‘Want to make Sharjah a fortress’ – Coach JP Duminy ahead of Sharjah Warriorz’s clash against MI Emirates

Sharjah Warriors. (Photo Source: ILT20)

Sharjah Warriorz will look to bounce back in their upcoming clash ILT20 2025 against MI Emirates on Sunday, December 7, after an unfortunate defeat in their opening match, where they fell short while chasing a challenging target against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders on home soil.

With the next fixture also set to be played in Sharjah, the team is determined to respond strongly in familiar conditions and turn home advantage into early-season momentum. Head Coach JP Duminy emphasised the importance of making Sharjah a fortress as the Warriorz prepare to regroup and strengthen their performance.

Reflecting on the key takeaways from the first match, JP Duminy stated that the team utilised the opportunity to gauge the conditions for the coming games.

“We have got a read and assessment of the conditions here and what we’re going to be facing potentially going forward. We certainly want to try and make Sharjah a fortress in terms of how we can play the game. We are now focusing on understanding combinations against oppositions, tweaks that potentially need to be done and recognising the strengths within the team and identifying how we can build our campaign based on all of these.”

Speaking of the atmosphere within the group after the opening game, Duminy said that the players are in a good headspace despite not ending on the right side in the opening clash..

“I think the group is pretty positive still. We aim to be consistent in our behaviour and our language, irrespective of results, but also identify where we’ve come up short. If we can give ourselves 10-20 percent improvements in each match, that gives us a better chance of victory, ” Duminy added.

Duminy also shared his coaching philosophy and the environment he aims to build within the squad.

“My personal philosophy is to try and get the best out of all the players. I always try to understand the human being first. What gets them going? What makes them tick? How do I extract the best out of them? How do they like to be coached? And once I get an understanding of that, I will know how I want to go about every individual, creating a culture where guys feel free to be themselves. But it doesn’t shortchange the idea of full commitment and effort out in the park. We are here to play hard cricket and compete as well as enjoy each other’s company and build new friendships.”

MI Emirates have proven to be a formidable opponent for Sharjah Warriorz. Out of the five matches played between them, Sharjah Warriorz have won two and lost three. Looking ahead to the contest against them, Duminy stressed the need for sharper execution.

“The fans can certainly expect a big improvement in our execution on the field. We will try to understand the options that work on that surface better with both the bat and ball and make sure that we back it up with good fielding,” he said.

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