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Dubai, a sweet spot for Kashmiris' cricketing dreams

Dubai - The youth participating in the tournament are those who once played cricket on the streets of Kashmir

March 24 is a special day for Kashmiri expats in the UAE. On this day, thousands of Kashmiri expats shall gather to watch the final match of Kashmir Super league II (KSL) in Dubai.
The youth participating in the tournament are those who once played cricket on the streets of Kashmir. Many have longed to get professional training due to the lack of facilities.
But here in Dubai, the availability of infrastructure and support has helped scores of cricket buffs fulfil their dreams.
"Cricket is my passion. I never got a chance before to play cricket at this level. But Dubai has helped me live my dream," said Younis, one of the players of KSL.  Younis has been working in Dubai since 2009.
Cricket is a rage in Kashmir. It is not uncommon to see children and adults playing crickets on streets, parks and lawns on lazy days. But the lack of infrastructure and facilities has failed to fulfil the cricket dream of thousands of Kashmiris.
Dubai has not only provided the much-needed platform for young cricket lovers, but also brought together Kashmiri community.
"The best part of the KSL is that it satisfies our passion of cricket while helping all those from Kashmir to socialise and connect," added Younis.
KSL 1 was first held in 2016. The idea was conceived by two Kashmiris who work in the same office in Dubai. The idea hit them when they happened to come across players from Pakistan Cricket League. Soon, they started networking with other Kashmiri expats to make it all a reality.
In the KSL 1, there were only 8 teams. This year's KSL tournament had 14 teams. "We started sending links for registration to people and got good response. We arranged the sponsors who were also Kashmiris," said Zubair, one of the organisers.
Eight captains were selected and asked to create their teams. Each team was named after different areas of Srinagar, Kashmir. While the tournament is a treat to watch, it also helped many Kashmiri youth land jobs in Dubai.
"During the cricket matches, those looking for jobs are able to network with other Kashmiris living here. In this process, over 30 boys got jobs in Dubai," added Zubair.
Mehfooz, who was working in a bank in Dubai, had been trying to make a job change. It was after he became a part of the KSL team that he got his dream job in a real estate company. "KSL has been a great means of helping Kashmiri expats get job or make job changes."
Anzar was in Dubai looking for a job at the same time when KSL was happening.
"I came to know from my acquaintances here that KSL is taking place. I was able to connect to many Kashmiris in UAE that helped me to get a job easily," Ansar, who is one of the KSL players, told Khaleej Times.
Ansar is now planning to get his family to Dubai too. To watch the historic tournament on March 24, many Kashmiris are flying to Dubai.
"It is a moment of pride for Kashmir to see youth taking such initiatives. Our youth are very talented and need such platform and exposure," said Gul Mustafa Dev, the first Olympian from the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Dev is flying to Dubai, along with several other businessmen, journalists and prominent personalities of Kashmir, to watch the final match. The final match is being played between Razay Kadal Super Heroes and Rajbagh Royals at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
The trophies for the match are being imported from Kashmir, representing Kashmir's art of woodcarving, papier-mâché and copper work.
sana@khaleejtimes.com