The European Cricket Network live broadcasts the 2020 European Cricket Series Barcelona encounter between Hira Sabadell and Falco.
Tune in to the live action Tuesday from 9am CEST * 8am UK * 7am GMT * 12:30pm IST from the Montjuïc ground in Barcelona, Spain.
Team Preview for Hira Sabadell
Hira CC Sabadell have had a tough time in T20 cricket lately but have had promising form in the T10 Blast, winning four of their five matches to top the second division. This should give them some confidence going into their first ever appearance at a European Cricket Series.
Captain: Shanawar Shahzad
Main Wicketkeeper: Mubashar Irshad
Key Players:
Shanawar Shahzad was Hira’s leading run-scorer in T20 last season also picked up ten wickets with the ball. He led the side very effectively in T10 cricket last year and so I think that experience will prove very useful to him in the ECS. I’d like to see him open the batting and set the pace.
Adnan Abbas is an important all-rounder. He was their top wicket-taker in 2019 and will be looking for more in Barcelona. He is also a big-hitting batsman who was their leading run-scorer in the most recent T10 blast competition.
Ikram ul Haq picked up 27 wickets in the T20 competition last season. In addition to being a key bowler, Ikram is also quite a character so I look forward to watching him ply his trade in the ECS.
Team Preview for Falco
Falco CC had a good year in 2019, finishing fifth out of the 23 teams in the Liga Catalana with 16 wins and only six losses. Their T10 form was not as hot though, in fact they didn't win a game out of the five they played in the T10 Blast. They have the chance to make amends over the next three weeks in the European Cricket Series and will want to start by accounting for Hira Sabadell in their first match of the tournament.
Captain: Kamran Raja
Main Wicketkeeper: Awais Ahmed
Key Players:
Kamran Raja will open the batting and is probably Falco’s fastest bowler as well. He hit more maximos than any other Falco batsman in last year’s T10 competition. Also a prolific wicket-taker for his team, Raja took 29 wickets in the 2019 Liga Catalana at a rate of almost two per match.
Awais Ahmed will also feature at the top of the order. The Spanish national team keeper-batsman will be keen to show what he can do and will attack in the powerplay. In the field, he won’t be afraid to stand up to the stumps and put the batsman under extra pressure.
Tanveer Iqbal is a former captain of the Spanish national team. T10 is a relatively new format, but his experience will be vital in pressure situations. Expect him to take the new ball for Falco.
Mr Maximo’s tip: FALCO
The first match of Tuesday is an interesting one to predict. Falco are the more accomplished cricket team but Hira Sabadell have performed well in the T10 Blast and have been knocking on the door of the top tier for some time. Hira will put up a good challenge but I expect Falco to prevail in this one. Tune in for all the action on the European Cricket Network – we’d love to have your company!
