Auckland coach O'Donnell says his young guns can cut it in Abu Dhabi

The Aces arrived in the Emirate this week without many of their international stars and will take on Boost Defenders of Afghanistan in their opening match on Thursday before facing South African franchise Multiply Titans on Saturday

^{Mark O'Donnell leads Auckland Aces in the Abu Dhabi T20}

Auckland Aces head coach Mark O’Donnell is backing his young squad to make a major impression at the inaugural Abu Dhabi T20.

The Aces arrived in the Emirate this week without many of their international stars and will take on Boost Defenders of Afghanistan in their opening match on Thursday before facing South African franchise Multiply Titans on Saturday.

O’Donnell might be unable to call on the likes of Martin Guptill, Colin Munro and Mitch McClenaghan for the three-day tournament but he believes the players he has at his disposal have the ability and wherewithal to compete.

“We are a youngish side but in T20 cricket if you play well on the day and grab opportunities you are going to go damn close to beating anyone,” he told The Cricketer.

“We’re just looking forward to the playing opportunity, to going out with no fear, playing well and see where we get.

“There are some very, very good young cricketers who aren’t finished products just yet.

The Aces will be without Colin Munro and Martin Guptill at the tournament

“From an experience point of view, we would prefer it if we had our Guptill, Munro, McClenaghan, (Lockie) Ferguson and that crowd but we don’t have them and that’s the opportunity for these guys.”

Auckland are one of six teams entered in the inaugural edition of the event, which also features Hobart Hurricanes, Yorkshire Vikings and Lahore Qalandars.

Given the New Zealand domestic campaign is in its very early stages, the Aces might be seen as having a disadvantage, but O’Donnell is not worried.

“We’ve got a young group of players and it is a good experience for them to have to quickly get up to speed and get going in a knockout tournament,” he said.

“We’re obviously at the start of ours and Yorkshire are at the end of their season.

ABU DHABI T20: Squads, fixtures and the latest news from the tournament

“We’ve been bloody fortunate in that we’ve had three quality weeks’ practice on grass in Auckland, so that’s a big help.

“If we’d gone straight from indoors or straight from winter that would have been much harder but we’ve incorporated red and white-ball practices going into this.”

As for the competition’s format itself - two groups of three teams producing a straight final on Saturday evening - O’Donnell is a fan.

“It’s too good a playing opportunity to miss,” he said. “It reminds me very much of the Champions League, which I thought was a very, very good concept but wasn’t quite embraced by everyone a few years ago.

“It’s a good opportunity for us, with a young group of players, to get onto the international stage.

“Facilities-wise it is outstanding, absolutely outstanding.”