GCC, Indian and Pakistani players to get their shot when pro baseball launches in Dubai

Eight aspiring baseball players from India and Pakistan will join the ranks of professional teams when the sport has its first pro event in the UAE in November.

Four matches will take place from Friday, November 10, to Sunday, November 12, at the Dubai International Stadium as part of the Baseball United Dubai Showcase.

The opening match will pit Mumbai Cobras against Karachi Monarchs, in a fixture the organisers say is part of their mission for “baseball diplomacy”.

The two other sides in the competition were announced on Thursday and will represent cities in the host country: Abu Dhabi Falcons and Dubai Wolves.

The sides will draw their squads from a draft to be staged in September, and mainly comprise professional players from the US and other established baseball nations.

While Major League Baseball rosters usually have 26 players, the teams in Dubai will be condensed to 20 for the three-day competition – 13 position players and seven pitchers.

That will include 16 professional players, as well as four prospects each from closer to home.

Four will be from India, four from Pakistan, and eight “from other countries in the region,” according to Kash Shaikh, the chief executive and majority owner of Baseball United.

“Today, there are not too many players who could compete at the professional level,” Shaikh said.

“It is not that they don’t have tools and talent. The best pitcher in India throws at 91mph. He has a great career ahead of him. There are kids who can play here.

“We are starting with prospects, but our goal is to have as many people from the region playing [as possible] and not just in our league.

“There are a lot of other professional baseball leagues around the world – Latin America, East Asia. We want to