Sport | Cricket

Dubai cricket season in limbo

The Dubai Cricket Council (DCC), which hosts the maximum tournaments in the UAE, has been unable to announce their schedule for the new season.

  • By K.R. Nayar, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 00:00 September 5, 2006
  • Gulf News

  • Image Credit: Gulf News Archive
  • With the seven grounds in the Al Jadaf area being taken over for the construction of the Dubai Health City three months back, the DCC is left with no grounds to stage their events.

Dubai: The Dubai Cricket Council (DCC), which hosts the maximum tournaments in the UAE, has been unable to announce their schedule for the new season.

With the seven grounds in the Al Jadaf area being taken over for the construction of the Dubai Health City three months back, the DCC is left with no grounds to stage their events.

"We usually start our new season on September 15 but with no grounds, we are unable to announce our schedule for the new season," remarked Hayat Yar Khan, the secretary of the DCC to Gulf News.

The DCC usually starts off their season with the B division Mobil Cup and goes on to stage nearly 30 tournaments every year.

Not a single tournament looks likely this season. This could lead to a dip in the performance of the national team, which recently lifted the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Trophy and qualified for the ACC Trophy, to be held in 2008.

The DCC officials are hoping that the government would provide them with alternate grounds to continue staging their tournaments.

"We staged 516 matches last season. One small ground will not be sufficient to meet our needs," said Mohammad Lokhandwala, the convener of DCC tournaments.

Despite the setback, the DCC officials have been meeting every week at a hotel in Bur Dubai to explore possibilities of starting the season.

Normally, the DCC sends out circulars to all clubs to register their players by August, but this season, no such procedure could be started. "How can we ask teams to register when we are not in a position to provide them the facilities for the game?" asks Lokhandwala.

The popular day-and- night Ramadan cricket tournament, which begins on the first day of the Ramadan month, will also have to be cancelled.

The DCC has also been the providing training to budding youngsters. Every season they announce coaching camps for the Under-18 boys. A few qualified coaches in the UAE who used to conduct their coaching sessions at the DCC grounds are now left with no place to teach the students.

"The success of every strong cricket nation depends on it's facilities for grassroot level training. Lack of grounds to train the youngsters will have an adverse effect on the popularity and growth of the game in the UAE," remarked Jairaj Thakur, a former DCC executive member and a leading coach in the UAE.

Due to the absence of an alternate ground, the DCC are left with no place to even safely keep their porter cabins and floodlights.

Thanks to Freddy Sidhwa, a cricket player and chairman of Seven Seas, they have managed to store a few things at the Seven Seas' ground.

Cricket, right now, is at a standstill in Dubai.

DCC all dressed up, nowhere to go

- Dubai Cricket Council (DCC) is unable to announce the new schedule with only 10 days to go for the start of new season.

- Registration of clubs and players with the Dubai Cricket Council withheld due to lack of grounds.

- The day-night Ramadan tournament, scheduled to start during Ramadan this month, is in jeopardy.

- Tournaments that may not happen: Mobil Cup, Emirates Cup, Dubai Cricket Council league; Dubai Cricket Council Invitation Cup; Inter schools tournament; Inter Corporate tournament.

Consequences

- Dubai Cricket Council supplies the maximum number of players for the UAE national team. The players will certainly be deprived of match practice in the absence of a domestic league.

- The Council's training programme at the age-group level will also be severely affected.

Your comments


I think that it is very dissapointing because of the lack of grounds as there is lot of talent within our country to do great things.
Pranav
Dubai,UAE

As the home of ICC, it is shameful that there are no facilities for club cricket. ICC should either tackle the issue with the sports ministry or move out. This is a bigger problem than just cricket grounds for matches. There are no play areas near residential areas. The feed for club cricket and eventually for the country has been choked at infancy.
Rajesh
Dubai,UAE

It's indeed an irony. Sports and outdoor games are considered to be health boosting, both mentally and physically. And such a land is being used to build 'Dubai Health City'.
Elza
Dubai,

The UAE, with such a weak infrastructure for cricket, has been producing a team which plays and wins international tournaments. I just think if more support is given, the UAE cricket team would go places.
J. Michael
Dubai,UAE

If there is lack of parking spaces, it's not surprising that cricket grounds are not available.
Salma
Dubai,United Arab Emirates

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