Dubai, the headquarters of the International Cricket Council, will host 10 of the 13 Asia Cup fixtures, including the opening match, the India-Pakistan header, and the title decider…reports Asian Lite News
After four years and following a pandemic, the Asian Cricket Council’s 2022 edition of the Men’s Asia Cup returns with UAE as the host. It is a six-team tournament that will be held between 27th August and 11th September.
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are the confirmed teams, while Hong Kong qualified for the sixth spot after winning all their three matches in the qualifiers, beating UAE, Kuwait and Singapore.
Meanwhile, Dubai Sports Council (DSC), the organisation responsible for promoting sports activities across the city, has confirmed that it is ready to safely and securely host the matches of the much-anticipated 15th edition of the Asia Cup cricket tournament.
The 16-day tournament kicks off this Saturday, when Sri Lanka face Afghanistan in the opening match at the Dubai International Stadium.
Dubai, the headquarters of the International Cricket Council, will host 10 of the 13 Asia Cup fixtures, including the opening match, the India-Pakistan header (28th August), and the title decider on 11th September.
Saeed Mohammed Hareb, Secretary-General of the DSC, said, “Dubai is today one of the world’s most successful cities for hosting mega-events thanks to the vision of its leadership, a clear strategy, robust infrastructure, and event-management capabilities that make participating and attending events in the city a unique experience. Dubai is now a destination of choice for individual athletes and squads. It is an ideal location to host major sports events thanks to its accessibility and amenities required to welcome participants and the audience.”
“The UAE in general and Dubai, in particular, has gained the world’s confidence in its ability to host any event successfully. Dubai has set global benchmarks and is now a role model in hosting and organising major global sports events, such as cricket’s Twenty20 World Cup and the Indian Premier League at Dubai International Stadium,” said Hareb.
Khalid Al Zarooni, Chairman of the Board of Dubai Sports City, said, “We are delighted to host the 2022 Asia Cup, the second largest cricket event in the world. It is watched by millions of fans across Asia and beyond. Dubai International Stadium will host the tournament for the second consecutive time. The last edition was also held in Dubai in 2018. This reflects Dubai’s status as the best city to host such mega-events.”
“This year’s Asia Cup is seen as a precursor to the Twenty20 World Cup for the participating teams, as elite Asian cricket squads converge in Dubai to compete for the coveted trophy, including India, which aims to retain the title,” he added.
Last week, Brigadier Rashid Khalifa Al Falasi, Acting Assistant Commandant for Operations Affairs in Dubai Police, reaffirmed the Dubai Police’s Events Security Committee’s (ESC) full readiness to secure the Asia Cup matches.
He said that Dubai would deploy the latest technologies to secure the venue in collaboration with its key partners and other members of the ESC. Al Falasi also reviewed the ESC’s awareness efforts towards educating the public about the importance of positive engagement and adherence to all safety measures and protocols when attending the matches.
E-Vision acquires MENA rights
E-Vision, the entertainment streaming division of e& life (part of e&), announced that it has acquired exclusive broadcast and media rights for the upcoming and highly anticipated DP World Asia Cup to be shown only on the CricLife MAX channel in the MENA region.
Cricket fans in the UAE can get all the action exclusively on CricLife MAX channel on eLife TV, Switch TV and in MENA via the new Sports bundle available on the STARZPLAY app.
Olivier Bramly, CEO, E-Vision, said, “We are excited to bring the DP World Asia Cup 2022 to all viewers on CricLife MAX after a four-year, pandemic hiatus. We have always been committed to delivering the best in sports and entertainment from local and international content providers. Avid cricket fans will be able to enjoy the games on our broadcast as well as digital platforms, giving them the flexibility to watch from anywhere and at any time.”
CricLife channels are a one-stop for cricket that are currently available on Asiana and Sports packages on eLife and the OTT packages of Switch TV and STARZPLAY. Subscribers get an opportunity to watch all the best cricket content available from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, West Indies, South Africa, New Zealand and Ireland, in addition to major events like the Asia Cup, ICC Cricket World Cups as well as the popular T20 leagues like Pakistan Super League (PSL) and Caribbean Premier League (CPL) on CricLife, CricLife2, CricLife3 and CricLife MAX channels.
Etisalat Group has changed its brand identity to e&, effective from 23rd February 2022.