Tom Banton retained by Qalandars for Abu Dhabi T10

The Somerset man impressed in the 2019 competition, scoring 162 runs in five innings at an average of 40.5 and a strike rate of 200

England batsman Tom Banton has re-signed for Qalandars for the upcoming edition of the Abu Dhabi T10 League.

The Somerset man impressed in the 2019 competition, scoring 162 runs in five innings at an average of 40.5 and a strike rate of 200.

Qalandars featured several English players in 2019, including Chris Jordan, leading wicket-taker George Garton, Dawid Malan, Phil Salt, Laurie Evans, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Peter Trego, Jordan Clark and Samit Patel.

In signing his new deal, Banton becomes the sixth player to be retained, following Salt, Patel, Jordan, UAE spinner Sultan Ahmed and Pakistan legend Shahid Afridi, who withdrew ahead of the 2019 edition after initially signing up.

The upcoming tournament, which was pushed back as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, will be played between January 28 and February 6.

Banton’s retention comes after he opted to withdraw from a Big Bash stint with Brisbane Heat, citing the demands of the bio-secure bubble, having spent much of his year on Covid-restricted tours.

After being part of bubbles during the English summer for series against Pakistan and Australia, he represented Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League, before travelling to South Africa with England as a reserve.

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