Historic Sharjah Cricket Stadium sparkles with the ICC Women’s World Cup

From K.R. Nayar

Sharjah Cricket Stadium’s slogan states, “It all started from here.” Cricket in the UAE indeed began here, thanks to Abdulrehman Bukhatir, who brought international cricket to the country through this stadium. Soon, an addition to the slogan may be necessary: “It’s a venue that has staged all World Cups-  Men’s, Women’s, and the Under-19.” 

 

The ICC Women's World Cup trophy with dignitaries and Sharjah Cricket officials  

A significant day in Sharjah’s history was witnessed on September 25, 2024, when the ICC Women’s World Cup trophy journeyed into this iconic stadium and sat prominently in the centre as part of the World Cup trophy tour . On October 3, the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will kick off here, opening a new chapter for the stadium as Bangladesh takes on Scotland.

 

Waleed Bukhatir, Vice Chairman of Sharjah Cricket and Member of the Emirates Cricket Board

“We are proud to have served world cricket by hosting the Men’s, Under-19, and now the Women’s World Cups. Abdulrehman Bukhatir’s vision and foresight have allowed us to make these contributions to global cricket. I would like to thank our leaders for their unwavering support, as well as the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for giving us the opportunity to host the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Having successfully hosted major tournaments in the past, we are confident in delivering another top-class event,” remarked Waleed Bukhatir, Vice Chairman of Sharjah Cricket and Member of the Emirates Cricket Board.

 

Eisa Hilal Al Hazami, Chairman of the Sharjah Sports Council

The World Cup Trophy Tour event was attended by prominent personalities, including His Excellency Khalid Jasim Saif Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, and His Excellency Eisa Hilal Al Hazami, Chairman of the Sharjah Sports Council. Also present were Snehal Pradhan, ICC Women’s Cricket Manager, Khalaf Bukhatir, Chief Executive of Sharjah Cricket, Mazhar Khan, General Manager of Sharjah Cricket and Nasir Akram, Member Sharjah Cricket.

 

Khalid Jasim Saif Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority

Speaking about cricket in Sharjah, Eisa Hilal Al Hazami said, “Cricket is a sport with one of the highest viewerships globally, and Sharjah Cricket Stadium has hosted the most One Day Internationals (ODIs) in the world. It is no wonder that tourists visit Sharjah specifically to see this historic venue. Hosting the Women’s World Cup here will be another milestone. The event will be watched by people from across the globe. I appreciate Mr. Abdulrehman Bukhatir for establishing this stadium, which has brought great honor to Sharjah. The Sports Council is proud to partner with Khalaf and Waleed Bukhatir in promoting sports, and we share a common goal.”

 

Khalaf Bukhatir, Chief Executive of Sharjah Cricket 

Khalid Jasim Saif Al Midfa, reflecting on the stadium’s legacy, said, “Sharjah Cricket Stadium holds the world record for hosting the highest number of international matches—299 in total. This achievement is remarkable. Many people recognize Sharjah because of cricket. The impact of this sport is immense. Sharjah is a hub for cricket, and we are excited to see women perform here. One of Sharjah’s greatest accomplishments is hosting 43 India-Pakistan matches, which is one of the toughest contests in the world to manage, but we did it.”

 

Mazhar Khan, (R) General Manager of Sharjah Cricket with Nasir Akram, Member Sharjah Cricket  

Mazhar Khan, General Manager of Sharjah Cricket, expressed his excitement for the upcoming tournament: “It is a great honor for us to host the ICC Women’s World Cup starting on October 3. For the past 45 years, Sharjah Cricket Stadium has been a focal point for cricket fans worldwide. This Women’s World Cup will be another proud chapter in the stadium’s history, and we expect many thrilling matches. Thanks to the vision of Mr. Abdulrehman Bukhatir, we have achieved so much. Recently, we hosted our 250th ODI match, and with 299 international matches, we hold the record for hosting the most international games.”

 

Snehal Pradhan, ICC Women’s Cricket Manager

Snehal Pradhan, ICC Women’s Cricket Manager and former Indian women’s team player, said, “We look forward to an exciting and competitive tournament. While Australia has historically been the most successful team, many other nations have come close to winning world titles. South Africa and Australia were the finalists in the last Women’s T20 World Cup, and any team could surprise us here. Bangladesh is the host nation, and we are grateful to the Emirates Cricket Board for stepping in to ensure this event takes place. The ICC is privileged to have such dedicated partners capable of overcoming challenges to deliver a world-class event.”

 


Snehal also remarked that playing in Sharjah will be a special moment for many women cricketers: “Many of them may have only seen the historic matches held here on television; so playing at this venue, with its rich history and records, will be a memorable experience.”

Comments

  1. SSeptember 26, 2024 at 11:44 PM

    You too must be sharing the record of being there at most if not all the 299 Games played at this Iconic Sharjah Stadium, Keep going 300, 350, 400 and on and on

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

European Cricket Association launched in Paris to boost the game in the region

Image
By K.R. Nayar A cricket organisation to boost the game in Europe was launched in Paris today. Six cricketing nations joined hands and formed the European Cricket Association. The inaugural meeting of the association held at Pullman Effiel was attended by representatives of six cricket playing nations  - France, Italy, Jersey, Malta, Austria and Romania. France was the host of the meeting which was held under the chairmanship of Gurumurthy Palani, the Board Advisor to the France Cricket Association, till the president of the body is chosen. European Cricket Association officials at their launch meeting  Gabriel Marin of Romania was elected as the first President of the European Cricket Association, while Fabio Marabini of Italy will be the First Vice President. Three vice presidents were elected, which included Indika Perera (Malta), Sarah Gomersall (Jersey) and Gurumurthy Palani (France). Bilal Zal Mai of Austria will be the Executive Committee Member. Speaking about the...
Read more

UAE’s richest domestic cricket tournament launched through a 100-ball format in Sharjah

Image
By K.R. Nayar Petromann Sports Management is known to stage cricket events with a unique twist. The mastermind behind these innovations is Abdul Latif Khan, Founder of Petromann Sports Management. He brought tennis ball cricket to the international level through the 10PL, offering the richest prize money in this format. Now, he is set to launch Elite Corporate Cricket Bash (ECCB), a unique 100-ball format, which is likely to become one of the UAE's richest domestic tournaments, with a prize of Dh 1.3 million, at the historic Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Mazhar Khan and Dav Whatmore release the event jersey as Abdul Latif Khan and Nasir Akram look on  This ten-day tournament will feature 12 corporate teams. Petromann Sports Management, in collaboration with the Sharjah Cricket Council and Emirates Cricket Board, has created this platform to discover emerging UAE talent. The tournament, expected to revolutionize the UAE's domestic cricket scene, will reach an audience of 300 mill...
Read more

Remembering the first girl to play cricket in the UAE as the country hosts its first Women’s World Cup

Image
By K.R. Nayar The UAE is set to host the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 starting on October 3. There was a time when girls in this country hardly considered playing cricket. Instead, they preferred sports like badminton, tennis, and basketball, and rarely, if ever, held a cricket bat. It was during this period that a 10-year-old girl, Natasha Michael Cherriath, walked onto a cricket field with a bat in hand.   Natasha Michael showed the way for other women cricketers in the UAE Natasha had no other girls to play with, and the boys curiously observed her as she joined a game typically played only by them.   Every movement requires a pioneer, and Natasha was the one who started it all for girls' cricket here. While she learned the basics of the game from her father, Michael, he took her to renowned coach Shehzad Altaf, who had represented the UAE in the 1996 World Cup. Although Altaf initially told her that cricket was a sport for boys, Natasha was determined to learn. It didn’t ...
Read more