Uae Cricket Aims Put Associate Cricket On Front-Foot Of Financial Sustainability

UAE’s ILT20, with the full support of its Franchise owners, sponsors, and stakeholders, remains unwaveringly committed to grow the game at the domestic level, identify new talent, provide opportunities to excel, and make the game sustainable.

These are Members who can afford the luxury of funding from the sport’s governing body – the International Cricket Council (where, comparatively, UAE receives less than one-eighth of what a Full Member receives) as well afford the luxury of time to implement structures to build a strong domestic pool

A leading ICC Associate Member, the UAE is considered a ‘Land of Opportunity’ where an estimated ten million people work, play, and call home (which, of this estimate, close to nine million are expatriates), the UAE has embraced this diverse diaspora and strives to provide those who display sporting talent with the opportunity to rub-shoulders and learn from the best in the game today. This mind-set, and walk the talk attitude is paramount to growth and sustainability.

The ILT20 is an innovative, progressive model aimed at providing those who display talent and commitment with opportunity to excel at its heart, and not be suffocated nor monopolized by the position of others within the game today. Emirates Cricket’s Domestic Calendar already boasts a strong, domestic pathway for its domiciled, eligible players to take the next step onto the world-stage.

With the understanding that two UAE-developed players will be in each franchisee’s playing XI, UAE’s academies and Councils – Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Dubai, Ajman and those with close to and strong affiliations with the administrators of the game (in the UAE) have put forward their chosen domestic-players for consideration. This is not isolated to the UAE, where other Associate Members are in talks with the League’s Administrators and Franchise owners to include their proven talent in the competition.

ILT20 remains committed to creating a sustainable – development and financial –  model and future for the growth of the Associate Member, and those that need to look beyond the ICC-funding fallback. Only through exposing international-standard players, experts and sports administrators to such initiatives will cricket be allowed to flourish.