Prolific England allrounder Moeen Ali has been appointed captain of Sharjah Warriors for the inaugural edition of the UAE-based International League T20. The franchise also notified about the appointment of Paul Farbrace as their head coach for the first edition, which is slated to start in January 2023. Moeen Ali is currently leading Morrisville Samp Army in the ongoing Abu Dhabi T10 League 2022.
In response to his appointment, Moeen Ali stated that he is honored and pleased to lead Sharjah Warriors in the tournament's first edition and expressed that he is excited to play at the iconic Sharjah Stadium. "It's a great honor and would be a pleasure to lead Sharjah Warriors. In this format, anybody can beat anybody, and it is important to keep evolving. With the team at our disposal, we can play aggressive, yet sensible cricket and hopefully be in the mix towards the business end of the ILT20," Moeen Ali was quoted in a statement issued.
The English cricketer also feels excited about playing at Sharjah Stadium as he revealed that he is looking forward to playing at the historic ground. Meanwhile, Paul Farbrace has a rich history with the Sri Lankan cricket team by winning the 2014 T20 World Cup and Asia Cup 2014. He has also served as an assistant coach for England men's team under the former head coaches Peter Moores and Trevor Bayliss.
"The T20 has been challenging and yet most rewarding. It is nice to see talent from around the world getting more opportunities. I am aware of how cricket is followed here as an extension of the sub-continent. I hope we can work some magic here to inspire future generations and even generate local interest," Paul said on joining the Sharjah franchise. Apart from Farbrace, Matthew Maynard is appointed as the batting coach and G Jayakumar as the bowling coach by the Sharjah franchise on Thursday (December 1).