DUBAI: Former India batsman Yuvraj Singh was on Thursday named Maratha Arabians’ icon player for the upcoming Abu Dhabi T10 tournament, which will be his second appearance in a franchise-based competition since taking international retirement in June.
Yuvraj retired from international cricket earlier this year and is not bound by the BCCI’s rules about active players not being able to play in leagues outside the country.
Following his retirement, the 37-year-old had captained Toronto Nationals in Global T20 Canada in July-August.
Speaking about joining the Maratha Arabians squad, Yuvraj said: “Playing in the Abu Dhabi T10 is a double joy for me because it will be my world T10 debut and because I always enjoy the warmth and support of the passionate cricket fans there.
“T10 suits my character and style of play. With such short matches, every ball, every over is important and you’re facing world-class competition every night so you’ve got to be ultra-focused. I hope Maratha Arabians fans and Indian cricket fans have already got their tickets because we’re going to put on a show.”Aref Al Awani, general secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “Yuvraj Singh is one of the game’s undisputed superstars, and the confirmation he is joining the Abu Dhabi T10 is indicative of our city’s status as a world-class sporting destination that attracts the best.”
Singh’s inclusion adds yet another impressive dimension to the showpiece tournament which is being hosted in Abu Dhabi for the first time and will be beamed to Sony Network’s Indian viewer base of 700 million on Sony Six and Sony Ten 3 channels.
Maratha Arabians co-owner, Parvez Khan, commented: “We felt confident after the draft that we had a powerful line-up that would challenge for the title. But now adding Yuvraj to a team with Lynn, Bravo, Zadran and Malinga really puts Maratha Arabians on another level in terms of competitiveness and fan appeal.”
Co-owner Sohail Khan, actor and brother of superstar Salman Khan, added: “It’s terrific to have a world class player like Yuvi in our squad. We have seen his exploits for India in various formats. He is a champion cricketer and has been one of the greats of the white ball format. It’s a huge honour to have him in our squad.”
Ali Tumbi, Maratha Arabians co-owner, noted: “If you have the chance to add a player of Yuvraj Singh’s calibre to your team, you do whatever it takes. We are delighted he will be playing for Maratha Arabians and I’m confident the fans will be pleased to watch him play against the other elite talent assembled for the Abu Dhabi T10.”
The opening ceremony concert of the Abu Dhabi T10 will take place on November 14, with the first match kicking off on November 15.
The event has the approval of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
