UAE cricket venues are world class

The UAE has strengthened its claims to stage major multi-nation cricket tournaments following the successful hosting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Twenty20 qualifiers this month. The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), which hosted the 16 nations that participated in the qualifiers and staged 72 matches in a span of 12 days, has come in for praise not only from the ICC but also from all the participating nations, who were impressed with the nation's facilities. Upcoming tournaments The UAE is now gearing up to stage the 12-country Asian Cricket Council Elite Cup in October and will also stake its claim to stage the ICC Under-19 World Cup, plus many more international events — including eventually the Asia Cup and Champions Trophy. Sharad Pawar, the president of the ICC, thanked the ECB and its volunteers for successfully staging the T20 qualifiers. "It has been a fantastic success. I think the cricketers have appreciated the level of organisation and expertise that has been brought to the event. I am truly grateful to the ECB and its staff for their work during this event," Pawar said. Mazhar Khan, the tournament organiser, said: "It was a big challenge for us, especially to provide facilities for 16 nations, but a team of 40 volunteers did a wonderful job." Pawar also complimented the volunteers for their efforts. "The contribution of the volunteers has been really excellent. They worked tirelessly and the success of this tournament is because of the devotion and commitment of those volunteers," he said. Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, who witnessed qualifiers at all the UAE venues, said: "I thank the Emirates Cricket Board, the staff at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, the Sharjah Cricket Stadium and the Shaikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, as well as the world-acclaimed ICC Global Cricket Academy for their outstanding support of this event. Logistic challenges "Logistically, it has been one of the most challenging tournaments in ICC history and I am sure that every one of the 16 teams would join me in saluting the ICC Development Department and the ICC staff for successfully delivering a wonderful event." With the ICC headquarters being based in Dubai, its development team staff co-ordinated very well with ECB officials, solving most problems at a brisk pace. Khan went on reveal that the confidence gained from this tournament will now pave the way for the UAE to successfully stage a few Asian events soon. "Our next biggest tournament will be the ACC Elite Cup in October, which will be contested by 12 nations," he said. "After that, we will bid to stage the ICC Under-19 World Cup. Ten full member nations and six associate nations participate in the Under-19 event and we have proved how comfortably this many teams can be accommodated and be provided with match facilities. This will also help the UAE fetch a wild card entry, being the hosts. Televised live "With the Twenty20 qualifiers knockout stages being televised live to over 200 countries, people around the world have got to see the facilities in the UAE's cricket venues and this can strengthen our chances in staging more international events."