Kevin Pietersen is on a mission to find the UAE's next star cricketer when his academy launches in Dubai early next year.
The former England batsmen, who has spent the summer plastered over the front and back covers of newspapers the world over, believes the country is ready to unearth a cricketing superstar and he hopes he can play a part in that discovery.
Pietersen's presence in Dubai has become increasingly frequent over recent years and is only likely to become more regular with the announcement of yet more ventures in the city. The 34-year-old having only recently announced plans for a beach club on the Palm named Eden.
While captaining the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL – the first leg of which was played in the UAE – Pietersen was impressed with how fans responded to the sport and it premier T20 competition.
"I saw first-hand the passion for cricket when I played over here and I’m sure we’ll see the sport continue to develop [in the UAE]," Pietersen told Sport360.
"The crowd was absolutely electric and if that can translate through to participation side of things, then the UAE certainly will be a hotbed. It’s got everything going for it over here and I’m desperate to see cricket continuing to expand."
He added: "We’re hoping to unearth cricketing gems from all countries, as the Academy really is a global venture.
"Nothing would give me more pride than seeing one (or hopefully more) of these guys making the step up."
Read our full interview with Kevin Pietersen in both tomorrow's copy of Sport360 and online, where England's record run-maker discusses life as a freelance cricketer, plans for his next moves in cricket and his cricket academy in Dubai.
