ONE of the most explosive tournaments in white-ball cricket these days has been overshadowed by the football World Cup taking place some 600km across the Middle East, but former Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu (pictured) is having the time of his life in the United Arab Emirates.
39-year-old Taibu is assistant coach of Bangla Tigers in the sixth edition of the Abu Dhabi T10, which ends on Sunday after 12 days of riveting action in the newest and shortest format of the game.
“It is a very colourful tournament and I’m really enjoying it, and I’m having a great time over and above learning all about the T10,” Taibu told The NewsHawks from Abu Dhabi.
“Dubai and Abu Dhabi are outstandingly beautifully. The other Emirates are not as these.
It’s quite amazing that a desert can be this beautiful.”
The ex-wicketkeeper, who is deputising former Australia batsman Stuart Law with the Shakib Al Hasan-captained side, spoke of the lessons drawn from the tournament.
“Obviously how decisions have got to be made instantly, so it’s obviously a fast-paced game, fast-thinking game, quick decisions,” said Taibu.
“The difference is the speed of the game. The decisions are made faster than T20. For example, in T20 you can wait the over, but in T10 one over can be game over.”
Landing in Abu Dhabi from his Liverpool base last week, Taibu was pictured at the airport holding a book titled “The First Muslim”, rousing interest among his fans in the Muslim world.
Taibu, a devout Christian, explained the piece of literature in his possession.
“You may not know this but I’m an avid reader and I love playing chess,” he said. “Those two are probably the top two of my hobbies. That book is more a history book than a Muslim book as may be suggested by some fans. I like being informed about different things.”–STAFF WRITER
