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By K.R. Nayar From Dubai International Stadium  Cricket has a magnetic effect on those who passionately love the game. The Cricket World Cup, too, has this magnetic effect, traveling to organizations and fans who love to celebrate the event. The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup recently journeyed to the historic Sharjah Cricket Stadium, and the Arcadia Global School in Dubai along with Shyam Bhatia, who has served the game for long in the UAE. This Dubai-based cricket enthusiast has rarely missed watching a World Cup since its inception. The ICC T20 Women's World Cup trophy at the Arcadia Global School,  from left: UAE skipper Esha Oza, Shyam Bhatia and  Rithika Rajith     Although the UAE women’s team missed out on playing in this edition of the World Cup, Esha Oza, the skipper of the UAE team, and her colleague Rithika Rajith carried the World Cup trophy to Arcadia Global School. Hundreds of school children cheered for the World Cup in awe as they listened to Oza as she spoke about

By K.R. Nayar From Sharjah Cricket Stadium When I sit down to report on the ninth edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, my memory takes me back to when I had covered the very first edition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2009. The final, held at Lord’s, was played between England and New Zealand, with England winning by six wickets to lift the Women’s World Cup for the first time. This was before Australia began to dominate the tournament.   My report on the final of the first edition of the ICC Women's T20 tournament from Lord's    England had outplayed Australia in the semifinal at The Oval, winning by eight wickets, while New Zealand beat India by 52 runs at Trent Bridge.   ICC's official souvenir in pink published before the final   The build-up to the women’s final was exciting, with the ICC releasing a colorful official souvenir in pink, featuring stories of the semifinal clashes. Fifteen years ago, the women’s final us

By K.R. Nayar From Dubai International Stadium     It is generally believed that when a woman sets her mind on something, she will make it happen. This sentiment was evident in the tone of all the ICC Women’s World Cup 2024 captains during Captains' Day at the Dubai International Stadium. Each of them conveyed a strong determination to succeed. Their goal is to win the World Cup, and their motto is to give their best.   All the captains with the World Cup at the Dubai International Stadium. Photo: ICC  What stands out in each captain's comments is their readiness to accept the challenge. Women are known for their practical approach, and these captains exemplified this through their willingness to learn and adapt.  Australian skipper Alyssa Healy. Photo by K.R. Nayar  Starting with Australian skipper Alyssa Healy, whose team has lifted the World Cup six out of the eight times, there’s an understanding that winning again will be a challenge. Healy remarked, "There are

By K.R. Nayar   Ask any cricket fan if he would like to see Sachin Tendulkar in action again, and the response will be without doubt a YES!!! If that is do, he does not have to wait long. Two greats of Indian cricket, Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar, who inspired millions and made Indians proud, have joined hands to stage a six-nation tournament featuring legends across the globe. Titled International Masters League, this tournament will be held soon with Tendulkar in action along with legendary players.   Cricketing icons from six cricket-playing nations, India, Australia, South Africa, West Indies, England, and Sri Lanka, will be in action along with Tendulkar. Sunil Gavaskar has been appointed the League Commissioner. This event is expected to be one of the grandest T20 franchise tournaments. Gavaskar and Tendulkar will collaborate with India’s leading sports management company PMG Sports and SPORTFIVE, a renowned global sports marketing company to stage the league.  

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 take