New Delhi, December 20
Somerset cricketer Tom Abell opened up about the challenges of adapting to T10 cricket during his recent stint in the Lanka T10 Super League with the Jaffna Titans.
Abell, a household name in county cricket, has made a name for himself in franchise-based cricket as well. The 30-year-old made waves in the recently concluded Lanka T10 Super League.
Abell ended the tournament as the second-highest run-scorer with 189 runs to his name from six matches. He hammered a whopping 23 fours and seven sixes while striking at 205.43.
While the Somerset batter admits power-hitting doesn't come naturally to him, he had to find a way to cope with the fast-paced nature of the format, where one has to hit it from the first ball.
"I think the most challenging thing is finding my own way. In T20 cricket, I am someone who likes to give myself a bit of a chance to take a few balls to get myself in. In T10, you have to hit boundaries quickly. I am not necessarily someone who hits sixes like some other players. I have not had a huge amount of experience in T10 cricket, and it has been a bit of a learning curve for me as well," Abell told ANI.
Abell, who prefers to take his time when he features in the T20 format, felt it was a challenge for him to hit boundaries on certain occasions, which led to him adapting his game to the T1- requirements.
"You don't have much time to think and have a look. In T10, from a batting point of view, you can be very clear. You don't have to think about batting the 20 overs or playing against the situation. From the ball one, you are looking to be positive and hit boundaries. So, I would say hitting doesn't come naturally to me. I sort of find it a challenge trying to hit boundaries at times. But I think it is about adapting my game to T10," he added.
Abell's career has been filled with ups and downs, recently owing to injuries. Last year, he received his call-up to the England team for their white-ball series against Bangladesh. However, he missed out on his debut due to an injury.
Even in franchise cricket, Abell has been sidelined for the tournaments due to the injuries. While recalling his missed opportunity, Abell hopes another opportunity presents itself in future.
"I have not had a great run with injuries, which has been disappointing. It was a dream for me to get a call-up for the Bangladesh series, but I had an injury just before that. Yes, it has not been ideal. But I have been away from injury. It has been a disappointing period of my career. If I can perform and play well, I can get an opportunity like that," he remarked.