Adani Sportsline-owned franchise Gulf Giants have bolstered their squad by roping in English trio of Ollie Pope, Liam Dawson and James Overton for the inaugural season of International League T20 (ILT20).

Known for his solid base technique in Test cricket, Ollie Pope could be a valuable addition to Gulf Giants’ batting line-up in ILT20 2023.

Since making his international debut against India in a Lord’s Test match, Pope has been a dependable batter for the England team in red-ball cricket. The 24-year-old has scored 1,726 runs in 33 Tests, including registering three hundreds and 11 fifties in the longest format of the game.

The part-time wicket-keeper batter has also been an inventive strokemaker whenever he has featured in limited-overs cricket. Pope has played 47 T20 matches, accumulating 1,055 runs at an average of 31.02 and a strike rate of 134.73. He has three half-centuries in cricket’s shortest format so far.

The Giants have also acquired the services of England cricket team all-rounder Liam Dawson for the first edition of ILT20.

Having made his international debut for England in 2016, Dawson has already featured in all three formats. He has played 11 T20 internationals, six One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Tests for England.

Interestingly, Dawson was part of the England squad that clinched the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

Apart from representing England at international level, the 32-year-old all-rounder has the experience of playing in various T20 leagues. He has played in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Pakistan Super League (PSL) as well as in The Hundred.

In his T20 career, Dawson has scored 2,256 runs and bagged 168 wickets in 219 T20 matches so far.

Meanwhile, another English cricketer Jamie Overton has also been added to Gulf Giants’ squad for ILT20 2023.

The 28-year-old all-rounder has claimed 67 wickets and scored 563 runs in 83 T20 matches so far.

Having impressed with his unusual pace, Overton made his Test debut for England against New Zealand in June 2022.

As many as six teams including Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Dubai Capitals, Gulf Giants, Desert Vipers, MI Emirates and Sharjah Warriors will participate in the inaugural edition of ILT20, which is scheduled to be played from January 13 to February 12 next year.