Today's Edition
Abu Dhabi (Aletihad)
If all goes well with an initiative to promote cricket in eight countries where the sport is not actively played, the UAE can claim to be the breeding ground or at least a platform where future stars will be born to fan the game’s growth in four countries each of Europe and Asia.
The world of cricket is divided into a few elite full-member nations, followed by Associate countries including the UAE and the Affiliate members. A few of them have come together to announce the concept of Eurasia T20I Cup, a landmark tournament featuring eight Affiliate countries, which will be played in Dubai from January 1 to 18 in the inaugural edition.
With international opportunities being a rarity, the EurAsia Cup feed the ambition of most affiliate countries, finding initial players who will shine and those stars in turn ensure growth of the game in these markets.
So far, six of the eight slots are confirmed with Malta, Sweden, Norway and Romania carry the mantle for Europe while Asia will be represented by Indonesia and Myanmar. The remaining two countries should be finalised by the time of the trophy unveiling next month, revealed Manish Sharma, one of the founders of the tournament.
Sharma, who has captained Cambodia and is now a member of the cricket federation there, said: “This tournament represents a new chapter in international cricket, particularly for affiliate nations, giving teams like Malta, Sweden, and Myanmar a platform to compete, grow, and build cricketing excellence. We believe this event will not only increase visibility for these nations but also inspire a new generation of cricketers across Europe and Asia.”
Speaking to Aletihad, Norwegian Cricket Board President Yousuf Gilani said: “We are not at that stage where we can rely on some names who are big like the Virat Kohlis and such, but we aspire to be the stage before that so we find our stars.
“By offering teams like us a regular platform to compete, the tournament will play a pivotal role in expanding the sport’s reach.”
The tournament is the brainchild of Sharma, who was the Director of the 32nd South East Asia Games last year, when cricket was a part of an international multi-discipline event for only the second time. “This will also help us build new partnerships between European and Asian cricketing boards,” Sharma said.
