Emirates Cricket Board launches domestic T20 tournament along with IPL’s title sponsor Dream 11 to spot more talent in the UAE

 By K.R. Nayar

Following Emirates Cricket Board’s hugely successful D10 tournament, the board will now stage the inaugural D20 tournament from December 6 with an eye to provide more talented players for the UAE's Director of Cricket, Robin Singh, who can groom them into national team players

Mubashshir Usmani, flanked by Robin Singh (R) and Vivek Chandra announce the event

Dream 11, title sponsors of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 that was successfully held in the UAE, will be the title sponsors of the Emirates Cricket Board’s (ECB) domestic tournament commencing on December 6. This event will be powered by the sports portal SKY247.net.

With the aim of supporting Robin Singh, UAE’s Director of Cricket and renowned coach, to spot talented cricketers, the Emirates Cricket Board will be staging this tournament, which will be known as 'Dream 11 Emirates D20 Tournament' in partnership with ITW Consulting. The ECB and ITW together had staged a domestic ‘D10’ before the start of the IPL in the UAE. 
Through a press conference held at the Royal Box of the Dubai International Stadium on Monday, Mubashshir Usmani, Secretary-General of the Emirates Cricket Board, announced the tournament in the presence of Robin Singh, and Vivek Chandra, Director, ITW Consulting, unveiled the tournament’s logo.

Mubashshir Usmani, Robin Singh and Vivek Chandra unveil the tournament logo

Six top teams will compete in this tournament’s inaugural series.  All teams will clash each other twice for a total of 33 matches to be held at the Dubai International Stadium, with the final scheduled for December 24. 

Khalid Al Zarooni, Vice Chairman, Emirates Cricket Board, stated that: “following on from our successful hosting of the Emirates D10 tournament during July and August of this year, it is my pleasure to announce that the Emirates Cricket Board has finalised a domestic D20 (20-over) tournament. This initiative is an integral step in promoting and developing the sport in the UAE.”

Robin Singh 

Zarooni also added that “matches will be witnessed by UAE Cricket’s Director of Cricket, Robin Singh as well as by members of our National Selection Committee with a view of consideration for future selection (to represent the UAE). Our thanks goes to ITW Consulting, as partners of both our D10 and now our D20 tournament, for their continued commitment to promoting and highlighting our domestic talent. This is exceptionally encouraging and we are excited to take our talents to the cricket-loving world, with their support, through various streaming services.”

Dr. Tayeb Kamali, Selection Committee Chairman, confirmed that talented players from this tournament will be considered for selection into the UAE team. “In any sport, identifying critical talent is extremely important. Catching them young and grooming them deliberately and professionally within a conducive environment goes a long way in building a strong national team. The 20-over format is now a well-established and highly popular format of the game that is played around the world at international levels. We are confident that this tournament will help identify promising cricket talent who can then be further trained and integrated into the UAE National Team. We look forward to 12-days of thrilling, competitive cricket.”

Vivek Chandra 

Vivek Chandra, Director, ITW Consulting, has extensive plans to further boost domestic cricket in the UAE following the success of the D10 event. He said: "UAE Cricket is seeing a positive change and we are committed towards strengthening the Board’s vision of being a Full Member in the coming future. Emirates D10 had great success, and we are sure Dream11 Emirates D20 will be a stepping stone towards a sustainable domestic structure”.

Mubashshir Usmani

Mubashshir Usmani, Secretary-General, Emirates Cricket, who had a hectic time supporting the successful conduct of the IPL, remarked that he wanted to capitalize on the momentum gained from the IPL in the UAE.  “Emirates Cricket’s domestic tournament portfolio continues to become a sustainable pathway for the growth and development of our game. Our thanks are extended to our Councils and affiliates for their continued support. While we are still facing uncertain times, we will review spectator attendance as we move through the tournament.”

Robin Singh, who had successfully guided Mumbai Indians to their IPL title here as their batting coach, is hopeful of a bright future for UAE cricket,. According to him, “The last D10 tournament propelled the process of identifying cricketers. When I first came here, people said there aren't enough players in the scene ...maybe 15 or 20. But I soon found out that it was an illusion. After that, we worked our way through, and now we've managed to pull out more players than we thought existed in the UAE. Going forward, this T20 tournament will enhance the profile of the players, ensure their longevity, and provide a platform to pick a lot more players in the future. Given that the IPL has just taken place here, there is more attraction, and I do hope that we are able to find more young players in the mix. We want to ensure that the UAE is on the big stage soon.”   
Click for the  press conference video   https://www.facebook.com/emiratescricket/videos/854970215254668/