Cricket
Cricket
What can we expect from the stadiums in UAE for the 2020 season?
We look at the stadiums that are set to host India’s top T20 league this year and how games may play out on these pitches.
With the world's most popular T20 cricket league happening in UAE this year, the biggest challenge for players and teams is to get accustomed to the conditions quickly.
UAE has three stadiums in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, and each presents a different challenge in terms of conditions and facilities.
Here we take a glance at the three venues that will host the league and how the matches could be expected to play out based on the pitches.
Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi
The Zayed Cricket Stadium was first opened in 2006. It is a picturesque venue and one of the largest stadiums in the world in terms of ground area. The biggest challenge for teams in Abu Dhabi will be the length of the boundary ropes. With most Indian grounds having smaller boundaries, power hitters will play a massive role in matches staged in Abu Dhabi.
There has only been one score of 200 or more made in a T20I in Abu Dhabi in the 45 matches played at the venue. The team batting second has won 25 of the 45 matches played here in international T20s.
Abu Dhabi has practice net facilities with 24 lanes adjacent to each other meaning that there will be no shortage of space for preparations for the teams. There are also two other ovals, all of which are of standards befitting first-class cricket, aside from the Zayed Cricket Stadium.
Dubai International Cricket Stadium
It is UAE's largest stadium and the most-recently built international cricket stadium in the country. With large changing rooms, tented roofs above the grandstand and large press boxes, the venue has some of the best infrastructure among cricket stadiums in the world.
Generally considered a spinner's paradise, the Dubai wicket was surprisingly flatter during the T20 World Cup Qualifiers staged last year. It did spin around a bit early before assisting batsmen as the tournament progressed.
The challenge with the stadium in Dubai is the lack of practice wickets. There are none in the stadium premises although the ICC Academy – roughly five kilometres away from the stadium – has some of the best-equipped practice wickets, replicating different conditions for different countries.
So far, 62 T20I matches have been staged at the venue. Teams batting first have won 34 of these games. Interestingly, since 2018, 15 out of 19 T20I matches have been won by the team batting first.
Sharjah Cricket Stadium
This venue has undergone some renovation work since the league was last played here in 2014. It now has larger changing rooms and a very good gym.
The boundaries are smaller in Sharjah so it is a little more similar to Indian conditions than the other two stadiums in the UAE. The wickets have low bounce and assist spinners more than seamers, although batting is still considered fairly easy here.
There are seven practice lanes in the net facility behind the main stand with three of them cement wickets. While there are football fields surrounding the stadium, those won't be accessible to the teams when practicing, meaning teams will have space limitations when training.
So far, 14 T20Is have been staged at this venue with the team batting first winning on nine occasions. The low nature of the wicket has meant that teams struggle in run-chases. During this time of the year, dew settling during the day-night games may affect some matches.
