General view of the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi.
Sheikh Zayed Stadium of Abu Dhabi, along with Dubai and Sharjah, will be the three venues playing host to World T20 matches later this year. Image Credit: Sportzpics for BCCI

Kolkata: A top official of Abu Dhabi Cricket, which will play a key role alongwith the relevant bodies of Dubai and Sharjah in hosting the T20 World Cup cricket in the UAE in October-November, said they were honoured at the decision of International Cricket Council and Indian cricket board. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has, on Monday, confirmed that they will be shifting the event to the UAE to ‘‘safeguard the safety’’ of the players and other stakeholders in view of the Covid-19 situation in India.

‘‘We are honoured and look forward to hosting the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to further bolster the UAE capital’s reputation as a preferred cricket destination this season and cementing Abu Dhabi’s position as an exceptional world-class sporting facility in these exceptional circumstances,’’ Matthew Boucher, CEO of Abu Dhabi Cricket, told Gulf News.

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‘‘We have had an action-packed 2020-21 season here at Abu Dhabi Cricket (ADC) with over 81 international games played at the iconic Zayed Cricket Stadium; the most for any cricket ground in the world,’’ said Boucher. The season included key matches of Indian Premier League 2020 season, Abu Dhabi T20 in January-February this year and the 20 remaining matches of Pakistan Super League 2021 in a space of two weeks from June 9-24.


‘‘This record-setting year demonstrates how cricket has completely integrated into Abu Dhabi’s thriving sports calendar and also a testament to ADC’s hosting abilities of such high calibre events,’’ Boucher added.