Promise

The inaugural edition of the International League T20 (ILT20) is set for an epic final on Sunday night. But the first edition showed the league is here to ...

“We continue to engage with all the boards including India and Pakistan, and we are very hopeful that going forward we will have more players from these countries. And we are very hopeful that in the next event or even thereafter, you will see more players from the two countries,” says the COO. Ahmed had been associated with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for many years and brings with himself a rich experience in cricket operations. It’s worth noting that a large part of population in Dubai consists of immigrants from the two nations. “We are very satisfied with the progress of the league. And the quality of sponsors that have associated with our league, the quality of franchise partners that are there, are all signs that this is a quality product, with whom people want to associate,” Ahmed says. Moreover, there had been a lack of Pakistani representation in the tournament but according to league’s chief operating officer (COO) Subhan Ahmed, it made little impact on the total viewership. “I'm old now but the youngsters who are in the U19 team and those who are playing T20… More importantly, the UAE cricketers had an invaluable opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the best players and coaches from around the world. Gulf Giants captain James Vince believes this league bridged that gap to a large extent, allowing the local players with a much-needed exposure. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) hosted an entire Indian Premier League (IPL) season in UAE in 2020, and also shifted the second half of the 2021 edition to the middle-eastern nation amid rising Covid cases back home. The inaugural edition of the International League T20 (ILT20) is set for an epic final on Sunday night.