DUBAI: People in the UK continue to ask me if cricket is really played in the UAE. When I reply yes, the usual assumption which follows is: mainly by expats, I guess.
Perhaps the insularity denoted by this low level of awareness should not be surprising, especially at a time when the English game is focusing on the forthcoming Ashes series in Australia.
Between Oct. 26 and Nov. 5, the UAE national men’s team are hosting Nepal and the US in a tri-series which forms part of the qualification pathway for the 2027 One-Day World Cup.
This will consist of 14 teams and is scheduled to be hosted in October and November 2027 by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The first two hosts will qualify automatically but Namibia will not because they do not have International Cricket Council full-member status.
The top eight teams in the ICC ODI rankings as of March 31, 2027, will qualify, leaving four places to be decided through qualifying tournaments. Teams ranked 13 to 20 in the 2019-2023 cycle constitute what is termed League 2, whilst those ranked 21 to 28 constitute a Challenge League.
Further playoffs will determine the identity of the final four places. In League 2, each team plays three home and six away series, with four matches in each tri-series.
Currently, the US lead the way in League 2, with 32 points from 22 matches played. Scotland and the Netherlands occupy the next two places with 30 and 28 points respectively, both having played 24 matches.
The UAE are bottom of the league having gained only six points from 17 matches played. Their record in ODI’s is inferior to T20, where they are ranked 16th.
Indeed, the team qualified for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with an eight-wicket victory over Japan in their Super Six clash at the Asia/East Asia-Pacific Qualifier in Oman on Oct.17.
The UAE women’s national cricket team survived a harrowing experience on their international debut in 2007 when they were bowled out for a mere nine runs by Malaysia. Since then, the country has built strong teams through regular organized cricket and development pathways.
It is estimated that there are around 700 women and girls currently playing competitive cricket in the UAE. The national team had hoped to qualify for the ninth edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2024 but lost out narrowly.
This failure was made more galling when the tournament was relocated to the UAE owing to political unrest in Bangladesh.
Its role as a safe haven in world cricket continues to characterize the UAE. This has been the case especially for matches between India and Pakistan, the latest of which was the Asia Cup in October 2025, originally scheduled to be hosted by India.
Without the UAE’s stadiums, facilities and administrative competencies, it is difficult to know how world cricket would have coped with the geo-political disruptions which have plagued its schedules over the last two decades.
There are no obvious alternative solutions which do not involve longer travel for players and support staff.
This competitive advantage has been bolstered by the establishment of the ICC headquarters in Dubai, as well as those of the Asia Cricket Council, along with the ICC Academy.
Sponsorship by DP World (Dubai Ports), a global leader in end-to-end supply chain logistics, has added significant impetus. Apart from being the title sponsor for ILT20, it has a prominent presence at ICC events and was the title sponsor of the 2025 Asia Cup. DP World is also committed to the development of cricket at grassroots level around the world.
In the UAE, this is manifest in its DP World ILT20 Development Tournament, which held its third edition in August 2025 at the ICC Academy. The tournament’s key purpose is to provide a platform for emerging talent in the UAE, nurturing future stars for both the ILT20 and the national team.
In 2025, there was an added incentive, as the tournament gave the players an opportunity to showcase their talent ahead of the ILT player auction.
One player who shone in the tournament was Jonathan Figy, who was born in Dubai of Indian parents in 2001. He made his ODI debut for the UAE in December 2019, being one of three university students in the team. Now, having completed his studies, Figy is eyeing a return to the UAE team. His case will have been helped by being top scorer in the tournament with 273 runs, including three half-centuries.
He is in no doubt where his loyalties lie. “I was born and raised here. Wearing that jersey is a huge honor, and I’m working hard to give myself the best chance to get back in the side.”
Another player who is eyeing a return is wicketkeeper-batter Vriitya Aravind, who was bought at auction by the Desert Vipers. He was top scorer with 466 runs in the recently concluded six-team domestic Emirates D20 tournament when playing for the championship winners, Sharjah.
He made his ODI debut in December 2019 and has played 49 matches in this format along with 28 T20Is. However, he has not played for the UAE in either format since November 2023.
Now, with his undergraduate studies in England completed, a return to domestic UAE cricket bolsters his ambition to be selected for the national team. The 2026 ICC T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka is in his sights.
Developmental work is also taking place through an under-15 and under-18 boys’ Academy League and an under-15 girls’ academy league. At schools’ level, the third edition of the DP World ILT20 Schools Cup is currently underway across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, with 39 schools.
This year sees the introduction of a dedicated girls’ competition, with nine teams competing in official leather-ball matches, a clear sign of growing participation. Aspiring players have a platform to demonstrate their skills to watching scouts and coaches, providing a link to the professional game. Finals day will be on Nov. 22, which will be a part of the DP World ILT20 Junior Cricket Festival.
In turn, this leads into the fourth edition of DP World ILT20, which opens on Dec. 2, 2025. The preparation and anticipation for this is gathering pace, with the Desert Vipers quickly off their marks with a series of initiatives.
As the only non-Indian-owned franchise and with a strong local base, their strategy is different from the other franchises. One aspect of this relates to their own community-based talent-development program, in which Balqis capital has invested.
The aim is to identify cricket talent in the UAE with a focus on boys and girls aged 13 to 19, preparing them for the ILT20 Development Tournament, the DP World ILT20 and, possibly, the UAE national team.
Opportunities for male and female nationals and residents to play cricket in the UAE are growing fast alongside the hosting of international tournaments. Slowly, but surely, the game is being introduced to new audiences and generations.
This has been led by the Emirates Cricket Board, supplemented by private interests. Clear progression pathways are in place for player development. Dependency on expat players is being balanced. The base at club cricket level appears to be narrow and will require additional facilities to grow.
Nevertheless, it is time for those in cricket’s more historical environs to realize and recognize that old perceptions about cricket in countries such as the UAE need to be reset.
