Indoor cricket in UAE fighting an uphill battle as coronavirus leaves lasting impact

Summer months are peak season for indoor cricket but business is down to a trickle even after lockdown restrictions have been lifted

Isuru Umesh of the UAE takes a wicket during the game between the UAE v Malaysia in the W.I.C.F Indoor Cricket World Cup in 2017. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Sri Lanka players celebrate another wicket during the W.I.C.F Indoor Cricket World Cup in 2017 at Insportz, Al Quoz, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

UAE players celebrate a Sri Lankan wicket during the Indoor Cricket World Cup in 2017. Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Vikrant Shetty of UAE during the Indoor World Cup in 2017. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Ramveer Rai of the UAE during the game between the UAE v Sri Lanka in the W.I.C.F Indoor Cricket World Cup 2017. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Nadir Hassain of the UAE at the Indoor World Cup in 2017. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Fahad Al Hashmi of the UAE during the game between the UAE v Malaysia in the W.I.C.F Indoor Cricket World Cup. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Nadir Hassain of the UAE at Insportz, Al Quoz, Dubai, in 2017. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Aqib Malik of the UAE during the Indoor World Cup in 2017. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Australia players against UAE during the Indoor Cricket World Cup in 2017 at Insportz, Al Quoz, Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National

Australia players celebrate after scoring a point against South Africa during the women's final match at the Indoor Cricket World Cup in 2017 in Dubai. AP

Vikrant Shetty of the UAE at the Indoor Worlds Cup. Chris Whiteoak / The National

UAE against Australia at the Indoor World Cup in Al Quoz. Antonie Robertson / The National

UAE against England at the Indoor World Cup. Antonie Robertson / The National

When the Indoor Cricket World Cup came to Dubai in September 2017, few knew what to expect.

The organisers were taking the game beyond its established regions for the first time, and were nervous about what might happen at a tin warehouse in Al Quoz Industrial Estate.

They need not have worried. It was a roaring success, with hundreds of people turning up to watch – way more than the number of fans who go to see the full UAE national team play in international competition outside.

The home team performed admirably themselves, and the competition even prompted a meeting between the indoor game’s independent governing body and cricket’s administrators, the ICC.

All of which confirmed what many already knew: that indoor cricket is a massively popular pastime in the UAE.

Less than three years on, though, the indoor scene has been brought to its knees by coronavirus.

Two and a half months of having their doors locked because of the pandemic has left many sports centres across the country fighting for survival.

Chandra Shekhar Jha is one of three businessmen who took over the running of Insportz, which hosted the World Cup in 2017, in February.

Sports centres were closed on March 15, and have only been permitted to open at 50 per cent capacity since the end of May, with other safety measures meaning the actual take up is much less than that.

“As a business venture, it has been a shock to us, but we are still pumping in money into the centre,” Jha said.

“Even if we have to cut costs, we won’t compromise on quality. Running the centre is at a higher cost now because of the sanitisation measures.

“It has been disheartening, but we understand sport isn’t the top priority for everyone at the moment.

“Everyone’s primary focus is on their jobs and families. Sports is just an add-on.”

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Most picturesque cricket stadiums in the world

1). Cricket has been blessed with some truly beautiful venues, as this picture gallery will show. Picturesque stadiums are dotted across the globe, and we can add another name to the list. The Gwadar Cricket Stadium in Balochistan, Pakistan, has one of the most stunning backdrops in the world. Courtesy @falamb3

2) Queenstown, New Zealand. New Zealand could fill the top 10 of a list like this all on its own. The Queenstown Events Centre is a prosaic name for an extraordinary venue in the country’s south, which has the Remarkables mountain range as its backdrop.

3) Dharamshala, India. India will see New Zealand’s Remarkables, and raise them the Dhauladhar mountains, which are part of the Himalayas. Has there ever been a more spectacular setting for a major ICC tournament? The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium hosted matches at the 2016 World T20.

4) Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu. From one side of the Himalayas to another. Nepal’s international cricket ground is built halfway up a hill that leads from the road from Kirtipur to Kathmandu at the bottom, to the campus of the country’s largest university at the top. When Sandeep Lamichhane and Co are in action, thousands throng the banks inside the grounds walls, while many others find canny vantage points outside.

5) Lord’s, London. OK, so it doesn’t back on to the Himalayas or the Remarkables. But, still, cricket grounds don’t come any more handsome. The Grade II* listed Pavilion must surely be the best-known structure in the sport. It is undergoing refurbishment at the Nursery End, so will have a slightly different look next time we see it.

6) Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, New Zealand. Unquestionably beautiful, and more than a little quirky, given the way the viewing areas are cut away from the hills to the sides of the ground. And just sneaks into this list on account of the one ODI it staged, between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe at the 1992 World Cup.

7) Pallekele, Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka might be the closest rival to New Zealand in a list of the loveliest international venues. Pallekele International Stadium, 7kms from Muttiah Muralitharan’s home town of Kundesale, was built – by an Emirati businessman, incidentally – among the hills of the Kandy plateau.

8) Newlands, South Africa. It is not clear which is the most photographed ground in word cricket, but this one must be up there. There are few more striking sights at any venue than when the Tablecloth rolls in over the mountain behind.

9) Al Amerat, Oman. Oman’s first turf grounds staged ODI cricket for the first time in January, when UAE played there in Cricket World Cup League Two. The Oman Cricket Academy grounds are surrounded by the Western Al Hajar mountains. And they’re gorgeous.

10) Galle, Sri Lanka. A six-hit from the Indian Ocean, Galle International Stadium is a perennial favourite for almost everyone – apart from bowlers, perhaps. The view back towards the old fort is among the most celebrated on the international circuit.

11) Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai. International cricket does not make it here quite so often since what was then the Bombay Cricket Association decided to build the Wankhede Stadium half a mile up the road instead. But maybe only Lord’s reeks more of historic splendour than the Cricket Club of India’s ground.

12) National Cricket Stadium, Grenada. Refitted in time for the 2007 World Cup, the Spice Isle’s National Cricket Stadium is situated just along the coast from Grand Anse Beach. It is walled on three sides by lush green hills, and on the other is the Caribbean Sea.

13) Adelaide Oval, Australia. Many Australian grounds have supplanted former charm with unsympathetic new-build stands. The benches may have gone, but the Adelaide Oval still retains most of its allure.

14) Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi. Arguably the most eye-catching of international cricket’s modern structures. On the approach to the ground, it looks as though the Starship Enterprise has landed in the desert. The state-of-the-art grandstand contrasts with the pleasantly old-fashioned grass banks square of the wicket.

15) Quetta, Pakistan. Pakistan suffers in a list like this for the fact most of its international grounds are city centred, and generally have unspectacular views. Extend the criteria to domestic grounds, and Abbottabad would be a shoo-in. Quetta’s Bugti Stadium, which staged ODI cricket in 1996, is scenic – even when not dressed in snow.

16) Singapore Cricket Club. This just goes to show that city-centre grounds can be spectacular, provided the city centre is spectacular. The historic Padang hosted an ODI series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 1996.

17) Scarborough, England. Out of commission as an international venue since the late 1970s, and unlikely to return to the roster any time soon. No harm in remaining a charming little secret, though. North Marine Drive hosts county matches for Yorkshire.

18) Basin Reserve, Wellington. It is stationed on a roundabout, and has a public footpath running through it, which does not exactly sound too special. But the older and smaller of the two international venues in New Zealand’s capital is a classic.

19) Sylhet, Bangladesh. On one side of the ground, Sylhet International Stadium is accessible only via a tramp through jungle. Built just outside of town, in the tea-producing area of Bangladesh’s north-east, it has a different feel to many of the country’s other utilitarian stadiums. UAE played there in the 2014 World T20.

20) The Grange, Edinburgh. Lined by sandstone houses that are characteristic of Edinburgh, and with a distinctive pavilion, the Grange hosted matches at the 1999 World Cup – and more recently, Scotland’s win over England in 2018.

21) Daren Sammy National Stadium, St Lucia. Built to host matches at the 2007 World Cup, it was later renamed to honour the country’s greatest cricketer. Inland from the coast, but surrounded by verdant hills pockmarked with houses.

22) Sydney Cricket Ground. Much of its previous character has been chipped away with the new, practical stands, but its two most notable landmarks – the Ladies Pavilion and the adjacent Members Pavilion - remain.

23) Chester-le-Street, England. The Riverside Ground is in view of Lumley Castle. Which wins it extra points for style, given that was where Shane Watson and a number of other Australia players were spooked by the ghost of Lily of Lumley in 2005.

24) Nelson, New Zealand. The Saxton Oval, where the UAE played their first World Cup match in 19 years in 2005, was half the world away – literally and figuratively – from what the national team players were used to. From Sharjah, they had been transported to the green and pleasant land of the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island.

25) The Wanderers, Johannesburg. South Africa’s biggest cricket ground by capacity. It might lack the natural splendour of Newlands, but it still has plenty of architectural character.

26) Kensington Oval, Barbados. The atmosphere may be entirely different to what it once was, but it retains a unique feel. The Garfield Sobers Pavilion remains its most endearing feature.

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Jha says Insportz have been making five to 20 per cent of what they would usually make at this time of year since the phased reopening last month.

“Even though the centres have been reopened, we cannot open at more than 50 per cent, and rental is still 100 per cent,” he said.

“We have also not been able to open competitive sport, so that revenue stream is down. There is definitely a financial burden.”

Despite the lack of income, they have been able to retain all nine staff, including two who have been stuck in India after taking leave before the air travel shutdown.

“We have kept our staff on a 50 per cent salary, so at least they can sustain for this period,” Jha said.

“We haven’t laid off anyone. These are the times we have to support people rather than get rid of them, then hopefully they can support us in our hard times as well.

“We also provide accommodation for our staff, so the only thing they need to take care of is food and supplies, and we have given them some extra money to help.

“Some have required a salary advance, and we are doing all we can to sustain ourselves until this period is over.”

Our bookings are barely 5-10 per cent of the usual revenue

Among the numerous sports centres elsewhere in Al Quoz, United Pro Sports has also been struggling.

“March until Ramadan is usually our best months of the year where we host corporate events, tournaments and Ramadan League in which we have almost 60 teams participating,” Sanjay Asarpota, the owner of United Pro Sports, said.

“This year the revenue has been nil for the complete lockdown period.

"Even after we are allowed to reopen with the 50 per cent capacity, our bookings are barely 5-10 per cent of the usual revenue.

"We expect this trend to continue for more months to come.”

The energy bills that follow opening centres daily in the summer make it unprofitable given the footfall restrictions in place.

Asapota says he is grateful to their landlord for delaying the rent, but that staff have suffered in the fallout.

“Unfortunately we have had to put our team on unpaid leave for the lockdown period,” Asapota said.

“However, we have supported them with payments for their essential requirements as we know they have expenses to manage as well.

“We have requested our landlord to provide rental relief and are waiting for them to revert. However, they have been supportive enough to hold our cheques, which has been a huge relief.

“Since I have another company, United Technology & Trading Co which deals in swimming pools and fountains, we have been able to support United Pro Sports, and will continue to do so in the hope to keep the passion of sports in UAE alive.

“But it is only that much longer we can sustain the losses we have incurred since last few months.”