Talks are taking place with the top test cricket playing nations of the world in a bid to bring two major international tournaments to Dubai, starting next year.
The competitions, which could take the form of the exciting new Twenty20 format, will take place in Dubai Sports City’s 25,000-seater cricket stadium, which is close to completion.
In an interview to be published in CEO Middle East next month, Dubai Sports City CEO U. Balasubramaniam also said his ultimate ambition was to attract the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal to play at Premier League match.
He expected plans for the cricket tournaments to be finalised in September with the first due to take place next April and is already in talks with test playing nations in a bid to fit the Dubai matches into their schedules.
“We’re currently talking to nations and trying to work within their calendars, because as you understand cricket has a very tight calendar.
“They have the future tours programmes (FTP), in which each nation has to play so many times amongst one another. So we’ve got to ensure that there are sufficient gaps for us to fill with these tournaments. Our aim is to work towards April and October each year to hold tournaments in the cricket stadium. We should be able to make announcements by the last week of September.”
Balasubramaniam said that he hoped that the tournaments would become a permanent fixture in Dubai’s annual sporting calendar but initially deals would be signed for the matches to take place over three years.
Earlier this year the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that it would be establishing its global new headquarters in Dubai Sports City.
“We are trying initially to sign in for three years and make some sort of a calendar out of it so it can fit into the Future Tours Programme and the overall ICC’s make-up,” said Balasubramaniam. “We would be more than happy for it to become a permanent feature.”
He added that he believed there would be strong demand for tickets to see the matches in Dubai, particularly given the number of residents from cricket playing nations living in the emirate.
“You’ve got the Sub Continentals, the Indians, the Pakistanis, the Sri Lankans and the Bangladeshis, then the English, the South Africans, the Australians, the Kiwis. All of them are longing for some cricket matches around here.”
The Dubai Sports City cricket stadium will feature state of the art facilities and once completed will be one of the most advanced of its kind in the world.
Describing its facilities, Balasubramaniam, said: “It will be a state of the art stadium with approximately about 50 odd corporate boxes. It will have member’s seating, an international village and a lot of general seating.”
As well as cricket tournaments Balasubramaniam said he hoped Dubai Sports City would host tri-nation rugby matches and Premier League football games.
“We’re currently constructing a 60,000 stadium for soccer, rugby and truck and field. We expect to have tri-nation rugby because Dubai is already a venue and next year it is going to be a venue for the World Cup Rugby Sevens. Just imagine a match between England, Wales and France. It will attract a lot of traffic around here.
“Soccer is undoubtedly the most popular game in this region. We expect to see some premiership football teams coming here and playing.”He went on to say that he had already been in talks with English Premiership teams about Dubai being used as a neutral ground to host games between UK teams.
“Last year there was a bit of talk in the Premiership saying that all the matches are being held in the UK and they were saying we should have some offshore neutral venues to play some of our matches. And Dubai would be an ideal place. It also helps in terms of tourists coming over from Europe and the UK especially to this part of the world at that time.
“And imagine seeing in a 60,000 stadium, Arsenal versus Manchester United as an offshore match.”
Dubai Sports City is expected to be completed in 2010. It will be set over 50 million square feet within Dubailand and will feature four stadia including a 60,000 seat multi purpose outdoor stadium and a 10,000 seater indoor arena, as well as an Ernie Els golf course, sports academies, residential properties and a 1.2million square feet shopping mall.
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