Dubai: The much-awaited ticket sales for the 14th edition of the Asia Cup, to be held at the Dubai International Stadium and Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Cricket Stadium from September 15-28, will commence from Monday (August 20).
Following the agreement signed by Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Minister for Tolerance and the Chairman of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) with Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials to stage the Asia Cup on behalf of BCCI, the preparations are on course to host the six nation event.
The tickets are priced from as low as Dh20 to Dh750 with an eye to ensure a good turnout in all matches.
Khalid Zarooni, vice-chairman of the ECB, who wants to ensure that a thrilling cricket atmosphere is created here during the event, said: “We are proud to host the 2018 Asia Cup in the UAE, which promises to be a thrilling festival of cricket with some of the world’s best players battling it out on the field. The game of cricket is hugely popular here in the UAE, and we are sure there will be a fantastic atmosphere in the stands as well as great entertainment on the field throughout the tournament.”
India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and one qualifier from the Asia Cup qualifiers will be contesting in this edition of the Asia Cup.
The India-Pakistan contest scheduled to be held on September 19 at the Dubai International Stadium is expected to be a top seller as the arch rivals will clash in UAE after a gap of 12 years.
Speaking to Gulf News, Mubashshir Usmani, the ECB’s general secretary said: “We will strive to make this Asia Cup the most memorable one. We are excited to host the Asia Cup in UAE and will be biggest cricket event to be hosted here. We are sure to witness epic battles and hence we are working closely with Dubai and Abu Dhabi to ensure that everything is ready for the success of the event.”
Tickets for the 2018 Asia Cup will be available via the online booking site Platinumlist and at retail outlets across the UAE.
The organisers revealed that season tickets for both the venues are available at attractive prices. This edition’s Asia Cup will be a 50-over format unlike the previous edition which followed a Twenty20 format. All the matches except the final will commence from 3.30pm.
While defending champions India will be playing their last Test of the England series till September 11, the other teams will arrive in the UAE from September 10. The tournament will take off from Dubai International stadium with Bangladesh meeting Sri Lanka. To cater to the demand from companies, hospitality packages for VIP and Corporate Suites is available — to be purchased directly from Dubai Sports City and Abu Dhabi Cricket. They can email to Hospitality@dsc.ae or viphospitality@abudhabicricket.ae.
