News that the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) are set to announce plans of expanding their Inter-Emirate competition with men’s and women’s categories is another positive move by the country’s governing body and one that really shouldn’t be a surprise.
It’s been three years since the ECB launched their first Inter-Emirate tournament, in April 2015, with Abu Dhabi reigning supreme in the Under-19 competition. It was the start of a new road back then and since then, only the Under-16 competition has been added to the schedule.
With the best talents of Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Ajman battling for glory, it is more than just being crowned champions of the Inter-Emirate tournament. This is a chance for the ECB to see what talent there is in the UAE, identify the best and groom them for upcoming competitions.
It has taken time, but the last three months has shown that the hard working is paying off. Just in November, the UAE won all their three matches to qualify for the Under-19 Asian Cup for just the second time.
And then earlier this month, the UAE were celebrating another triumph when their U-16 side were crowned Asian Cricket Council’s Western Region champions on home soil.
But as with any other sporting team, it’s crucial to remain competitive and continue planning.
With the platform already there at youth level, the ECB will be hoping that transitions into the men’s and women’s categories. The ECB are set to officially announce the 2018 competition next month, it will likely follow the same footprint as the U-16 and U-19 events.
That bodes well for the domestic cricketers who are dreaming of playing for the UAE. You only have to visit any ground or empty car park to see the sheer numbers on a weekend who have a passion for the game, but are yet to be noticed.
The Inter-Emirate tournament could be just that opportunity. Of course, they will need to make their respective emirate’s squad and then impress in the competition, but it’s a chance to catch the eye of the UAE officials of those who could go on and play for the national team one day.
As for the women, the move to introduce their own competition will be a huge boost to attract females to the game.
Despite few domestic tournaments, the UAE continue to create the headlines and rise in international cricket with their latest triumph seeing them qualify for the World Twenty20 qualifiers in July.
An annual competition will certainly improve their chances of developing as a player, although it might take time to attract new followers to the game.
But with players aiming to impress and ECB looking to create a pool of talented cricketers for future competitions, it’s a win-win situation for all.
