Cricket fever will soon take the city by storm again. Here, learn everything you need to know to get you through the season.
Abu Dhabi is a cricket-loving city, with a large proportion of the population hooked on the sport, thanks in part to the size of the South Asian communities (with the Pakistani team still calling the UAE home due to ongoing security concerns back at home), not to mention those from Australia, Britain and beyond. The Ashes may have recently ended, but the post-summer action is heating up, and along with televised tests, the UAE is set to welcome a run of live matches from October onwards – including the highly anticipated Pakistan v South Africa and Sri Lanka series likely to pull in impressive crowds. And fan devotion cannot be understated – last year, Pakistani Zaman Khan (now affectionately known as Uncle Twenty20), became the face of UAE cricket for quitting his job in Bangladesh just to come here to watch the Pakistan v India match after being denied leave by his employer. Want to know what all the fuss is about? Read on for our ultimate guide to getting into cricket.
Getting to know the game
‘In its classic and simplest format, cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven, on a field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard-long pitch,’ explains David Jenkins, general manager of the International Cricket Council Academy (ICC Academy). ‘Each team takes a turn to bat, attempting to score runs, while the other team fields. It sounds simple, but the game is riddled with wonderful little nuances that make it a compelling sport to practise, play and spectate – regardless of its format,’ he adds, noting variations of the game such as five-day series like The Ashes, or limited over formats like a Twenty20, or even less. ‘It’s not the easiest sport to master,’ he admits, explaining that for this reason, there are many global advocates for putting in the hours when it comes to training, focusing on core skills such as fielding, bowling and batting, and ensuring players are suitably fit to play without risk of injury.
View Where to watch cricket live in Abu Dhabi
View Where to play cricket in Abu Dhabi
View Three to try: Afternoon teas in Abu Dhabi
