The inaugural season of DP World ILT20 will begin soon. The lineup of each of the 6 participating teams contains diverse and well-known faces of the professional Cricket scene. Junaid Siddique and Alishan Sharafu, who will be seen playing for the Sharjah Warriors, have shared their thoughts on ILT20 in a recent interview.
Here is what Junaid Siddique and Alishan Sharafu had to say about the opportunity of playing in ILT20.
Both Players are very excited to be part of the Sharjah Warriors team and play quality cricket in the first edition of the DP World ILT20 2023.
Junaid Siddique Interview
Junaid Siddique, the left-handed batsman and fast-bowler from Pakistan, will be seen playing with the Sharjah Warriors in the first edition of DP World ILT20. He possesses an impressive record of taking 33 Wickets in 28 T20s.
In a recent interview, Junaid Siddique was asked about his opinions about the ILT20. Here is what he had to say:
“It was a dream come true for me when I got selected for the Sharjah Warriors. There’s no bigger chance than this for players like us. The DP World ILT20 is a huge opportunity to prove myself. I like that Moeen Ali is our captain of the Sharjah warriors team, and there are a lot of other players from whom I can learn. I am particularly looking forward to share the dugout with Chris Woakes and Mohammad Nabi.”
When asked about his journey into the professional Cricket scene, Junaid Siddique said:
“My father likes cricket a lot, and he wanted to see me become a cricketer and play for Pakistan. But unfortunately, I couldn’t play for Pakistan. However, I got a chance to play for UAE. I always had an interest in cricket, and as I grew older, my passion for cricket kept growing. I left my studies and pursued cricket as a career. I skipped my exams in 2011 to play an U-19 district tournament in Pakistan.”
Alishan Sharafu Interview
Alishan Sharafu from India, who plays for the United Arab Emirates’ national Cricket team, will join Junaid Siddique in Sharjah Warriors. When asked about his thoughts on the first season of the DP World ILT20, Alishan Sharafu had this to say:
“It felt great when I got to know that I will be playing for the Sharjah Warriors. I have worked with coach Paul Farbrace before and he told me that the team is interested in picking me. After that I was signed by the Sharjah Warriors. We have a great side and I am looking forward to learning from the batters in the side. You get to learn a lot from just being in a professional environment.”
Sharafu further added about the impact of the ICC World Cup India won in 2011 and how it transformed his professional journey. He said;
“I used to play cricket on the streets with my family. My earliest memory of watching cricket was when India won the 2011 ICC Men’s World Cup. That’s when my interest rose for the game. I started training at an academy in 2013-14. After a few years, I played for the UAE U-19 team. There was no looking back after that.”
Conclusion
Junaid Siddique and Alishan Sharaf will be joined by Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Evin Lewis, and many more famous cricketers as they will play for the Sharjah Warriors franchise. The team’s first match is slated against MI Emirates on January 14th, 2023.