All-Stars teams to headline Baseball United’s inaugural Dubai Showcase

New dates and format announced for event at Dubai International Stadium next month

Kash Shaikh, chief executive, chairman and majority owner of Baseball United. Victor Besa / The National

The Dubai Showcase, Baseball United’s inaugural league in the Middle East, announced new dates and the format for an exciting beginning for the sport in the region.

The Showcase will take place at the Dubai International Stadium on November 24 and 25, organisers announced.

It will feature two Baseball United All-Star teams that will play a two-game series in the last week of November, during the Thanksgiving weekend.

“Unity is not only built into our name at Baseball United, it’s ingrained in our DNA,” said Kash Shaikh, chief executive, chairman and majority owner of Baseball United.

“Since we began this journey, every person in our organisation has been passionate about bringing people together through the game we all love. Instead of focusing on the sports rivalries that will excite our fans in the future, we wanted to hero the unity that has ignited our league since its inception.

“And what better way to do that than spending Thanksgiving weekend here in the UAE, watching our league’s best stars from a dozen different countries all playing with the words ‘United’ across their chests.”

The two teams will be called Baseball United East All-Stars and Baseball United West All-Stars and will include 22 professional players and three up-and-coming prospects in each team.

Of the 44 total professional players, at least three-quarters will be those with Major League Baseball experience.

Baseball United’s inaugural draft will now be held virtually on Monday, October 23, with All-Star rosters announced on October 25.

“We fully support Baseball United’s decision to evolve the dates and format of their Showcase event,” said Mubashshir Usmani, general secretary of the Emirates Cricket Board.

“Together, we’re looking forward to hosting fans from across the world at Dubai International Stadium for this premier event.”

Tickets for the Baseball United All-Star Showcase will go on sale on Thursday, with special “early bird” pricing in place for the first seven days.

To purchase tickets, fans can visit baseballunited.com/tickets, or buy directly through the league’s ticketing partner, Platinumlist.