Dubai: Women’s cricket in the UAE is set to get a big boost with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) announcing that they would be hosting an international tournament for the first time for women.
The tournament is scheduled to start from December 14 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium with seven teams vying for the title. Some of the pool matches will also be held at the Ajman Cricket Council’s Eden Ground with the final scheduled for December 19 at the Sharjah Stadium.
The teams competing are Uganda, Kenya, Malaysia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE.
Speaking to Gulf News, Mazhar Khan, Administrator of the ECB, said: “It is important for UAE women’s team to play against stronger teams to assess our strengths and qualify for higher level and this tournament will give them the opportunity. Teams like Kenya and Uganda play in the African women’s tournaments and hence our women players are expected to gain good exposure.”
Though UAE as a venue is popular in the staging of men’s One Day International and Twenty20 International tournaments, international level women’s tournament has never been hosted here. “This tournament will not only help improve cricketing standards among women in the UAE but in the GCC countries,” said Zayed Abbas, Executive Member of ECB.
Oman, UAE, Kuwait and Qatar are the four GCC countries and UAE had twice emerged as the champions in GCC women’s tournament.
Humaira Tasneem will lead the UAE Women’s T20 side.
Commenting on the exposure for her team, she said: “We want to qualify for the next Twenty20 women’s World Cup. We are grateful to Emirates Cricket Board to provide such a wonderful opportunity to play against better sides, and through such tournaments we will become competitive enough to play in top international tournaments.”
Natasha Michael is the vice captain.
Tasneem had captained the UAE team in the ACC Under-19 tournament and was also the winner of the best women’s cricketer of the year award in the Shyam Bhatia annual awards in 2013. She had once produced a deadly spell of five for 18 against Hong Kong in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) women’s championship in 2013.
Michael is one of the most experienced players in the team having even won the best batswoman award in the Asia Cup Under-19 tournament in 2010.
UAE squad: Humaira Tasneem (C), Natasha Michael (VC), Chaya Mughal, Esha Oza, Fatima Ahsan, Ashai Senevirathne, Knavish Kumari, Kyna Vedhasinghe, Neva Sharma, Nisha Ali, Priyanjali Niagara, Samiya Salim, Shaman Wanniarachchi and Subha Srinivasan.
