Absolutely fantastic to have Sarah Taylor as an assistant coach of Team Abu Dhabi: Colin Ingram

Experienced T20 cricketer Colin Ingram is in readiness to set the stage on fire in the fifth season of the Abu Dhabi T10, which is slated to begin on 19 November 2021. The South African, who has scored over 7,000 runs in T20s expressed during a virtual conference that he is ecstatic about former England player Sarah Taylor being appointed as assistant coach of Team Abu Dhabi.

“It’s absolutely fantastic to have Sarah Taylor as an assistant coach of Team Abu Dhabi. She was a wonderful player. Sarah is probably the most technically gifted wicket-keeper I have seen. I wish her all the best for a future in coaching.”

While speaking about the make-up of the Team Abu Dhabi squad, Ingram said, “We’ve got an extremely well-balanced squad, which is exciting. Dangerous batting up front with Paul Stirling and Chris Gayle and there are a number of other guys who can do some damage. And Naveen ul Haq is bowling really well at the moment and Marchant De Lange is a really exciting player.”

“A batter has to get on with it pretty early”

When asked about his approach to the T10 format, the batsman said, “After I played my first season in the T10, I realized that a batter has to get on with it pretty early. A competitive score is going to be over 100 most of the time. Looking for a boundary early on is something I have tried to develop as quickly as possible. If you get a boundary early on, then it takes the pressure off you and maybe gives you a few more balls to get in and then get dangerous.”

Ingram added that he has always found Abu Dhabi T10 to be an enjoyable experience.

“All the teams that I have been part of in the last ten years have been highly beneficial in developing my white ball game and allowing me to enjoy the cricket calendar. And the T10 is another new format, which has been really exciting and I have enjoyed it massively,” the South African signed off.

The Abu Dhabi T10 will be played at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi from 19 November – 4 December 2021. Abu Dhabi T10 launched, owned and operated by T Ten Sports Management, having Abu Dhabi Cricket (ADC) as home to the thrilling series is the world’s only 10-over cricket tournament officially sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and licensed by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB). It brings together over 120 of world cricket’s biggest names to compete in the game’s fastest format.

With the support of the Abu Dhabi Government and Abu Dhabi Sports Council, ADC and T Ten Sports Management (TSM) have consistently grown the series and won worldwide acclaim for mounting a successful season in Jan/Feb 2021 despite challenging conditions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament was safely delivered against a background of strict COVID prevention protocols and gained a global TV audience and praise as a world class event.