Updated: September 19, 2020 8:29:17 am
Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi will host the opening between MI and CSK on Saturday. (ICC)
The great cricket returns to the Gulf on Saturday with the Indian Premier League, starting with the defending champions of the Mumbai Indians taking on the eternal rivals Chennai Super Kings in Abu Dhabi, but the contrast with the carnival atmosphere that has been on display over the years 80 and 90 could not. be harder. Most of the best players in the world will be present in the UAE this fall, but locked in eight different bio-bubbles with strict restrictions.
Aside from playing games and training, he would hardly have the opportunity to move. It’s life in a cocoon. Needless to say, there will be no crowds at all three venues, at least for most of the tournament.
It’s a long way from the time when former Pakistan captain Asif Iqbal and local businessman Abdul Rahman Bukhatir teamed up to bring cricket to the desert, specifically Sharjah. Over the next two decades, it became the ‘neutral’ center of limited-run cricket between India and Pakistan, thriving on a mix of cricket and celebrity as well as passionate fans.
In 2014, when the first half of the Indian Premier League was held in the United Arab Emirates due to the general elections in India, Sharjah was assigned six matches. This time, the Covid-forced change of the IPL will see the Emirates’ oldest cricket stadium host 12 of the league’s 56 stage matches and share the stage with Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
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“The main reason for a carnival atmosphere was the India-Pakistan matches in a packed stadium. Indian and Pakistani workers in Sharjah, and also others in the Emirates, wanted to see their heroes. So, they came in droves and created a carnival atmosphere. And once the television started broadcasting the games live in the subcontinent, the popularity increased exponentially, “Iqbal told The Indian Express. But things will not be the same when the biggest national league T20 begins its last edition.
“Matches in front of empty stands can seem strange. As a player, I can’t feel or motivate myself without the atmosphere. Don’t forget that players are artists. They need recognition. When there is no appreciation, it is like following the movements ”, he says.
This IPL will mark the full return of Indian cricket to Sharjah. In 2018, when BCCI hosted the Asian Cup in the UAE, Sharjah was not a place. It had come into conflict with the Indian cricket establishment at the turn of the century, in the wake of the match-fixing scandal involving then-South Africa captain Hansie Cronje. Most of this year’s IPL matches would also be played in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, 24 and 20 respectively. Dubai encapsulates the business vitality of Emirates. But for cricket fans of a certain era, Sharjah evokes nostalgia.
From India pulling Pakistan out 87 after going 125 in 1985 to Javed Miandad’s final six-ball against Chetan Sharma next year and the entry of Sachin Tendulkar’s ‘desert storm’ against Australia in 1998, Sharjah has given us many moments of joy and despair. with the crowd in the stands an integral part of the atmosphere. VVS Laxman was in the box when Tendulkar decimated the Australian bowling alley 22 years ago.
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The Hyderabad artist didn’t play too many games in Sharjah, but he fell in love with the place. “Some of the best one-day games happened on that field. For me, playing there and being part of that winning team in ’98 (it had been a memorable experience). The booth was packed with Indian fans. It was like a home game for us, ”Laxman recalls for The Indian Express.
Referring to the next edition of IPL, the Sunrisers Hyderabad mentor believes that playing in front of empty stands will not reduce the intensity of the players. “I have no doubt that if we were playing that game (Desert Storm) before the empty stands, Sachin would still have gotten into the zone. All great players get that internal motivation. You don’t need to be motivated from the outside. “
Middling ditto. “If you are a professional gamer, it doesn’t matter if you are playing in front of a packed room or behind closed doors. A professional player plays for his country or team, and his reputation, ”the former Pakistan captain explained to this newspaper.
But he could not resist recalling the passion shown during those memorable encounters between India and Pakistan. Miandad remembers how after his last sixth ball, a photographer ran to the ground and hugged him. “His pace was to cover the royalty of the Emirates. But he used to appear in all the matches between India and Pakistan. The emotional overload of the fans made Sharjah what it was. “
Former Australia captain and Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting has some mixed memories of Sharjah from his playing days. “I enjoyed playing there (Sharjah). It seemed like every time we played there, Sachin made a hundred against us (as a joke). So it probably wasn’t pleasant.
The UAE has three venues for IPL 2020 (Source: Jay Shah)
“Look, it was great. The wickets were always really good. Generally, we play some triangle series there, one-day cricket. We also played some test cricket there against Pakistan, when we weren’t touring Pakistan a few years ago. I enjoyed the experience of playing there, but I think this is going to be different as there will be no crowd there, ”Ponting told The Indian Express.
With no fans in the venue, Ponting emphasizes teams creating their own atmosphere. “I think this IPL will be made up of many unusual scenarios and situations. The fact that we are here under strict Covid protocols is unusual. That we were together for three weeks before the first game is an unusual preparation. And once we get into the games, playing in front of no crowd will be exceptionally different.
“I mean, it’s going to be really interesting to see how some of the players really handle that. Who knows (when was) the last time MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli played in front of anyone. That has probably never happened in their lives before. For us as a group, we have to create our own atmosphere on the pitch. It is the same for everyone. It’s going to be an unusual show. “
Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar took part in several of Sharjah’s cricket shows in the early years, and understands the strange situation that closed-door matches will bring.
“It is always very difficult (to play) without fans on the ground. Spectators are the life and soul of cricket. It is impossible to think of a cricket match without spectators. The atmosphere makes a big difference. You are motivated by the people around you. I have been watching the English Premier League and without the crowds inside the stadiums, it seems a bit strange to me. I don’t know how they (the players) can give 100 percent (in games behind closed doors). On the other hand, you have no choice (in this IPL). This is an unnatural situation, ”Vengsarkar says.
The IPL will provide the Emirates with the opportunity to regain the status of a major cricket venue in good faith. Regardless, the country is host to other elite sporting events, attracting some of the biggest names in the world. Sharjah, on its own, entered the record books for hosting the largest number of ODIs before the party stopped at the turn of the century.
A couple of VIP boxes in the stadium were allegedly owned by underworld bosses. After Cronje-gate, Sharjah became the focus of Sir Paul Condon’s investigation of corruption in cricket.
“We have organized matches in Sharjah for 20 years. Not a single tournament. Other than the allegations … nothing was proven. No individual was found guilty: referees, players, officials and / or organizers. It was all a rumor. Finally, what happened, at the end of the day, not a party, person, player, personality, referee was sentenced. So based on the allegations, whether in hindsight or present, you can’t give a statement. Personally, what I felt, people got a little jealous. Sharjah grew too big for certain people. And it came out of nowhere, ”Iqbal believes.
But starting Saturday, the eyes of the cricket world will once again be fixed on the Arabian desert and, in the absence of fans in the stands, the sound of the ball hitting the bat will resonate even louder.
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