Dubai: The Dubai International Cricket Stadium is hoping to attract big crowds with the prospect of fast-paced Twenty20 action between Australian and Pakistan.
The Dubai Sports City venue won’t host any of the three preceding 50-over matches, but instead the touring sides will play a trio of T20 matches there on September 5, 7 and 10.
Maqbul Dudhia, the venue’s General Manager of Sports Business, told Gulf News: “Both Pakistan and Australia have excellent hard-hitters and hence the fans will be guaranteed high-octane action. We hope to encourage such hitters with some special prizes and maybe even make spectators predict the star performers.
“Twenty20 matches here have always been well received. The view from inside the stadium is such that one can really feel and closely watch the shots and catches. The matches will, as always in the past, start at 8pm to enable office-goers to come and enjoy a night of good cricket.
“Ticket sales have been brisk. We have opened 26 locations all over the UAE to sell the Twenty20 match tickets.”
Tickets for the Cool & Cool Twenty20 Challenge presented by Bank Alfalah are available at many of the popular restaurants often visited by cricket fans — including Karachi Darbar, Sind Punjab Restaurant, Kesar Restaurant, Bar B Q Tonight, Rhythm N Bites, Madinath Al Qusais, Shehar E Karachi Restaurant, Delhi Restaurant, Uttam Restaurant and Biryani Kabab Restaurant, as well as A J Sports and Digital Office on Shaikh Zayed Road, which will be open 24 hours.
Facilities for online booking are available at www.timeoutticket.com, www.boxofficeme.com and www.tickets.virginmegastore.me. To ensure a packed stadium, prices start at just Dh20.
The T20 matches here are important for both Pakistan and Australia as they are held in the run up to the Twenty20 World Cup, which takes place in Sri Lanka from September 18.
