Asia Cup 2018: 3 reasons why UAE is the best venue for the tournament
The UAE is hosting the Asia Cup for the first time instead of India due to political reasons. Even though an odd choice, given that the rest of the teams do have some good stadiums to host the tournament, playing in the UAE comes with benefits of its own.
The cash-rich emirates have more than enough resources to ensure the smooth running of the tournament along with providing the teams a comfortable stay.
Home to the ICC headquarters, the UAE also allows the cricketing governing board to keep an eye on the tournament and the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) to keep a close check.
With all that said, there are a few vital reasons why the UAE can prove to be a long-term host for the tournament. Let’s take a look at three such reasons, and how the UAE is a better option than other countries to host the tournament.
#3 Playing Conditions
UAE usually has the hot and humid weather for at least nine out of 12 months. The rest of the three months have a completely opposite cold and dry outlook. Yet, the playing conditions in the UAE are much better than many other countries.
The UAE provides 6-7 months which are ideal for cricket and the pitches are prepared by world-class curators to ensure each game has an equal balance between bat and ball. Very few venues around the world have conditions that favor both the bowlers and batsmen, and Sharjah, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi are among them.
Batsmen, spin bowlers, and seam bowlers have all enjoyed success in the UAE. From Waqar Younis to Dale Steyn, Mohammad Shehzad to Younis Khan, and Harbajhan Singh to Shahid Afridi, many legends of the game have been successful in the UAE.