The eyes of the cricketing world will once again turn to the UAE later this month when the country hosts a global International Cricket Council (ICC) tournament for the very first time.
On 14 February the UAE will play host to the Under-19 World Cup – a tournament that features the finest young talent from some 16 nations – and it could not be coming at a better time.
Cricket is thriving in the region, partly thanks to Pakistan playing their home series in the country but also due to the huge success that the United Arab Emirates cricket team have enjoyed in the past few months.
Led by inspirational captain Khurram Khan, the UAE have qualified for the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015 and have even been awarded ODI status for the next four years as they look to take on the very best countries in the world.
Khan hopes that UAE cricket can turn professional before the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, further encouraging youngsters to take up the sport.
Playing host to a major international tournament will also help attract a new audience beyond the fanatic Pakistan fans who turn out in their droves to watch Misbah-ul-Haq’s side.
David East, the Chief Executive of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), is hopeful that by hosting the U19 World Cup, the UAE will begin to establish itself as a viable international cricket destination for the more established nations.
“It is great honour for us to have been asked to stage this major event for the ICC,” East said. “It is a very significant milestone in the development of the UAE’s profile in international cricket, and will showcase the country as an ideal destination for global events.”
Outlining why the UAE is a great choice for global cricket events East added: “We are very fortunate to have three world class stadia in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah with all being very experienced at delivering regular international cricket.
“In addition we are very well positioned geographically with excellent transport, hotels and cultural activities, making travel to the country a simple and pleasurable experience for players and supporters alike.
“The weather in February should also be perfect for the tournament and with the UAE being one of the safest places in the world to visit, it makes for an ideal destination for international events such as this,” East explained.
The United Arab Emirates U19 team will be captained by Rohit Singh, who also led the team during the Asian Cricket Council U19 Asia Cup.
This will be the first time the UAE will be contending in the U19 World Cup, and Singh is eager for his side to impress on the world stage. “The entire team is tremendously excited and looking forward to not just being part of something historic, but also making some history with its performances.
" It will certainly be a step up for us after the Asia Cup, mentally we have to gear up and be stronger.”
Defending Champions India are bidding to become the first team to win four Under-19 titles. They face Pakistan in their first fixture of the tournament and skipper Vijay Zol is pumped up to face India’s biggest rivals
“The exciting tournament format means there will be no easy matches, and when your first game of the tournament is against Pakistan, you simply have to hit the ground running,” Zol said.
As well as an exciting array of talent on display, the country’s top class facilities will be on show throughout the tournament. In Abu Dhabi, the iconic Zayed Cricket Stadium together with two nursery ovals will be serving as grounds for the tournament.
Dubai’s state of the art international venue with two more ovals at the ICC Cricket academy will also host some of the U-19 teams.
The historic Sharjah stadium, which boasts the world record for hosting the most one day international matches, will be the seventh venue.
All 16 teams will play a total of 48 matches across seven venues in the tournament.
The teams contesting for the U-19 Championship are: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, England, India, Namibia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, West Indies and Zimbabwe.
