Dwayne Bravo named captain of Maratha Arabians in the T10 League

21 November 2018, Dubai: The great warrior race of Marathas is all set to resume battle, but on a fresh battleground, the cricket fields of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Named the Maratha Arabians, a franchise in the upcoming T10 League to be played over 10-overs-a-side, the squad featuring some of the world’s best-known cricketers will do battle in the eight-team tournament from 21 November-2 December at the historic Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The tournament is being staged under the aegis of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), with official approval of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Maratha Arabians is co-owned by Parvez Khan of Pacific Ventures, Bollywood Actor/Producer/Director Sohail Khan and Ali Tumbi of Aqua Properties. Legendary India Opener and captain Virender Sehwag was named as the batting coach of the franchise at the launch of the official anthem of the side at The Oberoi Hotel in Dubai on Tuesday night. Another legend of the game, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram returns as the head coach of the squad. Former England and Scotland cricketer Dougie Brown is the assistant coach of the side alongside ex-Pakistan international Faisal Iqbal.

Former West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo was on Tuesday unveiled as the captain of the franchise. Bravo had also played in the first edition of the tournament for Maratha Arabians.

The squad consists of players from nine countries including Afghanistan, Australia, India, England, Pakistan, South Africa, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Zimbabwe.

Maratha Arabians begin their campaign with a game against Punjabi Legends on Thursday.

The franchise on Tuesday night unveiled the official anthem for the season sung and composed by noted singer from India, Shadab Faridi. Over the years, Faridi has been the voice of a number of superstars in the Hindi Film industry including superstar Salman Khan.

Speaking at the launch of the anthem, Sehwag said: “When I played the tournament last year it gave me an adrenaline rush like never before. This time I am here as the batting coach and it has the same feel like before. We have an exciting squad full of impact players. The fact that the tournament aims to entertain the fans at large fits in well with me because that has been my philosophy always.”

Maratha Arabians Co-owner Sohail Khan said: “Cricket has always been close to my heart. It is a brilliant concept and as a team owner, it provides us an excellent opportunity to maximise the popularity of the sport further. We have a fantastic squad with an iconic captain. It cannot get better than this.”

Maratha Arabians Co-owner Parvez Khan said: “At Pacific Ventures we have always been closely associated with cricket. Owning a franchise in the format is a special honour for us because it takes us back to our roots in Maharashtra. The presence of legends like Virender Sehwag and Wasim Akram means that we have the best possible advice for our squad.”

Maratha Arabians Co-owner Ali Tumbi said: “This franchise stands for two exciting warrior races. I am sure our squad will fight for every inch throughout the tournament. We have an excellent squad with players who are adept at the shorter formats.”

Squad: Dwayne Bravo (Windies, captain); Rashid Khan, Najibullah Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai (all Afghanistan); James Faulkner (Australia); Alex Hales, Adam Lyth, James Vince, Richard Gleeson (all England); Subramaniam Badrinath (India); Roelof van der Merwe (Netherlands); Kamran Akmal (Pakistan); Brendan Taylor (Zimbabwe); Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan (both UAE); Head Coach and Mentor: Wasim Akram; Batting coach: Virender Sehwag; Assistant coach: Dougie Brown (Scotland), Faisal Iqbal (Pakistan); Manager: Abdul Latif Khan