UAE at 50: Fifty images that have defined cricket in the country over half a century

The sport has blossomed in the desert and the emirate is now a premier cricket destination

Javed Miandad’s last ball six against India at Sharjah in the Austral-Asia Cup final on April 18, 1986 will remain one of the defining moments of cricket in UAE. Photo: Pakistan Cricket Board

Abdulrahman Bukhatir, centre, was mainly responsible for the growth of cricket in the UAE for a number of years. Photo: The Cricketer Pakistan

England players Derek Pringle, Allan Lamb, David Gower and Robin Jackman at the camel races during the tour to Sharjah in March, 1983. Getty

India's Navjot Sidhu hits a four against Pakistan at the Champions Trophy in Sharjah on October 15, 1989. The two rivals have played many matches through the 1980s and 1990s in the UAE.

A Pakistan side, led by Javed Miandad, takes the field during a match between Gavaskar XI and Miandad XI at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on April 3 1981. Photo: The Cricketer Pakistan

View from outside the ground as spectators gather for the Asia Cup match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka on April 6, 1984, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Getty

Sharjah was the nursery for UAE cricket for decades before the rise of Dubai and Abu Dhabi as cricket centres. Getty

The Sharjah stadium was recently upgraded for a bumper home season. Antonie Robertson / The National

Javed Miandad was a star of Pakistan cricket, and a crowd-favourite in Sharjah. Getty

Sachin Tendulkar became a superstar in a matter of days as he smashed 143 then 134 against Australia in the 1998 Coca Cola Cup in Sharjah. Reuters

Indian captain Mohamed Azharuddin receives the Coca Cola Cup after defeating Australia in the 1998 final in Sharjah. AFP

UAE's first big break in international cricket was playing the 1996 World Cup in the subcontinent. Here you can see Saleem Raza batting for the UAE against England. Photo: John Pryke

The Sharjah tri-series final on October 29, 2000, was one of the most incredible games. Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya smashed 189 off 161 balls to lift his team to 299-5, before the islanders dismissed India for 54. AFP

Sri Lanka crushed India in October 29, 2000, tri-series final in Sharjah. The 245-run win margin remains the 10th biggest win, while Sanath Jayasuriya's 189 the 14th highest ODI score. AFP

The 2003 Sharjah Test between Australia and Pakistan is considered one of the most brutal ever in terms of playing conditions. Matthew Hayden, right, scored a Test match-winning century, while Pakistan were bowled out for 59 and 53. All that in searing desert heat. Getty

Abu Dhabi began work on a new cricket venue in the UAE at the turn of the century - the Zayed Cricket Stadium. Photo: Arup

The Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi is one of the most futuristic cricket venues in the world. AFP

India played Pakistan in two ODIs at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in 2006 - the first international match in the UAE capital.

Honour guards perform at the opening ceremony of the two-match ODI series between India and Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2006. AFP

Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf attends India-Pakistan 2006 series at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. AFP

Three years after the UAE capital tasted international cricket, the Dubai International Stadium hosted its first ODI in 2009.

After the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore, Pakistan cricket shifted base to the UAE for the best part of the next decade.

Pakistan took on Australia in the Chapal Cup at the Dubai International Stadium on April 22, 2009 - the first international match at the venue. Amy Leang / The National

England, then the No1 Test team in the world, were famously blanked 3-0 by Pakistan in 2012, with spinners Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman doing a bulk of the damage. Satish Kumar / The National

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, attends an IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 30, 2014. IPL was forced to shift one leg of the tournament to the UAE due to local elections. Courtesy: Dubai Government Media Office)

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, at the 2014 Indian Premier League. Courtesy: Dubai Government Media Office

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, watches a 2014 IPL match. It was the first big-ticket cricket tournament in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Pakistan became the top-ranked Test and T20 teams while playing in the UAE. Reuters

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak receives the UAE team that qualified for the 2015 World Cup at Bateen Palace in Abu Dhabi. Ravindranath K / The National

UAE cricket team celebrate after beating Namibia to qualify for the 2015 World Cup. Courtesy ICC

Mohammed Tauqir captained the UAE at the 2015 World Cup. He was one of the few Emirati cricketers to play at the top level. Satish Kumar / The National

Afghanistan had their base in the UAE for some time. And they had the most passionate support base.

In the 2014 Abu Dhabi Test against Australia, Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, smashed a 56-ball century, still the second fastest in history. AFP

Islamabad United won the inaugural Pakistan Super League in 2016, which was held entirely in the UAE. AFP

Former Pakistan bowler Aaqib Javed played a significant role in taking the UAE team towards the professional era as coach. Satish Kumar / The National

Mazhar Khan, long-serving administrator of Sharjah cricket, has a deep bond with the game in the UAE. Antonie Robertson / The National

Dougie Brown has been a long-serving coach in UAE cricket, previously with the national team and then in Abu Dhabi T10. Pawan Singh / The National

Rohan Mustafa, second left, was one of the first UAE cricketers to be given a professional contract with the Emirates Cricket Board. AFP

A maintenance worker on one of the floodlights at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi - one of the many unsung heroes of UAE cricket. Pawan Singh / The National

The Pakistan Super League was held in the UAE in its formative years before it shifted base back home. Satish Kumar / The National

The Abu Dhabi T10 has brought a new 10-over format to the forefront of international cricket. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Ahmed Raza, left, has captained the UAE during a tough period following a corruption scandal that engulfed the team. Courtesy ICC

The Emirates Cricket Board has done a lot to promote women's cricket in the country. Reem Mohammed / The National

The 2020 IPL was held in its entirety in the UAE, and that too in the middle of the pandemic. BCCI / Sportzpics

The 2021 edition of the IPL was also moved to the UAE, proving once again that the country is the foremost sports destination. BCCI / Sportzpics

Pakistan defeated India at the 2021 T20 World Cup in Dubai - the first time they had tasted success against their neighbours in a World Cup. Getty

Fans have played an integral part in the rise of cricket in the UAE. Ravindranath K / The National

Fans line up outside the Sharjah Cricket Stadium to catch balls hit out of the ground by batsmen - surely one of the best moments for any cricket supporter. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Shyam Bhatia is a renowned patron of cricket in the UAE and has one of the best private cricket museums in the world. Satish Kumar / The National

Street cricket - one of the purest forms of the game in the UAE and across the world. Pawan Singh / The National

It is a momentous occasion for the UAE with the nation celebrating its milestone Golden Jubilee. 'The Year of the 50th', which officially started on April 6 and will last until March 31 next year, will commemorate the incredible journey the UAE, its citizens and residents have made over the last 50 years.

The journey of cricket in the UAE has also seen a similar rise. For decades, the game was played in Sharjah - catering to the expat South Asian population. The UAE became a regular fixture in the international calendar, with the canopies of the Sharjah Stadium becoming the lasting image of cricket in the country.

Then, we moved into the 21st century. And so did UAE cricket. First came the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Then the Dubai International Stadium's 'Ring of Fire' a few years later.

By 2009, the UAE had three international standard cricket venues. And that played a big role in attracting top tier cricket to the country. It started with Pakistan shifting base to the UAE for close to a decade following the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team.

Then the Indian Premier League also came calling - first in 2014 due to elections in India and then in 2020 and again in 2021 due to the pandemic.

And today, the UAE has become the first non-Test playing nation to host a T20 World Cup.

A lot of cricket has happened in these 50 years. There are too many records, incredible moments of excellence, heartbreaks and controversies to enlist. However, there are a few that have stood out.

In the picture gallery above, we have put together 50 memorable images of cricket in the UAE that have come to define the sport in the region.

Here's to another 50 years of growth and prosperity.