Abu Dhabi Archives

Abu Dhabi becomes Afghanistan cricket’s base for home matches until 2029

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and Abu Dhabi Cricket and Sports Hub (ADCSH) have signed a five-year agreement designating Abu Dhabi as the official host in the UAE for ACB training camps and matches for Afghanistan’s A and national age-group teams.

This collaboration, effective until 2029, also paves the way for possible cooperation with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) to help arrange bilateral matches for Afghanistan’s senior men’s team in the UAE.

The agreement follows productive discussions among the ACB, ADCSH, and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), with all parties reaffirming their dedication to enhancing cricket opportunities for Afghan players on the international stage.

A joint statement from the organizations noted that the agreement “also includes support for the ACB to aid the Board’s global initiatives and improve player development pathways.”

Matt Boucher, CEO of ADCSH, emphasized the importance of the partnership and its positive outcomes for society.

“Our facilities have hosted some of the best players in the world, and this agreement reinforces our commitment to fostering global sporting and cricket talent while utilizing it as a positive force for society, he said.

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“We have enjoyed hosting Afghanistan over the past few years and are delighted to officially recognize Abu Dhabi as their second home,” he added.

ACB Chief Executive Naseeb Khan pointed out the advantages of the partnership, especially in terms of youth development in cricket in Afghanistan.

He referred to the agreement as a “turning point” for Afghanistan cricket.

“Being able to designate Abu Dhabi as our training base and home for age-group events will empower us to enhance Afghanistan’s sporting achievements and construct a robust future for cricket in our nation,” Khan said.

Given Afghanistan’s political circumstances, it has not been able to establish itself as a preferred destination for international cricket teams.

Consequently, the senior men’s team has had to host visiting teams at “home venues” in India, including Dehradun, Lucknow, and Greater Noida, as well as in the UAE.

Abu Dhabi has already been the site for three of Afghanistan’s Test matches—two against Zimbabwe in March 2021 and one against Ireland in February 2024. The team has also conducted ODI and T20I matches in India and the UAE.

Earlier, the venue had served as the home ground for the Pakistan team after the 2009 Sri Lankan cricket team attack in Lahore.

Following the incident, the venue became a key location for the teams to play international matches against Pakistan.

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Ireland set to host South Africa in Abu Dhabi

Cricket Ireland has announced to play their home series against South Africa in Abu Dhabi later this year in order to overcome their infrastructure constraints.

The decision came in the light of the fact that Ireland do not have a permanent home stadium. They played their first Test at Malahide, near Dublin, in 2018, however, due to the high costs of temporary infrastructure, they played their next six Tests overseas.

South Africa were initially set to to tour Ireland for a series featuring three ODIs and three T20Is in July, however, they will now play two ODIs and three T20Is in Abu Dhabi in September.

“This fixture schedule attempts to strike a balance of competitive, high-quality cricket across multiple formats whilst addressing the challenges we face with respect to our current infrastructure constraints,” Cricket Ireland’s chief executive Warren Deutrom said.

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“While we work on longer-term solutions for some of these challenges – most notably continuing to advocate to Government for the proposed permanent stadium – we know we’ll have to explore ways to creatively increase our capacity to host an ever-increasing schedule in the short term.

“Continually reviewing how best to optimise our hosting arrangements for cricket in Ireland and playing a few of our home matches in neutral venues overseas is something we must continue to explore, as we have done with the South Africa series this year.”

Prior to the South Africa series, Ireland are scheduled to host Pakistan for a three-match T20I series in May, followed by a one-off Test match against Zimbabwe in Stormont, Belfast from July 25-29.

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The wait is over – PSL 6 resumes today in Abu Dhabi

After a demoralizing postponement due to COVID-19 in March, the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season is back from today at the Sheikh Zayed International Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Fourteen matches were played at the National Stadium in Karachi. The four top teams have all won three matches each while Multan Sultans, Quetta Gladiators have bagged one. The onus is now going to be on adapting quickly to the conditions.
Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars will go head to head at 9.00 PM. Islamabad are at the third position while Lahore are a position lower at fourth due to a slight different in the net run rate. The winner will go at the top with four wins and eight points.

Lahore Qalandars

Lahore Qalandars will look to bank on their promising bowling line-up. Shaheen Afridi, Rashid Khan, Haris Rauf, Dilbar Hussain, and Ahmed Daniyal are going to be the strike bowlers while Mohammad Hafeez, Seekuge Prasanna, James Faulkner supporting the above-mentioned.
Qalandars batting were also on the show during Karachi leg. The highest run-getters for them are Hafeez and Fakhar Zaman with more than 180 runs each.
Australia’s duo of Ben Dunk and Calum Callum Ferguson will bring their heavy T20 experience while Singapore’s Tim David will look to replicate his BBL’s performance lower down the order.

Islamabad United

Islamabad United played impressively in Karachi but they have been hit by the absence of their overseas players. Alex Hales and Phil Salt are not a part of the squad and they have replaced by Usman Khawaja and Colin Munro, the likely openers.
United will heavily rely on local stars to do well. The roti-gang of Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Asif Ali will look to take United’s hopes while Iftikhar Ahmed, Hussain Talat and Zafar Gohar would once again claim their stake.
The bowling attack for Islamabad United is unchanged and so this can be seen as an area of strength. Hasan Ali is in the middle of a fantastic period of his career and is the bowler to watch out for. With Fawad Ahmed, Mohammad Wasim, Muhammad Musa also in the squad, Islamabad United has a lot of options to work with.

Conditions

The conditions in Abu Dhabi are going to be very hot and temperatures can hit 40 degrees celsius as well. With start times later in the evening, it is hoped that the players are going to be able to adapt to the tough conditions.
The pitch must be flat and good for batting. The outfield is of a decent size and so the spinners play a big role. A score of around 170 should be seen as par batting first.

Likely XIs

Islamabad United: Colin Munro, Usman Khawaja, Shadab Khan (C), Hussain Talat, Rohail Nazir (wk), Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Zafar Gohar, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Fawad Ahmed
Lahore Qalandars:
Sohail Akhtar (C), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Callum Ferguson, Ben Dunk (WK), Tim David, Shaheen Afridi, Rashid Khan, Haris Rauf, Dilbar Hussain, Ahmed Daniyal