T10 format really helps players hone their skills, says Jaffna Titans' captain David Wiese

Kandy (The Uttam Hindu): South Africa's David Wiese, captain of the 2024 Lanka T10 Super League side Jaffna Titans, believes that T10 is a format that is very helpful for cricketers to work on their skill set. "I think in any format and especially in T10, you have a very small margin of error as a bowler. You can't be off by too much and you really need to nail the skill. So, T10 is a kind of format that is really helpful for players to hone their skills," Wiese said after his team Jaffna Tigers started with a win in the opening match of the Lanka T10 Super League at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.

The right-handed player also put his weight behind the shortest form of the game and said that it has the potential to gather popularity on a global level. "I do think there is a place for it especially if you want to tap into emerging markets. I think it's a great way to grow the game in those emerging markets but I still feel the shorter the game, the more one-sided it could almost be because then one guy can just take the game away," said Wisse "The longer the game, it's more pure so you know I'd like to think that guys are still focusing on the longer formats at T20s, 50s and obviously Test matches but I feel T10 is clicking," he added. Sharing his experience of playing in Sri Lanka, Wiese is delighted to be a part of the competition and lauded the kind of passion that the Lankan fans have for the game. "It's great to be out here in Sri Lanka. It's great that it's actually taken off and it's been a good start. Fans have come out in good numbers, it's been a good support and it's just the first day, so hopefully it continues like this and there's such passion for the game in people here," the 39-year-old said.

Wiese lavished praise on young Sri Lankan spinner Treveen Mathew for his performance in the first match after he claimed a four-wicket haul against Hambantota Bangla Tigers. "It's great to see such talent coming up. He's our emerging player and as an emerging spinner, it's great for him to get such an opportunity. He really turned the match for us taking four wickets in the first fixture. I'm really happy for him," he concluded.