Show caption: Usman Tariq of United Tigers celebrates the wicket of Sam Bi…
Pakistan spinner tops wickets and economy charts after opening weekend
The revamped Abu Dhabi T10 got off to a rollicking start as new team United Tigers stormed to the top of the table after an action-packed opening weekend.
Pakistan mystery spinner Usman Tariq continued his fine form in franchise cricket as he topped the wickets and economy charts after the opening matches of the 10-over tournament.
Off-spinner Tariq picked up four wickets across two matches as the Tigers secured convincing wins – by 51 runs against Arabian Aces and by 25 runs versus the UAE Bulls.
Tigers top the table early in the tournament with two wins out of two and an enviable net run rate of 3.8.
Tariq played his role perfectly as he returned with superb figures of 2-10 and 2-13 in his two-over spells.
The Pakistan international has an economy of just 5.75, which is two runs better than the next best.
The Tigers are captained by Pakistan star Fakhar Zaman who scored 20 in successive matches opening the innings.
However, their most impactful player in the opening matches was Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai. The seam bowling all-rounder chipped in with knocks of 29 not out and 48 not out, while also delivering impactful spells of 2-17 and 0-18.
Another Pakistan bowler – pacer Salman Irshad – joined Tariq at the top of the wickets table. The right arm quick also picked up four wickets for the Arabian Aces who handed the Royal Desert Champions their second straight defeat of the weekend.
Even though the Royal Desert Champions did not enjoy a good start to the Abu Dhabi T10, their star UAE batter Muhammad Waseem was grateful for the opportunity the league continues to provide for UAE cricketers.
“First of all, thanks to the Emirates Cricket Board and the Abu Dhabi board for arranging these leagues. UAE players are getting very good opportunities,” Waseem said.
“The way the local boys have performed over the last four or five years, people can see how UAE cricketers are improving. T10 and ILT20 are both helping the boys, and what they learn here is helping the national team.”
Meanwhile, the performance of Pakistan players in Abu Dhabi is a welcome development after initial uncertainty over their availability.
Reports suggested that the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Abu Dhabi T10 organisers were involved in lengthy negotiations about Pakistan player's availability for the tournament as late as two days before the opening match.
As the tournament kicked off on Saturday, Pakistan's top cricketers were on the field.
Updated:
November 09, 2026, 8:50 AM
Source: The National · Ajit Vijaykumar
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