New UAE franchised cricket league boosts sustainable development prospects

On Friday Jan. 13, after several years of delay beyond its control, the Emirates Cricket Board will launch its franchised T20 Tournament at Dubai International Stadium.

Titled the DP World ILT20, the tournament features six teams competing for a place in the final on Feb. 12. A few days prior to the opening match, I was able to conduct a question-and-answer session with ECB General Secretary Mubashshir Usmani, who is also an associate member representative on the International Cricket Council’s chief executives’ committee.

During the exchange, he outlined his hopes and aspirations for the tournament, for cricket in the UAE and for associate members in general.

Jon Pike: One of the guiding principles of DP World ILT20 is that it provides a platform to develop local talent. How will this be manifested?

Mubashshir Usmani: At its heart, the DP World ILT20 is focused on a sustainable model for UAE Cricket — development and financial. The league, as a first step, has recently agreed to fund the first-year central contracts for the UAE women’s team and also pick up the cost of a fulltime women development officer. Development programs have been committed to by the franchisees annually and will have significant impact on UAE cricket and will save funds that would otherwise have to be spent.

There are very clear goals that, by the sanctioning, the Emirates Cricket Board wants fulfilled and we are committed to fulfilling these. Once we have delivered a successful year-one, a women’s professional league is something that we would be interested in incorporating into the league in the years to come.

JP: In its inaugural year, the league has attracted players mainly from England, West Indies and Afghanistan, with each team