Sharjah,
Sharjah Warriorz scripted history when they secured their playoff spot for the first time in Season 3 of the DP World ILT20. They achieved the feat after securing three wins in their last three league matches, setting up an Eliminator clash against the MI Emirates, that will take place on 6th February in Abu Dhabi.
Reflecting on this milestone and shedding some light on their approach, Head Coach JP Duminy emphasized on the importance of building a strong cohesive team to set the standard for his side. He said, “The thing we discussed at the start was that we wanted to be very consistent in our behaviours. It’s the set of values and standards we want to adhere to, and whatever the result might be, we try to be as consistent as we can with it. We believe that guys will respond as best as they can. We know as leaders we’re not necessarily responsible for results but we’re responsible for the people who are responsible for the results. So, how do we get them in the best frame of mind is the important part to find that consistency and performance.”
Duminy also highlighted the importance of his team going into the final week of the tournament with good form and momentum. He said, “To win big games and tournaments, you need a few guys to be consistent in their performances and you naturally would lean on your big gun players who have been through it in the previous times, to come through. We’ve seen this particularly in the last few games for us. The big players have really stepped up and put in some big performances. As much as you rely on them, the other guys grow in confidence when your big players are stepping up because it just raises the standard of the playing eleven. In the playoff week, you catch momentum that creates confidence, and anybody can really step up and put in a big performance for the team.”