Libra Legends, launched in November 2015, was the first team to be unveiled in the Masters Cricket League. The team is owned by Popcorn Sports and Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, owned by Pooja Jhunjhunwala, Hanwant Kahtri and Lalit Kiri. The Legends boast of having bought the most expensive player in the MCL when they roped in Jacques Kallis for a whopping sum of $175,000.
However after a recent back injury, captain Sourav Ganguly will be missing the intiial games of MCL. The team also has the likes of Ryan Ten Doeschate, Ajay Ratra, Chris Read, Sean Ervine, Shaun Tait, Ryan Sidebottom, Taufeeq Umar, Michael Lumb, Marcus North, Brad Hogg, Ian Butler, Nicky Boje and Graeme Swann.
The team has three very good all rounders in Jacques Kallis, Ryan Ten Doeschate and Sean Ervine. Kallis with his regular middle pace bowling is sure to put in some overs. The spin attack also looks good with the likes of Brad Hogg and Sean Ervine. With spin cited to play an important role in the tournament, this duo could cause trouble for any batting squad. The fast attack is decent too with Shaun Tait leading the attack, along with Ryan Sidebottom and Taufeeq Umar. They have in their ranks vastly experienced campaigners, which will surely add to the strength of the team.
However the batting department seems to be a bit of a concern, Jacques Kallis, Sourav Ganguly and Ryan ten Doeschate seem to be the only match winners. Ian Butler and Marcus North are also part of the squad, although they would have to put in impressive performances to make it to the starting XI and give the Libra Legends a chance of fighting for the title. Wicket keeping also seems to be a bit of a concern with Chris Read being their only option. Jacques Kallis will have to take charge of their batting specially since the team paid such a huge amount to ensure his services.
Overall the bowling of the team looks extremely capable and it’s beyond doubt that even the best teams would have a tough time scoring big runs against this bowling attack. They need their batting as a whole to click. The vast experiences of Sourav Ganguly and Jacques Kallis will come in handy even though they seem to be devoid of explosive players in their squad.