Faf Du Plessis Hopeful For T10 Format To Feature In The Olympics

Former South African skipper Faf du Plessis, who will make his debut in the Abu Dhabi T10 this year, said on Wednesday that the T10 format had the potential to be a part of the Olympics curriculum.

"I have played three formats (Tests, ODIs and T20s) for a long time and I am still attracted to the T10 format. I think players like myself will keep looking at tournaments like this. The future of T10 is looking good. It's a format that can be used in the Olympics. The quick nature of T10 also makes it attractive to the fans. I think T10 is only going to get better and better," said Du Plessis.

Asked about the challenges faced while moving into a new format, the South African said, "I think when you are moving from one format to the other, it's about understanding your game. You need to think about the blueprint that you will need to follow which will give you consistent results. Through time in T20 cricket, I've got better at understanding my game plan on different pitches and making decisions about which bowlers I can take on and which bowlers I can't take on during a game."

Du Plessis, who will be leading the Bangla Tigers team in the upcoming season of the Abu Dhabi T10, also spoke about his role as the leader of the side.

"My role as a captain would be to get the team together and create an environment wherein the players are having fun and being themselves. Batting in the top order would be the best position for me to bat. But I haven't had those discussions with the team management yet."

The South African also said that the pitches in Abu Dhabi could assist spinners more than pacers.

"Given the nature of the matches in Abu Dhabi during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, I think the spinners will have more of an impact as compared to the fast bowlers in the Abu Dhabi T10. However, raw pace can also be quite effective on up and down wickets. So, it'll depend on the conditions on the day."

The Abu Dhabi T10 will be played at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi from November 19 to December 4.