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Enter the 'Ring of Fire'

The UAE shines as the host of Asia's biggest cricket festival

The UAE may still be on the journey to becoming a cricketing force, but the country's profile of hosting world-class cricket is second to none. Coincidentally, the Asia Cup, which the UAE will host from September 15 to 28, is where the story actually began.
On a balmy day in April 1984, as Pakistan took on Sri Lanka at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, little did anyone know that the UAE will become a hotbed for international cricket. It was the inaugural Asia Cup, titled the Rothmans Asia Cup, with three teams - India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka taking part. India were the first champions of the Asia Cup, winning both their fixtures against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
The Sharjah Cricket Stadium, nestled in the business district of the emirate, waltzed into The Guinness Book of Records for hosting a record number of ODIs - 228 and counting. Sachin Tendulkar blew Australia away with twin centuries after the Aussies were left sand-faced following an actual sandstorm.
Cricket in the UAE has spawned world-class venues like the Zayed Cricket Stadium and the Dubai International Stadium, Dubai Sports City. And they haven't remained white elephants with Pakistan using the venues for their home series. The country has also hosted other teams like Afghanistan and events like the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Pakistan Super League (PSL), the T10 League and various International Cricket Council (ICC) events. The UAE will host its very own T20 league titled 'UAE T20x' as well as the Afghanistan Premier League.
The sophisticated facilities at the ICC Cricket Academy haven't gone unnoticed with various international teams using it to prepare for their assignments, most notably the West Indies, who used this as their base before going on to win the T20 World Cup in India in 2016.
The country is now preparing to host the Asia Cup for the third time after 1984 and 1995. Although Sharjah will not figure in the scheme of things, there is still plenty of cricket to look forward to in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The six teams - India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and qualifiers Hong Kong will be involved across 13 matches across both venues.
The Dubai International Stadium, Dubai Sports City, going by the moniker 'Ring of Fire', because of the 350 floodlights installed on the rim of the roof, will host eight fixtures, including the final, while the Zayed Cricket Stadium will host five games.
The icing on the cake during the forthcoming Asia Cup will be the clash between India and Pakistan. Although they haven't played a bilateral series since 2008 because of political tensions, they have come up against each other at ICC and ACC events.
The teams have met a number of times, most recently in England in the final of the Champions Trophy that Pakistan won, but the their friendship will be put on hold when they meet at the 'Ring of Fire' on September 19. It will be the first time since 2006 that the two will meet on a cricket pitch in the UAE.
India and Pakistan have played 26 ODIs in the UAE with the latter winning 19 and India seven. Their overall head-to-head reads 129 ODIs with Pakistan having won 73 and India 52. Four matches didn't have a result. Bangladesh take on Sri Lanka in the tournament opener on September 15, while Pakistan meet qualifiers Hong Kong on September 16.
Afghanistan will play Sri Lanka next, followed by India's opener against Hong Kong. The India-Pakistan encounter and Afghanistan vs Bangladesh complete the group engagements. Then, the Super Four segment takes place with six matches with the final pencilled in on Friday, September 28.
The UAE cricket team may have missed out on a golden chance to play against the big guns in their own country and in front of their own crowd, but it still is a chance to be a part of and celebrate Asia's biggest cricket festival.
Khalid Al Zarooni, Vice Chairman, Emirates Cricket Board, and President of Dubai Sports City
"We are proud to host the 2018 Asia Cup in the UAE, which promises to be a thrilling festival of cricket with some of the world's best players battling it out on the field. The game of cricket is hugely popular here in the UAE, and we are sure therewill be a fantastic atmosphere in the stands as well as great entertainment on the field throughout the tournament."
Vijay Sajjanhar, CFO, Dubai Sports City
"Dubai Sports City preparations for the Unimoni Asia Cup 2018 are in top gear. Over the past decade, we have had an abundance of international teams visiting and using our facility at Dubai International Stadium in Dubai Sports City. We are relying on that knowledge and expertise to put together what I believe will be the best Asia Cup to date."
- james@khaleejtimes.com