Asia Cup 2018: 3 reasons why UAE is the best venue for the tournament

The UAE is hosting the Asia Cup for the first time instead of India due to political reasons. Even though an odd choice, given that the rest of the teams do have some good stadiums to host the tournament, playing in the UAE comes with benefits of its own.

The cash-rich emirates have more than enough resources to ensure the smooth running of the tournament along with providing the teams a comfortable stay.

Home to the ICC headquarters, the UAE also allows the cricketing governing board to keep an eye on the tournament and the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) to keep a close check.

With all that said, there are a few vital reasons why the UAE can prove to be a long-term host for the tournament. Let’s take a look at three such reasons, and how the UAE is a better option than other countries to host the tournament.

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#3 Playing Conditions

The battle between bat and ball is equal

UAE usually has the hot and humid weather for at least nine out of 12 months. The rest of the three months have a completely opposite cold and dry outlook. Yet, the playing conditions in the UAE are much better than many other countries.

The UAE provides 6-7 months which are ideal for cricket and the pitches are prepared by world-class curators to ensure each game has an equal balance between bat and ball. Very few venues around the world have conditions that favor both the bowlers and batsmen, and Sharjah, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi are among them.

Batsmen, spin bowlers, and seam bowlers have all enjoyed success in the UAE. From Waqar Younis to Dale Steyn, Mohammad Shehzad to Younis Khan, and Harbajhan Singh to Shahid Afridi, many legends of the game have been successful in the UAE.

#2 International Crowd

The UAE is home to a number of expatriates

The Asia Cup includes four to six Asian teams, depending on the format. Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are the constants are joined by Afghanistan and Hong Kong for this edition.

Playing in the UAE ensures big crowds as there is a huge population of people from the aforementioned countries residing in the Emirates.

Many of the people of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan origin do not get to watch their national stars play live, as they are away from home.

Hosting the Asia Cup in Abu Dhabi and Dubai means that those deprived of watching their national stars get to watch them in action away from home.

With high profile matches such as India vs Pakistan, Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, and India vs Bangladesh scheduled at each event, there is no doubt that the crowds will be automatically pulled to the stadium to cheer their respective home teams.

Playing in the UAE also allows international exposure to the sport of cricket.

#1 All teams are used to the Venues

All the teams have played in the UAE in the past

The IPL 7 was held in the UAE in 2014. All three seasons of the Pakistan Super League were held in the UAE.

The Afghanistan Premier League is scheduled to be held in the UAE. Pakistan and Afghanistan have already declared UAE as their home venue for cricket due to security concerns at home.

India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh have played more than enough cricket at all three major venues in the UAE to understand the conditions very well. All these reasons combined give all the teams involved a fighting chance in the tournament.

When the tournament is held at one of the team’s home venue, they tend to have a slight advantage over the other teams. However, playing the tournament at a neutral but familiar venue gives all the participating teams an equal chance at winning the tournament.