UAE ladies will get a chance to test themselves in a new competition as part of the Emirates Cricket Board’s (ECB) drive in identifying and developing talented cricketers.
After the UAE successfully retained their Gulf Cup following their five-wicket victory over hosts Qatar in December, the ECB are keen to build on this success for the future.
In a first-of-its-kind project, in partnership with Desert Cubs, ICC Academy, Sharjah Academy and GM Academy, a ‘Ladies Talent Hunt’ will be held at Sharjah Stadium on Saturday April 2 between 19:00 and 21:00.
Held for girls aged 14 and over, they can showcase their skills in the presence of UAE head coach Mohammed Hyder and the academies’ staff.
Those who are chosen will join the national team members and represent one of the four academies during the T20 competition and will work closely with their club’s coaches in developing their game before being considered for national selection.
While the start date of the tournament is yet to be confirmed, ECB national development manager Andrew Russell believes this is the start of positive things to come.
“We have won the Gulf Cup for the last two years and we thought what else can we do to improve the game,” he said.
“We wanted to create a domestic structure that encourages the growth of the game.
“We came up with a solution to partner with the academies and have a system where newcomers and national players can play against each other competitively.
He added: “We really want to grow the game and thought of starting this initiative. The aim is to draw players into these teams so they can get an opportunity to play, which will be key for the growth while the
national players can play in a proper structured league.”
The ECB expects the talent hunt to address that issue.
“We hope there will be an overflow of players who will attend the sessions” said Russell.
“At the moment, we just have enough numbers for one team. We want a whole group of players.”
The move was welcomed by Hyder who oversaw the last two Gulf Cup triumphs.
“Any initiative in promoting the women’s game, is one I fully support,” he said. “This is a great chance for those who are interested in taking up sport and playing in a competitive league.”
ECB have also announced details of their talent hunt for males aged between 18 and 30.
With Aaqib Javed in attendance, promising players – male and female – can attend sessions beginning this Saturday (18:00 to 21:00) at Ajman Ovals, followed by Abu Dhabi on April 9 (18:00 to 21:00). Dubai’s ICC Academy is a week later, April 16 (18:00 to 21:00), while the Sharjah Stadium hosts on April 23 (19:00 to 22:00).
