New Gulf Giants head coach Simon Helmot believes smart recruitment and a fearless identity are the keys to returning the inaugural ILT20 champions to title contention. In a conversation with TimesofIndia.com, the Australian coach discussed marquee signings of Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Azmatullah Omarzai, Blessing Muzarabani, their auction strategy, squad balance, and the culture he wants to build at the ILT20 franchise.Excerpts:Q. You’re in the Caribbean right now. Talk about where you are and what took you there.Simon Helmot: I’ve been involved with the CPL (Caribbean Premier League) for seven years now. Originally I began in Trinidad before KKR (Knight Riders Group) took over. And then the last four seasons I’ve been involved with the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots. Had some success with Trinidad (Trinbago Knight Riders) in 2015 and had some success with the Patriots in 2021. So hoping to have some success with the Gulf Giants in 2026.Q. When did the Gulf Giants association come about? How did that process unfold?Helmot: I’ve been involved with the Desert Vipers in the ILT20 for the first four editions of the competition. An opportunity came about, I spoke to the Gulf Giants after last season. To take on the role as a head coach was certainly an honour and one that I’m really looking forward to getting stuck into.Q. Gulf Giants have signed David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen before the auction. What gaps were you looking to address?Helmot: Compiling any T20 squad, you need to try and have a balanced team. And probably an area we felt we hadn’t done so well was that middle to back end. So making sure we can shore up that middle-order strength was important for us with the pre-signings.I suppose you always try and get the best talent you possibly can, and then you might need to move the deck chairs around come auction time with the areas you still need to balance and shape your squad.I’ve worked with Klaasen with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. David Miller has been in the opposition camp most of the time in the competitions I’ve been involved with. They’re both proven cricketers, proven leaders, and I’m really looking forward to working with them.The timing also works perfectly now that the ILT20 and SA20 don’t clash. They’ll be available for the whole tournament before heading home for Christmas and then into the SA20.
File photo of Simon Helmot (R).
Q. How do you see Miller, Klaasen and Azmatullah Omarzai fitting into the batting order?Helmot: There’s also Azmat — another pre-signing and one of the best players to come from Afghanistan. With those three players, that No. 4-6 area can be arranged in any way.T20 cricket these days is about entrance points, preferred match-ups and game situations. There’s an element of flexibility with those three players, and it also depends on who we secure at the auction.We’ll still need some top-order players, continue strengthening our spin component, and add pace depth. There are a few more pieces to the puzzle, but those four signings — Klaasen, Miller, Azmat and Blessing Muzarabani — give us an excellent foundation.Q. Omarzai and Muzarabani were key retentions. What made them so important?Helmot: It’s all about skillsets, and Azmat is such a versatile player. He can bowl in any stage of an innings and bat in the middle order or in the finishing role. He’s an intelligent cricketer who’s played some outstanding cricket over the last couple of seasons. Keeping him, especially with the new rule allowing four Afghan players in a squad, was a no-brainer.Blessing unfortunately was injured last year, so he couldn’t feature. But he’s been involved with the Gulf Giants before and he’s a very good frontline fast bowler. Now it’s about adding the right players around them to create a versatile attack with both pace and spin, while also strengthening the top order.
Simon Helmot (R) will coach Gulf Giants in the upcoming ILT20 season.
Q. What does your auction strategy look like, especially with the ILT20’s unique squad rules?Helmot: It’s a fascinating challenge, and I’m sure every team is asking the same question. The regulations around UAE players, Afghan players, Associates, Gulf-region players and the Irish player requirement all play a major role.Ultimately, auctions are about acquiring talent, experience and players who complement each other. We’ll also have a wildcard available during the process. So we’re looking for players in form, players we can secure at the right price, and players who help us build a balanced squad within the salary cap.The different venues also matter enormously. Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai can all play differently — sometimes pace-friendly, sometimes spin-friendly. Our squad has to be versatile enough to adapt, while also ensuring we have quality replacements for injuries, form or venue-specific selections.Q. Is there an ideal squad size for a tournament like the ILT20?Helmot: I think it depends on the tournament length and the regulations. I’ve always liked slightly smaller squads in the IPL because you can concentrate more on the players who are genuinely in contention to play.For the ILT20, I think 20 players is a really good number. If you have 21 or 22, that’s fine too. There’s no exact science — you simply need enough cover for injuries and emergencies without stretching your coaching resources across too many players who may never get on the field.
Gulf Giants and Dubai Capitals players during an ILT20 match. (Image: Creimas)
Q. With such a short tournament, how do you build team chemistry quickly?Helmot: There are two parts to it. The first is communication before the season even starts. Once the auction is done, we’ve got around six weeks to speak with players, understand their calendars and begin building relationships.Some players, especially the UAE players, will arrive early, and that’s a great opportunity to make them feel valued and connected to the Giants family. As everyone else arrives, it’s about creating strong team dynamics through training, practice games and informal interactions.After 20 years in franchise cricket, I’m very comfortable bringing together players from different countries. It requires organisation, off-field planning and really good people. Thankfully, we’ve got excellent assistant coaches, medical staff and supportive ownership to help create that environment.Q. Finally, what will be the identity of Simon Helmot’s Gulf Giants?Helmot: We’re going to play a bold, exciting brand of cricket. We’ll assess conditions smartly, but we’ll play aggressive, tough cricket. Any team that comes up against us should know they’re in for a hell of a fight.I want us to do that with confidence, calmness and a smile on our face — both on the field and in the dugout.I’ve been fortunate to be part of the ILT20 since it began, so I understand the environment well. It’s a wonderful tournament because the travel is so manageable, and that helps create a close-knit franchise culture. Good teams connect quickly, whether that’s through structured social activities or simply having a great team room where players and families enjoy spending time together.The Gulf Giants were the first champions of this competition. Our priority is to get back into the playoffs and finals, and then go as deep into the tournament as possible.
