Abu Dhabi's Tolerance Oval becomes UAE's fourth international cricket venue

Facility in capital gets full ICC accreditation to host T20 and ODI matches

The Tolerance Oval at Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub has been granted full ICC accreditation to host T20 and ODI matches. Photo: Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub

The Tolerance Oval in Abu Dhabi has become the fourth international cricket venue in the UAE. Photo: Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub

The Tolerance Oval is the latest addition to UAE's cricket structure. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

The Tolerance Oval will host the England Test team later this year. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

South Africa's Anrich Nortje bowls against Pakistan during the 2021 T20 World Cup warm-up match at the Tolerance Oval, Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Pakistan's Hasan during a 2021 T20 World Cup warm-up match at the Tolerance Oval, Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The Tolerance Oval in Abu Dhabi has become the fourth venue in the UAE to receive clearance to host international cricket matches from the world governing body.

The Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub's facility has been granted full International Cricket Council accreditation as a day-night venue, which means it can host T20 and One-Day International matches just two years after its opening.

The Tolerance Oval becomes the fourth of its kind in the country to gain ICC accreditation, alongside Dubai International Stadium, Sharjah Cricket Stadium and the Zayed Cricket Stadium in the capital.

Following the announcement, Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub chief executive Matt Boucher said: “Our vision for Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub is two-pronged; we want our incredible venue to host the highest calibre of international events while simultaneously catering for the 760,000 community sport athletes that use our facility annually.

"The Tolerance Oval is a prime example of this vision, having already hosted the ICC Men's T20 World Cup warm-up matches, teams from the 2021 Indian Premier League, 2021 Pakistan Super League, 2021 Abu Dhabi T10, as well as the inaugural T20 Abu Dhabi Community Cup final in the last 12 months.

"We also wanted the Emirates Cricket Board to have a fourth international ground at their disposal to make Abu Dhabi even more capable of hosting major, multi-venue global competitions and tournaments."

Mubashir Usmani, Emirates Cricket Board general secretary, added: "We applaud Abu Dhabi Cricket in adding yet another ICC accredited stadium to their venues and to the UAE’s world-class cricket offerings. It immediately bolsters the country's cricketing product and further establishes the UAE as one of the best sporting destinations in the world, while increasing Emirates Cricket’s ability to host and deliver multi-venue ICC tournaments and the world's best franchise competitions."

The Tolerance Oval has a total of nine turf pitches and five broadcast-rigged grass wickets, with full LED floodlights and an array of training facilities that include 20 natural grass wickets in the nearby international nets area.

The Tolerance Oval was given the highest rating in 17 out of the 29 categories by the ECB's inspectors, which was then ratified by the ICC.

The England men's Test side will be one of the first major international teams to use the facility after its accreditation. They will be in Abu Dhabi on November 18 for a training-camp before this winter's tour of Pakistan and will face their Lions counterparts in a three-day warm-up match at the Tolerance Oval from November 23.