Sharjah cricket stadium is all set and spruced up to host the first ever T10 Cricket League starting December 14 through to the finals on Dec 17th….writes Hafeez Mohammed
The white kookaburra cricket balls suggested by former Indian captain M.S. Dhoni when on his visit to inaugurate his cricket academy last month have arrived as have the branded zing (LED) bails and they will certainly add to the visual excitement. The six teams have a plethora of big names from the sport and the competition is going to be mustard keen to crown the first winner of a T10.
According to Mazhar Khan, General Manager of the Sharjah Cricket Club, the ground is in excellent shape and his team is ready to receive a full house with tickets selling at a brisk pace. “The selected pitches will play true,” he said, “This means you can expect the ball to fly off the willow so get ready for some lusty hitting. I expect scores of 80 to 100 as normal in 60 balls and even if they go higher it will not be a surprise. We just saw how full of runs it was during the Afghanistan-Ireland and the outfield is looking good. We have been watering it and keeping it pristine.”
The players are expected to start clocking in from tomorrow and their practice schedules are being drawn up.
The T10 format, brainchild of Indian businessman Shaji Ul Mulk, is hopefully the precursor to the sport becoming an Olympic addition in this limited format. The eyes of the cricketing world and its administrations will be closely following the four days of this crick-fest, which is being telecast by OSN to 93 countries with a possible audience of 2 billion people.
“You can clearly see that as we go into the final straight, the expectations are huge and we have both, a great opportunity and a responsibility to add a new dimension to global cricket by ensuring a professional tournament and earning for this iconic stadium another grand page in the history books,” said Shaji Ul Mulk. He added, “The action has moved from the boardroom to the stadium and things are swiftly falling into place. We are hoping for a stupendous opening ceremony with some great surprises for the fans and for the hundreds of thousands of people watching around the world. Indeed, the UAE is in the center of the global stage and we will do it proud.”
“Ticket sales are strong and we anticipate record crowds to come out in support of their favorite players and teams. We are certain that the quick pace and thrills of T10 cricket will make it another memorable tournament in Sharjah, a special ground for so many,” added Salman Iqbal, president of the T10 Cricket League.
