Andy Flower, the head coach of the Gulf Giants, has heaped praise on Englishman James Vince for his brilliant performances, which have helped the team to the top of the table with 8 points from 5 games in the inaugural edition of the DP World ILT20.
The Adani Sportsline-owned Gulf Giants have made a flying start to their ILT20 campaign.
Adani's Gulf Giants got off to a fast start, led by Englishman Vince, who has been the team's most successful batter so far. The team also ticked off the boxes during the business end of the games.
"Vince's form has been excellent; he is a high-quality player who has been instrumental in our success thus far. Vince's captaincy has been positive, and he is calm and makes sound tactical decisions. And he's been leading from the front. Shimron Hetmyer has also been in excellent form, working hard in training and reproducing that in games. Our bowlers, who are also quite experienced, are performing admirably under pressure "Andy Flower, the head coach, stated.
"Chris Jordan and David Wiese have been excellent with the ball for us, and our fielding has been excellent as well. Adani's Gulf Giants also benefit from a player like Dominic Drakes performing well in training and pushing for a spot in the starting XI, which keeps everyone on their toes "Flower was quoted as saying in a franchise release.
The former Zimbabwean captain also praised the talented UAE cricketers who are part of the Giants' squad, as well as the local cricketers, singling out the young Sanchit Sharma for praise.
"A tournament of this calibre is fantastic for UAE cricket. Each team has at least four UAE players, and we've already seen some outstanding performances from them, which bodes well for the domestic circuit here. Sanchit has been doing well for us; he's calm under pressure and a skilled swing bowler, while Aayan Khan has struggled and Ashwanth Valthapa has also played. This type of exposure is extremely beneficial to these players, and good performances from them can only benefit everyone "said the coach.
Flower, who was a prolific scorer during his playing days and frequently led the Zimbabwean resistance, also mentioned his team's willingness to fight.
"The challenges that have come their way have always been enjoyable for the players. It's always encouraging to see our team fight in difficult situations; any coach appreciates it. It's encouraging to see the players enjoying their challenges and battling their way out of sticky situations. That can only bode well for Adani's Gulf Giants "He then signed off.
The Gulf Giants will play the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in Dubai on Wednesday in an attempt to maintain their lead at the top of the points table.