Abu Dhabi new home of T10 cricket for next 5 years

Abu Dhabi, March 17 (IANS) The Zayed Cricket Stadium here will be the new home of T10 cricket for the next five years, starting with the 2019 season.

The Abu Dhabi Cricket (ADC), in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) and the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), has signed a five-year agreement with the organisers of the T10 Cricket League.

The shortest form of the game will now be played exclusively at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.

To announce the new inter-governmental partnership, the ADC, the ADSC and the DCT Abu Dhabi organised a T10 match on the seafront of Abu Dhabi's iconic Corniche, with T10 aces Colin Ingram, Andre Fletcher and Luke Ronchi sporting the willow.

Pakistani icon Shahid Afridi, Australian superstar Shane Watson, South Africa's Colin Ingram, New Zealand's Luke Ronchi and West Indian Andre Fletcher have confirmed their participation in the tournament.

T10, in which only 120 balls are played in a fast-paced 90-minute game, was introduced to the UAE in 2017. Players to have featured in the tournament included Chris Gayle, Shoaib Malik, Shane Watson and Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed.

"T10 has arrived onto the global cricket scene. This combined partnership with the Abu Dhabi sports council, the DTC and the Abu Dhabi Cricket gives T10 cricket league a major boost in establishing itself as a credible international property.

"We are pleased to play in the Zayed Cricket Stadium and to take one of the world's most exciting sporting cities by storm. The third season will allow over 100,000 fans the chance to see some of the biggest names in cricket battle it out on the pitch and the 90-minute of action," Shaji Ul Mulk, Innovator and Chairman of the T10 League, said in a statement.

"My thanks to both the ADSC and the DCT Abu Dhabi for their support. I'm excited to see the tournament in its new home of Abu Dhabi, cementing the city's reputation as a central destination for cricket lovers worldwide."