Afghanistan's young bowler Qais Ahmad, who is all set to join his Gulf Giants teammates in the International League T20 (ILT20), is expecting the conditions in the UAE to be "helpful for spinners".
The inaugural season of the tournament begins on January 13 with Dubai Capitals taking on Abu Dhabi Knight Riders here. Gulf Giants will open their campaign against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders on January 15 at the iconic Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Ahmad is familiar with the conditions in the UAE and said that the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi is among his favourite venues. Speaking about his experiences in playing in UAE, he said: "I have played a lot of cricket in UAE and I think the weather and wickets will also be conducive for cricket.
This part of the world allows a bit of help for the spinners and that is a good thing for players like me." The 22-year-old has a fair amount of experience in franchise cricket, having plied his trade in Australia, West Indies, England and Pakistan.
"Adani's Gulf Giants' have a well-balanced squad and the players are not only in-form but have also played in the recent T20 World Cup, and have big match experience. I am very happy to be part of the side and hope to learn a few things from the senior pros," he said.
"The inaugural edition of the ILT20 will not be an easy tournament as the roster has a lot of well-established players. I have worked and trained hard for this tournament and I hope that I can stand my own among these big players," the Afghan bowler said.
Speaking about the cricket he has played previously, Ahmad said he's always enjoyed playing with the Afghanistan legend Rashid Khan. "When I play with the likes of Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan, it is not only a lot of fun but also a big moment of education for me.
Rashid bhai shares all the knowledge of the game, and those sessions are very enjoyable for a youngster like me," Ahmad, who has bagged 4 wickets in 2 games for the national team, said. Ahamad has also played more than 100 T20 games outside of international matches and bagged close to 150 wickets up until now.
Gulf Giants squad: James Vince (C), ShimronHetmyer, Chris Jordan, Chris Lynn, Tom Banton, Dominic Drakes, David Wiese, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Qais Ahmad, Richard Gleeson, Ollie Pope, Rehan Ahmed, CP Rizwan, Aayan Afzal Khan, Sanchit Sharma, and AshwanthValthappa