The impact of Courtney Walsh
Having West Indies legend Courtney Walsh as coach has proven invaluable in maintaining team morale despite challenging results, said the batsman with over 150 caps across formats.
“On paper, our team is very good, and our team is also good on ground. Our efforts remain the same. Our coach and captain both motivate us,” Shehzad explained.
“In every team meeting they focus on the small mistakes. If this had not happened, things could have been different. They do this to keep the team’s morale high. Otherwise, all we can do is try; the result is not in our hands.”
The franchise vision
“It’s a new franchise team. It will take time, but it will get better year after year,” Shehzad said, highlighting the long-term approach Royal Champs is taking. “Our management is good. We meet all the team’s requirements.”
The franchise has put together a truly international team with the likes of Shakib Al Hassan, Jason Roy Aaron Jones and Isuru Udana.
“We have players from all over the world. We all sit together and talk about the match. The team atmosphere is very good,” he noted, highlighting the multicultural unity that defines the dressing room.
Abu Dhabi: a sports home
For Shehzad, who has represented Afghanistan extensively in the UAE, Abu Dhabi’s emergence as a global sporting hub is remarkable.
“It’s an incredible place to play sports. We used to have a lot of camps here in Afghanistan. We also have a home base here, so it feels really good to come here.”
“The atmosphere here, the facilities – you see the academy, the stadium and two smaller grounds. I’ve been playing here for a long time, so it feels like home.”
Recovery protocols
The demanding schedule of consecutive matches leaves little room for errors in physical preparation.
“We have about 18-20 hours between matches where we recover through swimming, physio and exercises. After we do all that, we recover and come back ready,” Shehzad said.
As Royal Champs continue to build their T10 identity, Shehzad’s message is clear: success does not come overnight, but with Walsh’s guidance, strong management support and Abu Dhabi’s world-class infrastructure, the foundations for sustainable growth will be laid.
“There is still a lot of life to travel,” Shehzad smiled when asked about exploring the city. But that can wait. Royal Champs are building something bigger than one tournament.
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