Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
The organisers of the Abu Dhabi T10 league have moved quickly to announce their dates for the next season even as franchise cricket leagues around the world are jostling for position on the calendar over their next staging respectively.
Days after the conclusion of the DP World ILT20 and South Africa T20, a statement on Tuesday said that the Zayed Cricket Stadium will host the ADT10 for a seventh season from November 18 to November 30, moving forward from last year's dates by a bit.
The world governing body also sent out communication to all leagues to plan keeping in mind that the biennial T20 World Cup, to be held jointly in India and Sri Lanka, could tentatively start on February 10 (Wednesday). The end date remains unspecified.
The last T20 World Cup concluded in 30 days (from June 1-29); yet, this time the tournament is being held in two nations. This should be in time before the players worldwide aim for the richest tournament – the Indian Premier League – which starts end of March.
For players participating in the ILT20, Pakistan Super League (PSL) and the beleaguered Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), there is the added challenge of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, which should begin in the latter fortnight of February.
The PSL is contemplating dates in April-May to avoid Ramadan as well as overlapping with the IPL. The Bangladesh league has been dented with payment issues but are keen to extend the tournament beyond its initial three-year contract with their national board.
"Look, if we want good foreign cricketers to take part in BPL we cannot fight with ILT20. We need to play BPL in such a time that it is not clashing with ILT20," the board president president Faruque Ahmed was quoted as saying to the CricBuzz website.
Meanwhile, the Abu Dhabi T10 has advanced its tournament final to November 30, having coincided last year with the UAE National Day, leaving the period between December and January up for grabs between the SA20 in South Africa, Big Bash in Australia and the DP World ILT20 closer home. The SA20 has announced their dates, which will be December 26 to January 6, and resisted the temptation of a Boxing Day Test fixture.
With the 10-over format less taxing and early dates, the international stars taking the field in Abu Dhabi can then have their plate full with customised itineraries on their laps.
"We are thrilled to confirm the dates for the 2025 edition of the Abu Dhabi T10," said Matt Boucher, CEO of the Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub. "Together with our strategic partners at Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, we made a strategic commitment in 2019 to develop this international cricket event and showcase the emirate of Abu Dhabi to the wider world. The 2024 edition delivered our strongest player field to date and another impressive season of domestic and international spectator and viewership interest."He added: "As we move forward, we are focused on bringing even more innovation and creativity to the tournament, while further establishing Abu Dhabi's reputation as a world-class destination for international sport."
