[SPORT] Pace of T10 separates it from T20, Abu Dhabi T10 can be game-changer in Olympics

[Nikhel Nice]

Pace of T10 separates it from T20, Abu Dhabi T10 can be game-changer in Olympics: Sam Billings, Carlos Brathwaite

 

Abu Dhabi T10 League: Sam Billings and Carlos Brathwaite, on a virtual round table with reporters on Tuesday, spoke about the various intriguing aspects of the T10 format.

 

 

HIGHLIGHTS :

• Sam Billings has explained the challenges in T10 that separates it from T20
• Carlos Brathwaite has opened up about the various prospects of T10
• Sam Billings eyes for finisher spot in T20 World Cup for England

 

 

As the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League, being staged in UAE is in full flow, there preparations starting for the Abu Dhabi T10 league. In a virtual round table conference, held on Tuesday, star cricketers Sam Billings and Carlos Brathwaite shared their thoughts on the format and the various prospects that could be explored from strength to strength.

“I think it’s really the pace of the game, and given its span of only 10 overs, that really separates the T10 format from the T20 format. The format is more compact and you have to be in the game right from the beginning. Say you waste a few deliveries, in fact just one, and suddenly the pressure is on the batsman. The key is to be in the game from the beginning until the end,” Sam Billings said about the T10 format.

Cricket in Olympics: A prospect

"I will see if the game kind of picks up around the world, certainly with the Olympics as a kind of carrot, I think, that would be the best encouraging factor internationally,” Billings added about the prospect of the t10 format in international cricket.

Meanwhile, West Indies cricketing star Carlos Brathwaite is sure of the Abu Dhabi T10 league attracting a new set of audience. Brathwaite has batted for cricket in Olympics, a ‘game-changer’ with T10 being the bridge. Both cricketers also praised the facilities that T10 venues like Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi have provided.

"It's about handling pressure and a player needs to get the basics right. It will interest a person to get into cricket. It's only 10 overs. Let's get through 60 balls and have a game of cricket. Let's see what it's like. I hope that in my lifetime cricket can get into the Olympics. And this is one way I see it being feasible," Brathwaite said.

"It will be at the forefront of developing skills over the next few years as T20 cricket has done for ODI and take the game to another level on and off the pitch."

Sam Billings eyes finisher role in England setup

Billings, who last appeared for England recently during the home series in Australia, is eyeing for finisher role ahead of the next approaching T20 World Cup. The 29-year-old wicketkeeper batsmen had pulled out from the Chennai Super Kings' squad, prior to the coronavirus pandemic, to shift focus to his red-ball stint with his county club Kent.

"There are quite a few options at the top of the order. Jason Roy, Tom Banton, Philip Salt, all these guys. But they can battle it out for those three spots. I've just focused on what I've done this summer and hopefully, I can continue that form over the course of the winter,” Billings said.

"It is a different role, and it's a very specific role. So it's one that I really want to grasp. It's a role that I've done consistently over the last few years for Kent, and something that actually I prefer," he added.

Sam Billings heaps praise on England teammate Sam Curran

Watching England pacer Sam Curran open for CSK, Billings couldn’t help but praise his young England teammate.

"Sam [Curran] is a special talent and every single time he plays in any game he makes things happen. That is the kind of craze associated with him. He offers both with the bat and ball and this trait is amazing. He's very a modern-day player," Billings stated.

"I don't wanna jinx it though," Billings and everyone shared a laugh, as the press conference went on amid the first few overs of the CSK vs SRH clash of IPL 2020.