The ICC board have instructed their management to focus on preparing to deliver the 2021 Twenty20 World Cup in the UAE.
This country has long been on standby for such an outcome, pending the Covid crisis in India.
India is scheduled to host the event, starting in October, but a decision will be made this month on whether to move it out of the country.
The tournament has been postponed once, with the coronavirus meaning it could not be played last year in Australia, the original hosting-rights holders.
Why UAE?
India more or less severed ties with UAE cricket between 2000 and 2018, with their national team playing just a brief one-day international series in 2005 to launch Zayed Cricket Stadium during that time.
Now, though, the two cricket boards have an increasingly fruitful special relationship.
That started when the Board of Control for Cricket in India switched the 2018 Asia Cup to Dubai and Abu Dhabi – essentially to accommodate fixtures against Pakistan. It took root further during the successful staging of the 2020 IPL season in the Emirates.
During that tournament, the BCCI and Emirates Cricket Board signed a hosting agreement to formalise the relationship between the two countries.
It meant the prospect of India staging more cricket in the UAE was heightened.
So when the health situation in India worsened in recent months, it increased the likelihood of switching matches to these shores.
First, that took the form of the remainder of the suspended 2021 IPL season, which will restart in the UAE in September. And now it seems probable that a similar fate will happen with the T20 global showpiece.
-
Mumbai Indians won the IPL title for the fifth time after defeating Delhi Capitals by five wickets in Dubai in 2020. -
Mumbai Indians with the 2020 IPL trophy in Dubai on Tuesday. -
Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma celebrates the win in the final against Delhi Capitals. -
Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma powered Mumbai Indians to a comfortable win over Delhi Capitals in the IPL final in Dubai on Tuesday. -
Rohit Sharma hit a match-winning fifty for Mumbai Indians in the final against Delhi Capitals. -
Ishan Kishan has been a revelation for Mumbai Indians. -
Jayant Yadav of Mumbai Indians celebrates the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan of Delhi Capitals. -
Trent Boult gave Mumbai Indians an electric start with the ball against Delhi Capitals in the final in Dubai on Tuesday. -
Nita Ambani, co- owner of Mumbai Indians, cheers her team in Dubai. -
Rishabh Pant of Delhi Capitals scored a fifty on Tuesday. -
Marcus Stoinis of Delhi Capitals celebrates the wicket of Quinton de Kock. -
Shikhar Dhawan of Delhi Capitals is bowled by Jayant Yadav. -
Shreyas Iyer, captain of Delhi Capitals, celebrates his fifty.
How do India retain hosting rights?
In confirming that they are pressing ahead with plans to switch to the UAE, the ICC said “the BCCI will remain the hosts of the event regardless of where the event is played”.
That might seem odd: if matches are in the UAE, surely they are the hosts?
However, it means that India will retain control of staging the matches and, crucially, revenue from it.
Each individual match at the T20 World Cup is said to be worth up to around $300,000 to the hosting board.
As such it was never going to be likely India would cede that income – although there will have to be at least some sort of revenue sharing, meaning ECB will still likely profit to some extent.
-
A general view of Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Getty Images -
Ashfaq Ahmed of the UAE comes out to bat in the match between the UAE and Australia in a T20 international October 22, 2018 at Zayed Cricket Stadium's Tolerance oval. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Moeen Ali of England bats during a nets session at Zayed Cricket Stadium on October 11, 2015 in Abu Dhabi. Getty Images -
Sam Billings of England keeps wicket during a nets session at Zayed Cricket Stadium. Getty Images -
England captain Alastair Cook bats during a nets session at Zayed Cricket Stadium on October 12, 2015 in Abu Dhabi. Getty Images -
General View of the ICC Academy, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The UAE cricket team are back at training at the ICC Academy in Dubai after the government have eased restrictions due to Covid-19 coronavirus. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Cricket summer camps at ICC Academy. Courtesy ICC Academy -
UAE cricket team trains ahead of tour to Zimbabwe at the ICC Academy in Dubai. Satish Kumar for The National -
A purple sky over the ICC Academy in Dubai during a cricket game. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Sharjah cricket academy at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The changing rooms at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The new swimming pool at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The new gym at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
General view of Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Will there be crowds?
It is safe to assume the ICC will want fans to be in attendance at the World Cup, and that does seem possible if the event is staged in the UAE.
The Pakistan Super League will proceed behind closed doors this month. That is understandable, given the extremely short timeframe the organisers had to plan the switch from Karachi to Abu Dhabi.
With so many other logistical issues that needed addressing first, it made sense that the extra burden of supporter attendance was left out of the proposal for staging the PSL.
However, major sport in the UAE is starting to welcome back spectators. Football’s President’s Cup final was played in front of a limited crowd in Al Ain last month.
And fans will be permitted to attend football World Cup qualifiers this month, up to a 30 per cent capacity, and provided they are full vaccinated and have a negative PCR test from within 48 hours.
-
Cricket fans head for the second Test between India and England in Chennai. AFP -
A fan of the Indian cricket team before the second Test between India and England outside the M.A. Chidambaram Cricket Stadium in Chennai. AFP -
A fan of the Indian cricket team gets tri-colours painted on his face before the second Test between India and England outside the M.A. Chidambaram Cricket Stadium in Chennai. AFP -
A fan of India gets tri-colours painted on the hands before the second Test between India and England outside the M.A. Chidambaram Cricket Stadium in Chennai. AFP -
A fan of Indian cricket team with tri-colours painted on his face cheers before the second Test between India and England outside the M.A. Chidambaram Cricket Stadium in Chennai. AFP -
Fans holding the India flag cheer before the second Test between India and England outside the M.A. Chidambaram Cricket Stadium in Chennai. AFP -
Spectators holding banners cheer before the second Test between India and England outside the M.A. Chidambaram Cricket Stadium in Chennai. AFP -
Fans of India queue up before the second Test. AFP
What will the calendar look like?
The groundsmen of the UAE will have their work cut out over the next few months.
First the PSL is set to be played to a conclusion in Abu Dhabi this month.
That will see 20 T20 matches played at the Zayed Cricket Stadium over the space of around 17 days.
If the IPL and World Cup come here from September, that will account for more than 70 matches.
UAE have a proven track record for delivering a high volume of matches across their three established venues in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai.
So staging those matches would certainly be doable. Preliminary round matches involving the likes of Scotland, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Ireland, Namibia and Oman would be well suited to the grounds at the ICC Academy in Dubai, and on the outer fields in Abu Dhabi.
However, the ICC have said they are looking at an extra option to ease the load.
-
Sanju Samson, the Rajasthan Royals batsman. Courtesy Rajasthan Royals -
Sanju Samson, the Rajasthan Royals batsman. Courtesy Rajasthan Royals -
Rajasthan Royals trained at the ICC Academy in Dubai in the build-up to the IPL. Courtesy Rajasthan Royals twitter / @rajasthanroyals -
Rajasthan Royals trained at the ICC Academy in Dubai. Courtesy Rajasthan Royals twitter / @rajasthanroyals -
Kings XI Punjab's Mohammad Shami during training in Dubai. Courtesy Mohammad Shami twitter / @MdShami11 -
Mayank Agarwal began training in Dubai. Courtesy Mayank Agarwal twitter / @mayankcricket -
Mandeep Singh prepares for his first training session in Dubai. Courtesy Kings XI Punjab twitter / @lionsdenkxip -
Mayank Agarwal began training at the ICC Academy in Dubai. Courtesy Kings XI Punjab twitter / @lionsdenkxip -
Mayank Agarwal during training at the ICC Academy in Dubai. Courtesy Mayank Agarwal twitter / @mayankcricket
Where else in the region?
The ICC said they are pressing ahead with planning for the event in UAE, “with the possibility of including another venue in the Middle East”.
India had proposed nine venues for the T20 World Cup, which seems unworkable given the Covid-related problems that travel created during the IPL.
Cross-border, quarantine-free travel could be problematic if the ICC are considering other options in the region.
In an ideal situation, Oman Cricket Academy in Al Amerat, just outside Muscat, would appear to fit the ICC's criteria.
The scenic venue has superb playing and practice facilities, and has staged ODI and T20I cricket, although it has no permanent spectator facilities.
Qatar has a 13,000-seater cricket stadium. Saudi Arabia has one cricket oval of note, and plans to develop the sport, but would be unlikely to be considered.
