A new 12,000-capacity ground in Abu Dhabi will be ready for the start of the T20 World Cup, and available for use if required.
The ICC confirmed on Tuesday the competition will be relocated from India, and staged in the UAE and Oman in October and November.
The World Cup will follow on immediately after the remainder of the IPL is played out at the stadiums in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.
The organisers sought out Oman as an alternative venue so the quality of pitches do not suffer because of the volume of matches.
The groundsmen of the UAE have proved adept at coping with substantial workloads in the past. Only this month, 20 T20 matches were played in the Pakistan Super League at Zayed Cricket Stadium.
The traffic did not diminish the scoring rates. In one of the last league-phase matches, Islamabad United made a Pakistan-record high score for the format, while Multan Sultans breached the 200-run mark in winning the final.
However, spreading the work around multiple venues makes sense, hence the decision to call on Oman.
Whether the preliminary round fixtures scheduled for the Oman Cricket Academy go ahead as planned remains to be seen, though.
Movement into and out of the country is limited at the moment, and events are banned. Oman reported its highest daily death toll from the coronavirus on Monday.
Abu Dhabi could provide a substitute venue, adjacent to the main Zayed Cricket Stadium, were it needed.
Eight weeks ago, Abu Dhabi Cricket started renovating the second of the three ovals on its site. Grass banks have been installed, with a capacity to host around 12,000 people.
The wicket block has space for five pitches in the centre, with an additional two either side for practice.
Floodlights suitable for TV broadcasts – with an output similar to those in the neighbouring stadium – are to be delivered in August.
Matt Boucher, the chief executive of Abu Dhabi Cricket, said the ground – which will be known as Tolerance Oval – has been upgraded with a view to improving the “hosting capabilities of Abu Dhabi and UAE as a whole”.
“We haven’t built this with the [T20 World Cup] prequalifying in mind, but it will enable more practical decisions to be made for future tournaments with multiple venues,” Boucher said.
“What it does mean is the Emirates Cricket Board have a fourth international oval to envelope into any plan for multi-venue tournament hosting.”
The grass banks encircling the playing area are similar to both the cricket fields at The Sevens, Dubai, as well as Pitch 2 in the neighbouring rugby facility.
Abu Dhabi Cricket, though, hope to imitate the ambience of an English county outground, or Hagley Oval in New Zealand.
“We love that ground, and we also talk about beautiful county grounds in England, and we are trying to recreate that beauty,” Boucher said.
“We are not trying to recreate Hagley Oval, but we would like Tolerance Oval to have that sort of feel. A festival atmosphere with 10-14,000 people is perfect for non-stadium cricket.”
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UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
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Schedule:
Pakistan v Sri Lanka:
28 Sep-2 Oct, 1st Test, Abu Dhabi
6-10 Oct, 2nd Test (day-night), Dubai
13 Oct, 1st ODI, Dubai
16 Oct, 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi
18 Oct, 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi
20 Oct, 4th ODI, Sharjah
23 Oct, 5th ODI, Sharjah
26 Oct, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
27 Oct, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
29 Oct, 3rd T20I, Lahore
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Jawan
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
