Former Pakistan captain and World T20 winner Shoaib Malik is set to feature in the second season of the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament as the captain and icon player for the defending champions Maratha Arabians.

The Abu Dhabi T10 will be played at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi from January 28- February 6, 2021. Malik expressed that the T10 format is a perfect advert to attract new fans to the game, according to ANI.

"It's always nice to be part of something positive in the game. T10 is a perfect advert to bring new audiences to cricket as it's short, exciting and a great way to show the best of cricket, especially the new skills that players are continually bringing," said Malik in an official release.

Malik, who has scored over 11,000 runs in international cricket, said that he is looking forward to playing with his long-time Pakistan teammate Mohammad Hafeez in the upcoming Abu Dhabi T10.

"It will be nice to be a teammate with my long-time international colleague Mohammad Hafeez. Plus, there are always new stars to identify as T10 offers fantastic opportunities and exposure to so many players. Hopefully, those new stars will come from Maratha Arabians," said Malik.

The defending champions Maratha Arabians are set to open the second season of Abu Dhabi T10 with a mouth-watering clash against the Northern Warriors at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on January 28, 2021.