UAE is new home for Pakistan cricket

NEW VENUE: Dubai Sports City will play host to some of Pakistan's cricket matches over the next three years.

With teams refusing to tour strife-torn Pakistan, the UAE looks set to be the temporary home of Pakistan's cricket team.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that it has signed a three-year contract worth $9 million to play a series of one-day and Twenty20 matches at the new cricket stadium being constructed in Dubai Sports City.

With teams reluctant to tour Pakistan because of heightened concerns over terrorist attacks, the PCB also revealed that they had invited the West Indies to play two Test matches in Abu Dhabi.

Pakistan have not played a home Test or one-day series against a major cricket playing nation this year.

While Australia have already cancelled a tour of the country, the fears of many of many cricketers were further heightened last weekend when at least 60 people were killed and 260 injured in a bomb attack on the Marriott hotel in Islamabad.

"Under the recently signed contract, the Pakistan team will play different events at the offshore venue for three years after completion of Dubai Cricket Stadium next year," Shafqat Nagmi, chief operating officer of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), said.

He said the stadium is likely to be completed in February 2009, after which a tri-nation tournament involving Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be played there.

Nagmi said the next two years' programme in Dubai also includes Twenty20 tournaments.

Print | Email | Discuss this article

| Share |

READERS' COMMENTS

Click here to post a comment

Add your Comment All posts are sent to the administrator for review and are published only after approval. ArabianBusiness.com reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic. Arabian Business would like to point out that only comments relevant to the story will be published. Any containing personal insults or inappropriate language will not be approved.
Name *
Remember me on this computer
Email *	(Your email address will not be published)
City
Country
Subject *
Comment *
Notify me of further comments
Enter the words above *
Please click post only once - your comment will not be published immediately.

MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM