Warming up for some Asia Cricket Cup 2018 action in the UAE
Cricket lovers based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as well as their compatriots spread around fellow Gulf countries have a mouthwatering ODI in prospect with the 14th edition of the Asia Cricket Cup, due to be played in the Emirates this autumn. In fact devotees of the one-day game from the British Isles through to South Africa and the Antipodes may find themselves somehow sorely tempted and wondering how they ended up on an aeroplane, Expat Sport at your service by the way.
Originally slated to take place in India, political tensions between India and Pakistan have been cited as the reason behind the switch, this is a key 50-overs competition in the build up to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 to be hosted in England and Wales in eleven months time. It will run from Thursday 13th to Friday 28th 2018 of September, in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Added to which, with in excess of 25,000 fans expected to pack the stands and average September temperatures in the UAE touching 33 Celsius, spectators can expect a sizzling atmosphere.
Organised by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), confirmed tournament contenders for Asia Cricket Cup include: defending champions India along with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan with one other nation yet to qualify for the trip to the Emirates.
ACC Asia Cup Qualifier Malaysia
The sixth and final member of the party will be decided via a series of qualifiers to be played between UAE, Hong Kong, Nepal, Singapore, Malaysia and Oman in Malaysia.
These ‘sixth-qualifier’ games will be played at the Kinrara, Bayuemas and UKM Ovals in Malaysia between 29th of August and 6th of September. For cricket addicts keen to see how qualification plays out among these relative minnows, the fixtures are as follows:-
Wednesday 29th August (10am start)
Malaysia v Hong Kong at Kinrara Oval
Nepal v Oman at Bayuemas Oval
UAE v Singapore at UKM Oval
Thursday 30th August (10am start)
UAE v Nepal at Kinrara Oval
Hong Kong v Singapore at Bayuemas Oval
Malaysia v Oman at UKM Oval
Saturday 1st September (10am start)
UAE v Nepal at Kinrara Oval
Hong Kong v Singapore at Bayuemas Oval
Malaysia v Oman at UKM Oval
Sunday 2nd September (10am start)
Hong Kong v Oman at Kinrara Oval
Malaysia v UAE at Bayuemas Oval
Nepal v Singapore at UKM Oval
Tuesday 4th September (10am start)
Malaysia v Singapore at Kinrara Oval
UAE v Oman at Bayuemas Oval
Nepal v Hong Kong at UKM Oval
Thursday 6th September (10am start)
FINAL 1ST versus 2nd Placed Team at Kinrara Oval
Returning to the original format
While the first twelve Asia Cups in succession were staged as ODI competitions, 2016’s edition was the first to be held as an international T20 tournament, effectively becoming a warm-up event for an ICC World Twenty20 scheduled to take place in March and April of that year. India are the defending champions from that only marginally earlier Asia Cup contest, having beaten Bangladesh by 8 wickets in the final.
Once this year’s Asia Cup qualification process has confirmed the 6th team, the qualifiers will be divided into two groups of 3 sides each (see below), with every team playing two group games. Upon completion of these matches, the top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super-Four round.
Group A
Pakistan
India
Qualifier
Group B
Sri Lanka
Bangladesh
Afghanistan
Teams progressing to the Super-Four round will play 1 match against each of the other three teams with the top two sides at the end of the round playing in the final.
Group stage schedule
September 15th – Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)
September 16th – Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)
September 17th – Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)
September 18th – India v Qualifier (Dubai)
September 19th – India v Pakistan (Dubai)
September 20th – Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four
September 21st – Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai)
September 21st – Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
September 23rd – Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)
September 23rd – Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
September 25th – Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)
September 26th – Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
September 28th – Final (Dubai)
The competition has all the hallmarks of a classic contest with teams keen to flex their ODI muscles and gain some momentum heading towards the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2019.
The Dubai International Stadium will be hosting eight Asia Cricket Cup 2018 matches in total, and is already gearing up for the eagerly anticipated India-Pakistan head-to-head, a clash of the titans if ever there was, and guaranteed sell out. It is also the designated venue for the final of the Asia Cup on September 28th. UAE capital, Abu Dhabi’s Shaikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, 130 kilometres (81 miles) southwest of Dubai will host the remaining five matches.
Khalid Al Zarouni, the President of Dubai Sports City (DSC), owner of the Dubai stadium, said in comments made to local media at the end of July:
“Our venue is geared up at all levels to offer a great match experience to all the cricket fans here.”
Al Zarouni, who is also a member of the Emirates Cricket Board, added:
“Dubai Sports City will ensure top-class arrangements for all the matches as per the schedule.”
Expat Sport work in close association with ITW, one of the tournament rights holders, offering hotel accommodation support services to visiting fans wishing to attend the competition, as well as on ground support and transfers to and from the venue.
Undoubtedly, the fact that the Asia Cricket Cup 2018 is being held in the United Arab Emirates this time round, offers local expatriate, as well as visiting fans a unique opportunity to see the leading lights of Asian cricket perform on neutral ground. Form and fitness coming into the competition are all important and ODI squads destined for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 will begin to take shape in the process.
Expat Sport’s Mac McTiernan works his way through the mechanics of the Asia Cricket Cup 2018, as an insight into the upcoming one-day tournament due to be hosted in the Emirates from mid-to-late September 2018.
