Ahead of the Indian Premier League's (IPL) forray into the region former England captain Michael Vaughan believes that the IPL is ‘ready-made’ for the UAE, a notion supported former Australia wicket-keeper batsman, Adam Gilchrist who added that the tournament is ‘reflective of this region’.
Exclusively talking to Sport360°at an event hosted by their broadcast employer OSN, Vaughan said: “I agree with what Waqar [Younis] said, if they get one more stadium here then they’d be set [to host global cricket regularly]. I actually think that the IPL is ready-made for this country.”
“It, as a tournament, is reflective of this region. That’s the way I see it,” Gilchrist chimed. “ I’ve actually spent more time in Dubai than Abu Dhabi but the IPL really is a microcosm of this region and it’s going to be perfect.
“It’s going to have supporters of all teams, all nationalities, all individuals within those franchises in the UAE and it’s fantastic that [the IPL] has been given the opportunity to come out [to the UAE],” added Gilchrist.
Combined with the country’s superb facilities and cricket’s fanbase in the UAE, Gilchrist also believes that the 20 IPL games being held in the region will only serve to improve the sport in the country.
“[The IPL] can only help [grow the game in the UAE]. It’s needed exposure to the game,” said Gilchrist. “I’m sure the ICC are trying to enter at grassroots level and are getting into schools as that’s the only way it’s going to turn around. You can’t wait for adults to decide they want to be professional cricketers, it’s going to have to be at that lower level [that foundations are laid].”
The former Ashes opponents explained that the UAE has the perfect platform to establish itself as a cricketing nation as long as the authorities can grow the game from its grassroots.
“One of the best ways to start learning [about cricket] is to see it. You see it through your TV screens and you see it played in the stadiums and that creates the system from there. Then you start creating leagues and clubs.
“It’s going to take time and you’re looking at a good number of years before it’s established but you have to start somewhere and you’ve got a decent starting point out here [in the UAE]. If you look at all the national cricket teams around the world that are trying to start out and grow, I’d rather take this kind of region with these facilities,” remarked Vaughan.
“I was going to say, the facilities speak for themselves,” agreed Gilchrist.
“The fact that so many county teams come out here for pre-season tours and what the MCC have committed to [hosting county championship curtain-raisers in the UAE] and now having an IPL coming through here it only gives them an opportunity to grow.”
The pair’s comments mirror those made by the ICC’s commercial general manager Campbell Jamieson, who told Sport360 last month that the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) needed to do more to promote the game within schools and encourage youngsters to pick up a bat and a ball.
Add the global exposure of an ICC U19 World Cup and the IPL being played in the UAE, to the country’s finest performances in its history that have culminated in qualification to their first World T20 and only the second ICC World Cup in its history and the sport should be ready to thrive in the UAE.
The domestic scene is still to grab the attention of its population however, and although it will take time to do so, as Vaughan notes, the ECB and ICC are in a perfect position to make it happen.
