Abu Dhabi: The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) is determined to crack down on "un-authorised and dis-approved" events, coaching camps and tournaments.
"We find a lot of cricket tournaments, coaching centres and camps and international cricket tours, particularly at the schools level in various emirates, being organised with commercial interests as the main focus," Dilawar Mani, the CEO of ECB, said.
"It has been going on for some time and it's been brought to our notice that parents and children who have been passionate about the game of cricket have been exploited by promoters of such events, camps and tours," Mani said. "It's not that we're against such activity. But we want to regulate it and ensure that it's being organised with the interest of the game as the guiding principle."
He stressed the need for cricket councils to apply for approval.
Regional councils
"While we would like the respective cricket councils, affiliated to the ECB, to conduct coaching camps, we're not saying that other organisations cannot do so. We will insist that they get approval from us and we will grant them the approval after due diligence," the ECB chief said.
The ECB named the following as the regional councils — Abu Dhabi Cricket Council (Abu Dhabi and Al Ain), Sharjah Cricket Council (Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah), Dubai Cricket Council (Dubai) and Ajman Cricket Council (Ajman and Umm Al Quwain)
"The ECB and the councils will have to be satisfied that the coaching centres have the appropriate facilities and they have qualified coaches to impart coaching. The ECB is willing to assist them but without our approval they will not be allowed to function," he said.
It is not unusual for individuals and groups to organise private cricket tournaments in the UAE and some of them have become money-making ventures.
