Here is the News about cricket, Asia Cup 2022 Shifted to UAE & Hosting Rights Remain With Sri Lanka. The Asia Cup was established by the Asian Cricket Council in 1983 and the first tournament was held after one year of establishment in 1984. This was established to foster good relations among African cricket teams and is scheduled to hold a match every two years. The Asia Cup’s inaugural tournament was held in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, the Asian Cricket Council’s home country. The Asia Cup has been played 14 times till 2022, and this year will be the 15th edition of the Asia Cup.
Asia Cup 2022
The much-awaited, upcoming tournament of 2022 is the Asian Cup. The wait is over for Asian Cup fans as the Asian Cricket Council has announced the schedule for the multi-nation tournament. The Asian Cup 2022 is the 15th edition of the Asia Cup cricket tournament. This tournament is scheduled to have its matches between August 2nd, 2022, and September 11th, 2022.
Asian Cup 2022 Participants
Afghanistan men’s national cricket team, Bangladesh men’s national cricket team, Pakistan national cricket team, India men’s national cricket team, and Sri Lanka men’s national cricket team are full members of the International Cricket Council(ICC). Twenty20 Internationals will be the format of the Asia Cup 2022. Six teams are going to play in this tournament, which includes
- India
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
- Bangladesh
- Afghanistan
As the confirmed teams, while the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Kuwait, and Hong Kong are still fighting the battle for the ground of Asia Cup 2022 as the 6th team.
Asia Cup 2022 Shifted to UAE & Hosting Rights Remain With Sri Lanka:
Sri Lanka was chosen as the host country for the Asia Cup 2022 in October 2021, and the country is currently hosting a Test series against Pakistan. Sri Lanka is facing an enormous political and economic crisis at this time, which is affecting its foreign affairs. Up until the previous week, Sri Lanka was considered a suitable place and the country was also welcoming the teams with great hospitality. Unfortunately, food and fuel supplies are too limited to be managed during this economic downturn. This is also causing unrest in the Sri Lankan public. Protesters have broken into the residential premises of their countries’ Presidents and Prime Ministers to preserve their right to economic stability.
However, despite the political unrest, Sri Lanka has successfully hosted five ODIs, two Tests, and three T20Is with Australia from June and some parts of July as well. Ashley de Silva, chief executive officer of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), has also admitted that hosting the Asia Cup 2022 in T20 format will be too difficult. It would be a burden on the economy to provide fuel for luggage vans, transport for players and managers, and fuel to operate generators for floodlights.
The Asian Cricket Council was left with few venue options because the tournament schedule was incompatible with the weather conditions. It’s monsoon season, so the Indian subcontinent would not be suitable as there might be frequent rainfall which will affect the matches. It is now suspected that the United Arab Emirates will be a successful venue between August and September as its infrastructure and travel terms are an advantage. For the third time this year, the UAE will be a welcoming host. The Asia Cup 2018 was held in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah last year.
Asia Cup 2022 Venues in UAE:
Dubai International Stadium
Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium, now known as Dubai International Stadium, is mostly used for cricket tournaments. It was established in 2009 and the first test was performed in November 2010, which was between Pakistan and South Africa. This area has multiple functions other than cricket matches, like concerts. DIS is considered one of the top three stadiums in the United Arab Emirates. It can accommodate up to 25,000 people in the audience and a maximum of 30,000 spectators. Dubai Internation Stadium was designed by the Canadian architect Awsam Matloob.
It is bowl-shaped, so the view for spectators is broader than ever before. This stadium has also covered Semi-Final 2 and the Final of the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 Match. The tenants of this stadium are the United Arab Emirates, a national cricket team. Its operator is Dubai Sports City. The lighting system of this stadium is quite amazing as it comprises 350 floodlights which are fixed around the whole roof’s circumference, but surprisingly, there are no light towers to eliminate the shadow formation of objects. Till now, this cricket stadium has hosted several clubs, concerts, PSLs, Asia Cup, T20 World Cup, and other events.
Because vehicles need to be parked in a parking area high number, the parking area is kept vast. It should be kept in mind while attending the event at this stadium to reach on time, otherwise, you will end up parking your car far away from the stadium due to traffic in the parking area.
Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium
Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium is one of the top cricket stadiums in the United Arab Emirates. It is so named due to its location in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. This stadium has hosted the most One-Day Internationals (ODIs) with up to 240 until December 2019. It was established in 1980 and the first match it hosted was also the Asia Cup in 1984. It can accommodate 16,000 spectators. Its owner is the Sharjah Cricket Association. Sharjah Cricket Stadium’s tenants are the United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan.
Originally designed for football clubs, it was later adapted by Emirarati cricket fans to host and launch international cricket matches as well. This credit also goes to Abdur Rehman Bukhatir for introducing international cricket to the grounds of Sharjah Stadium. The first Test match played in this stadium was between Pakistan and the West Indies in November 2016. This cricket stadium has hosted several clubs, concerts, ODIs, PSLs, Asia Cup, T20 World Cup, and other events. Its significance includes a one-day cricket tournament followed by India’s winning the World Cup of 1983.
Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium
Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium is situated in Abu Dhabi, UAE. It was established in 2000 and its first match was the Intercontinental Cup in 2004. It hosted Scotland and Kenya on its grounds for the first time. Its significance includes a dedication to hosting the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. It can accommodate up to 20,000 spectators. Another striking feature of accommodation includes Emirates Cricket Board operates it, and among its tenants is a large stand with additional seating.
The United Arab Emirates national cricket team and the Afghanistan national cricket team. Not only cricket, but this stadium has hosted Thailand and Oman in 2019 for a friendly match. This stadium complex has 2 small grounds called Nursery 1 and Nursery 2. Tolerance Oval is the Nursery 1 ground. These grounds have hosted the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier tournament and Twenty20 International matches.