The Cricket Pod: 'UAE busiest place for international cricket'

We talk to Will Kitchen, performance director at the Emirates Cricket Board, about the growth of the game in the country and what to expect in the near future

UAE cricket has seen its stock rise even further, with the Emirates being chosen as the venue to stage high-profile tournaments, such as the Asia Cup, as well as the ever growing number of franchise competitions, including the Afghanistan Premier League, the Abu Dhabi T20 and the T10 League. The national team have performed well, too, while their players are attracting attention from leagues around the world - such as the ones in Nepal and Canada. Chris Whiteoak / The National

We have an extensive interview with Will Kitchen, general manager of the International Cricket Council Academy in Dubai and performance director at Emirates Cricket Board, in which he talks about the growth of the game in the country.

Kitchen discusses the progress made by the national team, central contracts and how the ICC's new pathway to the 50-overs World Cup in 2023 will be a good thing for the UAE and other Associate Nations.

Listen here:

Also in this episode:

• How prepared will the Emirates Cricket Board be if it is asked to host the Indian Premier League next summer?
• What are the chances of smaller grounds, such as the ones at the ICC Academy in Dubai, hosting Test matches?
• MSK Prasad had predicted MS Dhoni's rise in 2005. Now he has dropped him. Is this the end of his T20I career?

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