UAE Cricket Venues Impress Indian Board Ahead Of Indian Premier League

An inspection team "came away impressed with the UAE’s cricket venues" after a two-day visit ahead of next month’s staging of Indian Premier League games in the country, according to THE NATIONAL. The UAE "is to host 20 matches from the 2014 IPL season" from April 16-30 across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. The Board of Control for Cricket in India venue inspection team visited Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Cricket Stadium, Sharjah Cricket Stadium and the Dubai Int'l Cricket Stadium as well as the ICC Academy in Dubai "to assess the ground conditions, status of the pitch and practice facilities." The team "also inspected the facilities in place for the players, match officials and umpires, including the dressing rooms and medical arrangements." The next job for the inspection team "is the planning of training schedules for all eight teams participating in the IPL 2014, with sides expected to arrive in the UAE in the second week of April" (THE NATIONAL, 3/23).