year.

Moeen Ali (Team Abu Dhabi)

The Worcestershire captain has led from the front in the previous two Blast campaigns. His 334 runs at a strike rate of 176 saw them claim the trophy in 2018, while 365 runs at 171 wasn’t quite enough in 2019 as they lost to Essex in the final. On top of that he took 22 wickets across the two seasons, and finished the 2019 tournament with an economy of 6.7.

Eoin Morgan (Delhi Bulls)

The England white-ball skipper will also captain the Delhi Bulls. With an unquestionable pedigree in white ball cricket, his brutal assault on Afghanistan during the World Cup showcased just how destructive he can be with bat in hand. His quick, calm thinking will be at least as important though.

George Munsey (Northern Warriors)

Scottish, not English, we know. A 39-ball 147* for Gloucestershire Second XI at the beginning of this season drew substantial interest in Munsey. During that innings he completed the perfect over of six sixes. The Scotland player also made an unbeaten ton in the recent tri-series in Ireland. His 56-ball 127* put his side well beyond the reach of opponent’s Netherlands. He is part of Scotland’s squad for the T20 World Cup Qualifier currently taking place in the UAE, so should be well acclimatised by the time the T10 begins.

George Munsey was the only Scotland player picked up

Adil Rashid (Delhi Bulls)

Rashid’s variations have given him great success in T20 cricket. His googly in particular has befuddled many a batsman, though a chronic shoulder injury does often restrict his use of it. He played little part in this year’s Blast after sustaining a shoulder injury during England’s successful World Cup campaign.

Phil Salt (Lahore Qalanders)

Another up-and-coming cricketer, Salt has earned a name for himself with some unconventional batting. He often finds ways of directing the ball to unexpected areas, a skill which could prove invaluable in the shorter-than-shortest form of the game. In the 2019 Blast he racked up 406 runs with a strike rate of 161 – returns not to be sniffed at.

The pyrotechnic Phil Salt came close to an England debut this summer

Paul Stirling (Delhi Bulls)

The Irishman may struggle to get a county contract as an overseas player, but he has no such problem in the T10. Stirling’s big hitting has punished many teams in his time, and the Bulls will be hoping he can reproduce some of that form come November. As with Munsey, Stirling will be coming into the tournament hot off the back of the T20 World Cup Qualifier. He’s also in good form having scored 59 from 47 against Nepal during a warm-up series for that tournament.

Ross Whiteley (Karnataka Tuskers)

Another of the less fashionable players, Whiteley is nonetheless an extremely dangerous player. That he has maintained a strike rate of 145 across a nine-year career speaks volumes of his ball-striking ability. He’s also a fantastic boundary fielder, an attribute which will not have gone unnoticed. The 31-year-old will be keen to show exactly what he can do.

Luke Wright (Team Abu Dhabi)

Rounding out our list, Wright had a mixed international career but has since become hot property on the T20 circuit. He played the last of his 101 internationals in March 2014, finishing with a high score of 99* but an average of just 20.20 in ODIs and 18.97 in T20Is. Since then he has racked up over 3500 runs in 130 T20s, including an unbeaten 157 which made a mockery of Essex’s 225 during the 2014 Blast.

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