Rajasthan Royals Academy UAE director Graeme Cremer with players at their facility in Dubai. Courtesy Rajasthan Royals Academy UAE
Rajasthan Royals Academy UAE director Graeme Cremer with players at their facility in Dubai. Courtesy Rajasthan Royals Academy UAE
Rajasthan Royals Academy UAE director Graeme Cremer with players at their facility in Dubai. Courtesy Rajasthan Royals Academy UAE
Rajasthan Royals Academy UAE director Graeme Cremer with players at their facility in Dubai. Courtesy Rajasthan Royals Academy UAE

Kumar Sangakkara believes franchise academies can pave way for future IPL stars


  • English
  • Arabic

Kumar Sangakkara believes academies such as the Rajasthan Royals Academy in Dubai will pave the way for young players to pursue careers in both the Indian Premier League and international cricket.

Former Sri Lanka skipper Sangakkara, who is his country’s highest ever run-scorer in Test cricket, represented three IPL franchises across six seasons as a player, was announced as Rajasthan Royals director of cricket at the end of January.

Rajasthan Royals Academy UAE delivers a coaching programme devised by former Scotland captain and UAE head coach Dougie Brown, aimed at developing players suited for the modern game.

And Sangakkara, who recently worked alongside Brown in taking Team Abu Dhabi to third-place in the Abu Dhabi T10, is certain that the Royals academy at Dubai’s Sevens Stadium - which began its second term this month - will allow more players to hone the specialised skills required to be a success in the shorter formats and beyond.

“When you're talking about academies and other methods of coaching and preparation that augment and supplement the overall purpose or mission of cricket, it’s critical that you have a specialised focus at times on specialised skills and specialised formats,” said Sangakkara.

“The academy that Rajasthan Royals have in the UAE provides just that, a very specialised focus, a very specialised training environment that upskills young players to become successful in the game and that is a very, very good thing.

“So that you do understand the basics are the same, the technical make-up is very similar, but you train them from a very young age to be able to adapt and understand the requirements of different formats of cricket. At the same time they get a good grounding in technique in cricket as well and it is on that base that upskilling and expansion of repertoire happens.”

Sangakkara, 43, believes the UAE academy could supply stars to bolster both the ranks of the Royals and the national teams in the future.

“International cricket ... is everyone’s ultimate goal but the opportunities are very limited,” added Sangakkara. “If you take India, for instance, you’ve got such a large population that the chances of graduating through the system to represent India is very unpredictable.

“But franchise cricket has provided a lot of opportunities for players who might otherwise go unnoticed to try and display their skills and abilities. That has also paved the way as an avenue, in which if you succeed, you are noticed and you may get to represent the national side.”

The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)

The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000

Engine 3.6L V6

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm

Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Match info

Australia 580
Pakistan 240 and 335

Result: Australia win by an innings and five runs

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets