Skipper Ahmed Raza (pictured), Rohan Mustafa and opener Chirag Suri are among the 10 cricketers who have been awarded Central Contracts for one year by the Emirates Cricket Board on Thursday as they prepare for a return to international fixtures. Altogether 20 players, 10 of whom have been retained on part-time contracts, were named by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB).
“The Selection Committee is delighted with the number of young and enthusiastic players we identified for this group. Every one of them bring a broad range of complementing skills required to strongly represent the UAE at both the associate and international stages,” said Dr Tayeb Kamali, chairman of ECB selection committee, in a statement.
“As we eagerly wait for ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 pathway to recommence, opportunities such as the Emirates D10 and Emirates D20 tournaments will help prepare this group into a cohesive and a high-performing team.” added Dr Kamali.
Mubashshir Usmani, General Secretary of ECB said: “Such an increase in contracted players is a very rewarding milestone for our Board, and one we are committed to building upon to ensure that UAE Cricket has a good group of players to call on as we move toward restarting a regular playing calendar.”
The UAE men’s national team, meanwhile, will get a taste of the 50-overs format once again when they take on Ireland in a four-match ODI series in January, 2021. Matches will be played January 8, 10, 12 and 14 at Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi with all matches live streamed by joint partner ITW Consulting.
Khalid Al Zarooni, Vice Chairman, ECB said; “We are thrilled to be in a position to announce this fixture against ICC Full Member Ireland. Collectively, our management teams have been working tirelessly to bring this series to fruition in Abu Dhabi and we extend our sincere gratitude to all involved. We are extremely thankful to Cricket Ireland for their commitment to this series and to Abu Dhabi Sports Council, and the UAE authorities for supporting this tournament.”
Usmani echoed similar sentiments when he said; “This is a great opportunity for our men’s side to play against a Full Member, one we have a very competitive history with. Both boards understand the importance of providing opportunities for our players to maintain their competitive edge, at an international level, as we move through these times and prepare for the restart of our international calendars.”
Central contract roster
Full time Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Mohammad Usman, Chirag Suri, Muhammad Boota, Sultan Ahmad, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid
Part time Aryan Lakra, Ansh Tandon, Karthik Meiyappan, Rahul Bhatia, Alishan Tandon, CP Rizwaan, Basil Hamid, Matti Ullah, Fahad Nawaz, Sanchit Sharma
John Stephenson
john@cricketinvestor.co.uk
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