Will Dubai cricket go the hockey way?

Dubai: Is cricket in Dubai going the hockey way?

Cricket and hockey are the two most popular sports among the expatriates in the UAE. While hockey has virtually been swept to the store rooms, cricket looks set to suffer a similar fate.

One wonders now, why is there an apathy towards these two sports, despite their popularity?

The UAE Hockey Committee, after a long battle to promote the game, has thrown in the towel. The astro-turf, on which even international matches were hosted, was unceremoniously destroyed.

Officials who held the top posts in the committee allowed the game to sink and did little or nothing to lift it.

The Dubai Cricket Council appears to be heading in the same direction now.

Their grounds have been taken away and no alternative arrangements have been made. Thousands of cricket lovers in Dubai may now be forced to play on the streets or in empty car parks.

The dreams of thousands of youngsters, hoping to emulate their heroes like Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara or Shoaib Akhtar, now lie shattered.

The need of the hour is not mud-slinging and accusations. Instead, it is imperative that all officials now join hands and fight for a common cause to save the sport.

Lack of action

It was lack of action at the right time that killed hockey. Genuine cricket lovers in the UAE should not let this to happen to the game.

There are many organisations and personalities who have supported the game without expecting any personal benefits in return. Emirates airline invested Dh800,000 to gift two beautiful turf grounds to Dubai. Dulsco donated floodlights to introduce night cricket in Dubai. Shyam Bhatia, a businessman, donated $10,000 (Dh36,780) to the Dubai Cricket Council to set up an academy.

Now is the time for such organisations and individuals, with a sheer love for the game in their hearts, to step forward.

Reviving the game

Instead of trying to blame individuals for this sorry state of affairs, it is better to direct all the energies towards reviving the game.

Tarnishing images of officials or a cricket board will not be the solution. Rather, it can only help destroy the reputation of the game and prevent sponsors from investing in the sport.

Washing dirty linen in public will not serve any purpose either. Instead, it could serve the purpose of a few who want this sport to perish like hockey.

Years ago, cricket lovers in the emirate did the impossible. They sowed the seeds of the game in a desert where conditions were tough for it to flourish. When they did it, there were no cricket boards or councils.

Everything sprang up merely due to the efforts of a few genuine cricket lovers. They did not look for positions, but did it merely for the love of cricket. What Dubai needs right now are people with the same kind of spirit to come forward once again.