'I was scared about the format, but trusted my process': Jawadullah confident ahead of Abu Dhabi T10 Final
Muhammad Jawadullah, the UAE pacer, made his maiden appearance in the Abu Dhabi T10 League as he played for the New York Strikers.
Muhammad Jawadullah has had a stellar 2023. Before this year, he hadn't made a professional cricket experience, let alone playing in the domestic circuit. However, he was picked in the ILT20 by Sharjah Warriors after impressing the UAE scouts, and eventually went on to make his debut for the national team. Currently, he is representing the New York Strikers in the Abu Dhabi T10 League and has produced impressive performances for the side, as it reached the final of the tournament on Friday.
Jawadullah has picked 9 wickets in 7 innings so far at a brilliant economy rate of 6.85. In a fast-paced league like T10, Jawadullah's economy rate has been commendable but he admitted he was scared before the tournament. In a conversation with Hindustan Times, Jawadullah stated that he had inhibitions about the explosive nature of the tournament but "trusted" his process.
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“It is a very fast tournament. I was pretty scared before playing here, I feared being hit for fours and sixes off every delivery. But I trusted my process and have performed well,” Jawadullah told Hindustan Times.
On Friday, Strikers secured a berth in the final of the tournament, defeating Morrisville Samp Army by 41 runs. Jawadullah produced a phenomenal performance with the ball, conceding only 13 runs in two overs while picking two wickets. However, it was Akeal Hosein who was the star of the game as he picked a hat-trick, eventually taking a five-wicket haul; he registered figures of 5/6 in two overs.
Jawadullah is positive about the final, and stated that the Strikers' form has been brilliant all through the tournament.
“We hope our final will be ours. We have performed really well all through the tournament. It has been a great experience. I'm a bowler, and the fellow bowlers have been really helpful,” said the 24-year-old left-armer.
The strikers will face Deccan Gladiators in the final, who had defeated the Samp Army in the second qualifier by 28 runs.
