Dubai open to hosting county cricket this winter

No professional cricket is set to take place in England and Wales until at least July 1 due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Even in a best-case scenario that sees cricket return at the start of July, it would still mean that the 2020 English domestic season would be significantly affected.

Dubai Sports City has three grounds that could be used at the same time – the Dubai International Stadium and two grounds at the ICC Academy.

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Speaking to The National, Salman Hanif, the head of cricket at Dubai Sports City, expressed his desire to host English domestic cricket. “It is still too early to plan, but if there is anything such as that being considered by the England and Wales Cricket Board, we would be more than happy to host them,” said Hanif.

“Because this has happened right at the start of the English cricket season, that is why this has become a consideration for them. If anything comes up – any bilateral series, or tournament – that has to be rescheduled, UAE would definitely be keen to host any of them.

“Outside of full member countries, UAE has the best cricket facilities, infrastructure, management support, and support for cricket organisations. We have proved that in the past. If anything comes up, I think UAE would be considered at the forefront.”

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The National reported last week that Abu Dhabi Cricket are also interested in hosting English domestic cricket but are waiting for further clarity on future lockdown plans before tabling a formal offer to the ECB.

At the time of writing, the UAE has seen 89 deaths due to Covid-19 compared to over 21,000 in the UK. Lockdown measures in the UAE have already begun to ease, with Dubai ending its 24-hour lockdown last Saturday, instead reducing it to a 10:00am-6:00pm curfew. Professional cricket in the UAE is typically played between October and March.