New UAE franchise T20 league set for launch in January 2022

Tournament set to attract 'some of the biggest names in world cricket' according to the Emirates Cricket Board

The new six-team Premier League T20 has been sanctioned by Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Emirates Cricket Board chairman Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, left.

The UAE’s new Twenty20 franchise league will start in January 2022.

The Emirates Cricket Board have confirmed the new, six-team competition will be known as the Premier League T20.

They say it will involve “some of the biggest names in world cricket while also giving a platform and international exposure to upcoming players”.

The tournament is likely to have competition for players of global renown. The Pakistan Super League is reportedly targeting a January-February window for its next season.

However, it is understood the new competition is set to offer salaries to compete with any of the sport's major leagues, possibly with the involvement of Indian Premier League owners.

It is the latest addition to a packed calendar for cricket in the Emirates for the coming season.

The postponed 2021 IPL season will be played to its climax between September and October of this year.

Just days after the IPL final, which will be played at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday, October 15, the T20 World Cup is set to start.

That global tournament will be played across four venues – the three established UAE grounds in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai, plus Al Amerat in Oman.

Currently, the Abu Dhabi T10 is scheduled to take place shortly after the World T20 conclusion, across 15 days in November and December.

1). Evin Lewis (Delhi Bulls) - 216 runs; 242.69 strike rate. Unfortunately for Delhi he only stayed for a good time and not a long time in the final. Hit his first ball for six, but did not stick around past the third over. He had been destructive at the top of the order. All photos Courtesy Abu Dhabi Cricket

2). Mohammed Wasim (Northern Warriors, UAE) - 212 runs; 225.53 strike rate. Not yet a UAE international, but it won’t be long now. By the end of his breakout tournament, the commentators were saying he and Pooran were the key men for the Northern Warriors. That is illustrious company. Courtesy Abu Dhabi Cricket

3). Nicholas Pooran (Northern Warriors, wicketkeeper) - 241 runs; 243.43 strike rate. The pocket powerhouse has a fair claim to being regarded as the leading player in the short history of T10 cricket to date. His six hitting caught the eye, but he excelled as a leader, too.

4). Sohail Akhtar (Qalandars) - 248 runs; 187.7 strike rate. Continued his affinity with Abu Dhabi. It was there that he captained the Qalandars to their first silverware, in the AD T20 festival a few seasons back. The leading run-scorer.

5). Rovman Powell (Northern Warriors) - 192 runs; 240 strike rate. Given his frenzied pitch invasion when they beat Team Abu Dhabi on the last ball of the eliminator, this tournament obviously meant a lot to him. Apt that he hit the winning runs in the final.

6). Fabian Allen (Northern Warriors) - 11 wickets; 9.81 economy. It was no fun being a spinner in this tournament. Rohan Mustafa and Sultan Ahmed were thriftier, but Allen’s wickets were crucial in getting his side to the final.

7). Obed McCoy (Team Abu Dhabi) - 10 wickets; 8.17 economy. Other than the UAE players, McCoy was the find of the tournament. The young West Indian left-armer has a slower ball that should be punching tickets to the big leagues.

8. Ali Khan (Delhi Bulls) - Seven wickets; 8.93 economy. Deprived a shot at a hat-trick by a combination of split webbing on his bowling hand and a tight hamstring. He had figures of three for none off five balls at that point. Courtesy photo

9). Shiraz Ahmed (Delhi Bulls, UAE) - Three wickets; 7.67 economy. Had a great commendation before the tournament even started when Andy Flower took him to his new franchise, after they won the title together last season. He repaid his coach’s faith admirably. Chris Whiteoak / The National

10). Junaid Siddique (Northern Warriors, UAE) - 11 wickets; 11.50 economy. Only Jamie Overton (12) took more wickets than the UAE pacer. In the final, he took the crucial scalps of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Sherfane Rutherford

11). Zahoor Khan (Deccan Gladiators, UAE) - Six wickets; 8.27 economy. Surely a move to one of the world’s biggest T20 franchise leagues must be beckoning? He exerts extraordinary control in the T10 format every season.

According to Dr Tayab Kamali, the ECB’s selection committee chairman, the deluge of high-profile cricket tournaments will only serve to benefit UAE cricketers.

“With PLT20, we are delighted that the UAE now has a series of cricket tournaments involving all major formats that will bring together the best of international players alongside national players,” Dr Tayab said.

A T20 franchise competition for the Emirates has been mooted for some years.

A number of the world’s leading players, such as Eoin Morgan, AB de Villiers and Andre Russell, had been recruited to play in a competition that was due to be known as the “UAE T20x” in December 2018.

That was cancelled a month before it was due to start, when only two of five planned franchises were purchased.

However, the ECB revised their plans and discussed launching a new franchise tournament in 2020, only for that to prove unfeasible because of Covid-19.

Now, though, plans are advanced to the point they have announced the window in the calendar when they plan to start, and have revealed the competition’s logo, too.

“We hope that this logo serves its intended purpose to unite, excite and generate a sense of pride throughout the cricket community – players and fans – across the world,” Khalid Al Zarooni, the league’s chairman, said.

Premier League T20 logo.