Lizaad Williams

FULL NAME

Lizaad Williams

TEAMS

MI Emirates

Williams is not the tallest fast bowler, but his action is quick through the crease and the ball hurries onto the bat — which is why batters so often mistime him. He bowls a heavy length, uses the short ball well, and his best spells come when he attacks the stumps rather than searching for swing.

• Role: Bowler
• Team: MI Emirates
• Batting: Right-handed
• Bowling: Right-arm fast-medium
• Born: 1 October 1993, Vredenburg, South Africa

For MI Emirates he is the pace option who can bowl anywhere in the innings. Farooqi takes the new ball, Jordan closes, and Williams is the man Pooran can turn to when a partnership needs breaking in the middle overs or when a batter is set and needs to be rushed.

Williams made his South Africa debut in 2021 and has played Tests, ODIs and T20Is, taking wickets in all three formats. He has been a fixture of the Titans in South African domestic cricket and played in the IPL for Delhi Capitals, where his ability to bowl at the death was tested against the best T20 batters in the world.

He has also played in the SA20 and the ILT20 before, so the UAE's pitches are familiar ground. Season 5 is a chance to lock down a regular place in a strong attack — and with four overseas pace options in the squad, every performance counts.

Williams is the skiddy one in the pace attack: quick through the crease, heavy length, and a ball that hurries onto the bat.

The South African made his international debut in 2021 and has taken wickets in Tests, ODIs and T20Is, as well as playing in the IPL for Delhi Capitals. That skiddy pace asks a different question from Farooqi's swing and Jordan's yorkers, which is why the attack wants all three kinds of bowling in the same XI.

Three league games to start the season for MI Emirates, then the run to the playoffs. The full list of every ILT20 fixture is on the ILT20 Schedule page.

• Match 1 — Desert Vipers vs MI Emirates: Saturday 21 November 2026, evening session, Dubai International Stadium, Dubai.
• Match 5 — Gulf Giants vs MI Emirates: Tuesday 24 November 2026, evening session, Dubai.
• Match 7 — Abu Dhabi Knight Riders vs MI Emirates: Thursday 26 November 2026, evening session, Abu Dhabi.

Qualifier 1 on Tuesday 16 December, the Eliminator on Wednesday 17 December, Qualifier 2 on Friday 18 December in Sharjah, and the final on Sunday 20 December in Dubai.

Follow every ILT20 result as it happens on SialTV, with the points table updated after every match day.