Yorkshire don’t fear world’s top teams, says Gale

Yorkshire won through to the main event by beating Sri Lankan champions Uva Next and West Indian champions Trinidad & Tobago to finish top of their qualifying pool.

Now the competition in South Africa really takes off as Yorkshire join fellow qualifiers Auckland Aces, plus eight teams from India, South Africa and Australia to chase the £1.6m winner’s cheque.

Yorkshire are the least fancied of the 10 participants but Gale said they are prepared for an interesting challenge.

“We’re really looking forward to the rollercoaster,” said Gale, whose side earned the right to take part in the global bash by reaching the final of this year’s Twenty20 Cup.

“We’re going to be playing against some of the guys that we watch on TV.

“We’re going to go in with a no-fear attitude and see where it takes us.

“Even if we lose every single game, that’s okay.”

On the evidence of their efforts so far, there is no reason why such a fate should befall Gale’s side, even if they are rank outsiders to lift the trophy.

The bookmakers do not rate their chances in a competition that features four Indian Premier League franchises, the winner and runner-up of Australia’s Big Bash, the winner and runner-up of South Africa’s T20 MiWay Challenge, plus the two qualifiers.

However, although Yorkshire are in arguably the toughest group, they will be no pushovers in a tournament in which the 10 teams are split into two groups of five, with each side playing the other once and the top two from each group advancing to the semi-finals.

Yorkshire’s group games are against Sydney Sixers in Cape Town on October 16 (12.30pm start UK time), Mumbai Indians in Cape Town on October 18 (4.30pm), Highveld Lions in Johannesburg on October 20 (12.30pm) and Chennai Super Kings in Durban on October 22 (12.30pm).

“We certainly don’t fear anyone and we can now go into the main tournament with our heads held high,” said Gale.

“It was a fantastic effort from the lads to win the two qualifying matches and we will do our best to carry the flag for English cricket.

“Throughout the rest of the competition we are going to come up against some real international stars.

“But we’ve got a really good team spirit, we did exceptionally well in the English domestic competition and we are ready to take on the big stage.”

The extent of Yorkshire’s challenge is evinced by a cursory glance at their group rivals’ squads.

Sydney Sixers, their first opponents on Tuesday, are led by Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin and include fellow internationals such as Shane Watson, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins.

Watson was Australia’s star of the Twenty20 World Cup just finished, winning four successive man-of-the-match awards for some terrific all-round displays, while Starc requires no introduction to Yorkshire’s supporters having spearheaded their march to Twenty20 Finals Day.

The left-arm pace bowler is playing for Sydney in the Champions League, however, because they are his home team.

Cummins, 19, has made a fine start to his international career and will fill in for Brett Lee, who has opted instead to play for his Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders, who paid a sizeable release fee for his services. Former Yorkshire batsman Michael Lumb is also part of the Sydney squad.

In Mumbai Indians, Yorkshire will take on the defending champions, whose squad includes former Yorkshire batsman Sachin Tendulkar plus pace bowlers Mitchell Johnson and Lasith Malinga.

Highveld Lions do not have too many star names but look a solid unit on paper, their squad containing such as Alviro Petersen, Neil McKenzie and Zander de Bruyn.

Chennai Super Kings – coached by former Yorkshire batsman Stephen Fleming – won the tournament in 2010 and have such luminaries as Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Michael Hussey at their disposal.

Yorkshire, who earned £128,000 for qualifying, would see that figure rise to £322,000 should they reach the semi-finals, £837,000 should they finish runners-up and £1.6m should they go all the way in the competition.

Group A comprises Auckland Aces, Titans, Perth Scorchers, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils, the latter franchise including some fellow called Kevin Pietersen.

Former England captain Andrew Strauss has been appointed to a role with the International Cricket Council as part of a reshuffled cricket committee.