We all anxiously waited for cricket to begin in this pandemic ever since the COVID-19 outbreak began. After the England vs West Indies Test series and 3 TC cricket, we’re up for another treat. The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) has announced the start of the ‘Emirates D10’ tournament in the seven emirates.
The Emirates D10 tournament will be played in the T10 format with standard T10 rules in place. It will also be the first cricket tournament solely organised by the Emirates cricket board. About 34 matches will take place with three matches per day.
ECB launches D10 Tournament
The tournament will take place between 24th July and 7th August. Four teams will represent the four councils of the ECB namely Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman & Abu Dhabi. Meanwhile, the board will pick two teams by themselves. The D10 tournament will follow a standard round-robin format where each team will play each other twice before the playoffs.
#UAE #Cricket today launched their NEW Domestic 10-over tournament #D10 🇦🇪🏏 🤩
34-matches…..SIX teams…..all Domestic & starting THIS Friday.
The best part – LIVE & FREE streaming! More details to follow but find out more 👉 https://t.co/NoGOCuFil1#StayHome #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/vrIXcJklE5
— UAE Cricket Official (@EmiratesCricket) July 19, 2020
Despite UAE being a very small country. It has over 56000 positive cases with a daily increment of close to 500 per day. Understanding the current situation in the country, the ECB has decided to conduct the tournament behind close doors. They will also be following the COVID-19 protocols set by the ICC in keeping the safety of players in mind.
ECB general secretary Mubashir Usmani also announced that the tournament will be streamed live through their broadcasting partners.
“It will be live-streamed through our (broadcast) partners, so that is the best way right now, maintaining social distance and watching it from home,” said Usmani.
The organisers have started this tournament with the intention of promoting the sport among other communities in the United Arab Emirates. They hope that more ex-pats from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka take up playing the sport & also attract more native Emirati cricketers on board.
On the other hand, Emirates Cricket board are fully prepared to host the 2020 IPL. Since BCCI are now looking at scheduling the cash-rich league in the UAE.
