UAE cricket schedule 2022: Two new tournaments and T20 World Cup qualifying

The UAE became the centre of world cricket for two-and-a-half months at the end of 2021.

First, the Indian Premier League was played to its conclusion across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. Then, two days later, the T20 World Cup started at the same venues.

And the conclusion of the country’s first cricket World Cup was followed swiftly by the start of the Abu Dhabi T10.

Despite the surfeit of top-level international cricket, the country’s leading players were under-employed for much of last year because of the effects of Covid.

The men’s senior team drew with Ireland in a one-day series at the start of the year. Near the end of it, they beat the same team in a rousing T20 series that was mainly designed to give the Irish practice ahead of the T20 World Cup.

Other than that, pickings were meagre. They did go on one tour, to Namibia in November – but had to about-face before a ball was even bowled, due to the onset of the Omicron variant in southern Africa.

After the 2021 famine, 2022 should be a feast – coronavirus-permitting. The men’s and women’s teams have plenty to aim for over the next 12 months – starting in a few days’ time in a cricket-paradise in the Caribbean.

Under 19 World Cup
The national age-group side qualified to play at a second successive Under 19 World Cup in absentia, after the qualifying competition was cancelled. The side, captained by Alishan Sharafu, flew to St Kitts on Sunday morning. Fixtures: Saturday January 15, v Canada. Thursday January 20, v England. Saturday January 22, v Bangladesh.

Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier
UAE have the chance to exorcise the pain of missing out on a home World Cup last year by bidding to make it to the next one. Next month’s qualifying competition in Muscat, also including Bahrain, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Philippines, Nepal and Oman, carries with it two places at the main event in Australia.