Matthew Potts

Profile details

FULL NAME

Matthew Potts

TEAMS

Dubai Capitals

A Test bowler at a T20 price

Matthew Potts broke into the England Test side in the summer of 2022, taking wickets with his ability to hit the seam and move the ball both ways, and he has remained on the selectors' radar since. His domestic record for Durham is that of a workhorse: long spells, consistent lines, and wickets in every format. He has played T20 cricket in England's Vitality Blast, where his economy and his wicket-taking in the middle overs have been his strengths.

• Role: Bowler
• Team: Dubai Capitals
• Batting: Right-handed
• Bowling: Right-arm fast-medium
• Born: 29 October 1998

At $10,000 he is the cheapest overseas seamer in the Capitals squad, which makes him one of the bargains of the auction if he plays. Test bowlers do not always translate to T20 cricket, but Potts's skills — seam movement, a heavy ball, and the ability to bowl long spells — suit Dubai's pitches, where the new ball can do something early.

The fourth seamer's job

Potts's role is to be the fourth seamer in a group led by Mustafizur Rahman, with Luke Wood and Mark Adair ahead of him. That means his chances come when the pitch offers seam movement, when a colleague needs a rest in a packed schedule, or when the Capitals want a hit-the-deck bowler against a particular batter. Ten league matches in 24 days is a heavy load for a pace attack, and the fourth seamer in a squad like this usually plays more than expected.

His batting is limited, which is the trade-off: Potts is picked to bowl, and the Capitals' batting is deep enough to carry a specialist. If he takes early wickets in his first game, he will be hard to leave out.

Pace depth for a long month

The Capitals' pace attack has four seamers with four different methods: Mustafizur's cutters, Wood's left-arm swing, Adair's death bowling, and Potts's seam and bounce. That depth matters because the ILT20 schedule is relentless — the champions play five of their first six matches at home in Dubai, then travel, and the bowlers who stay fit decide the season.

What’s next

The pace group gets its first outing at home, with the champions opening against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders on Sunday 22 November, in the evening in Dubai.

• Match 3 — vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Sunday 22 November 2026, evening session, Dubai.
• Match 6 — vs Desert Vipers: Wednesday 25 November 2026, evening session, Dubai.
• Match 8 — vs Sharjah Warriorz: Friday 27 November 2026, evening session, Sharjah.

Qualifier 1 is 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.

The full list of every ILT20 fixture is on the ILT20 Schedule page. Follow every result as it happens on SialTV, with the points table updated after every match day.