Sport | Cricket
Dubai cricket chief upbeat about city's place on international map
Dubai has clinched a place on the international cricket map by hosting two One-day matches and a Twenty20 event. It is a proud moment for the Dubai Cricket Council (DCC), which overseas cricket in this emirate.
- By K.R. Nayar, Senior Reporter
- Published: 22:51 May 7, 2009
- Image Credit: Gulf News archive
- Abdul Rahman Falaknaz, the President of the DCC has played a big role in ensuring the rise of Dubai as an international cricket venue.
Dubai: Dubai has clinched a place on the international cricket map by hosting two One-day matches and a Twenty20 event. It is a proud moment for the Dubai Cricket Council (DCC), which overseas cricket in this emirate.
Abdul Rahman Falaknaz, the President of the DCC has played a big role in ensuring the rise of Dubai as an international cricket venue. He is one of the partners of the Dubai Sports City that has built the new cricket stadium.
"It is proud moment for the cricket lovers as well as cricketers in Dubai. Clinching a place on the international map is something that we cherished for over two decades. The long wait has finally ended and I am so happy that the people have welcomed the venue, filling the stadium to the brim," Falaknaz told Gulf News.
"In 1987, when Emirates airline hosted a match in Sharjah, Shaikh Ahmad bin Zayed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman and CEO of Emirates airline and Group, mentioned that Dubai should also have a stadium. We have achieved it after 22 years," added Falaknaz, who is also vice-president of the Emirates Cricket Board.
"It is indeed a great honour for Dubai to stage the first ever Twenty20 international match. We have achieved it purely because of the support from the Government of the UAE. It is also with their support that we could also stage the Pakistan-Australia series here," he said.
"I am happy that the fans here that had always enjoyed watching cricket, have finally got an international venue. The large number of India and Pakistan cricket fans who made Sharjah a success has been hungry to watch international matches. The hunger of these fans will now be satisfied. We have a great stadium which can now be used by all Test playing nations and any cricket playing nation," said Falaknaz.
When asked whether Dubai Cricket Council will be staging matches at the two Oval grounds in the ICC Global Cricket Academy and the Dubai Cricket Stadium, Falaknaz said: "The Oval grounds are owned by the ICC but DCC, the Dubai Sports City and ICC will be working closely."
Multimedia
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