Dubai, Dec 28 (IANS): The T20 format has taken cricket by storm over the last decade and more, and the juggernaut has no plans of slowing down either. The focus turns to the UAE with the ILT20, where the Adani's Gulf Giants will be looking to make a big splash beginning January 13.

More often than not, the big names from the traditionally strong cricketing countries steal the limelight, however, Gulf Giants are putting their faith and backing in players from the UAE. Picking up the baton first is CP Rizwan, the captain of the UAE cricket team, who is raring to go.

"To work with an experienced person like Andy Flower, it is a great honour for us, and in terms of the squad, we have a good combination of dynamic, explosive, experienced and classy players. The likes of Shimron Hetmyer, James Vince and Chris Lynn can all destroy teams single-handedly on their day. We can't wait to hit the ground and produce the goods," Rizwan said.

Asked about who are the players he is most looking forward to work with in Gulf Giants' squad, Rizwan said, "James Vince, he has played franchise cricket all over the world, Chris Lynn, a powerhouse in T20 cricket, and Shimron Hetmyer to name a few. Then there is also David Wiese, who is very experienced. This is an exciting squad and working alongside them and testing ourselves in tough conditions will help us grow as players."

Among the more popular sports in the Asian continent and across the globe, cricket, according to Rizwan, is a big source of joy for everyone in the UAE. "In the UAE, people love cricket a lot, the IPL, the India-Pakistan games, and Adani's Gulf Giants have genuine crowd pullers like Lynn, Hetmyer and Vince. And I am sure, together we will provide the people with some great evenings and go on to build a fan base for the Gulf Giants as well."

The ILT20 is the first T20 tournament of the kind in the UAE, and Rizwan is gung-ho about this. "This is an opportunity for us UAE players to showcase our talent, rather than a challenge due to the presence of the international stars. We want to make use of this chance and express ourselves and entertain our fans. This is our chance to say to the world that we belong to the elite level."

Looking ahead to the tournament, Rizwan said, "The Adani franchises are among the best in whatever sport they enter. And here with the Gulf Giants, we want to make a mark and our team's culture and work ethic will hopefully help us do the best we can. The management wants the best for us and we will work together in one direction."

Gulf Giants squad: James Vince (C), Shimron Hetmyer, Chris Jordan, Chris Lynn, Tom Banton, Dominic Drakes, David Wiese, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Qais Ahmad, Richard Gleeson, Ollie Pope, Rehan Ahmed, CP Rizwan, Aayan Afzal Khan, Sanchit Sharma, and Ashwanth Valthappa