It is unclear as yet whether the next Ben Stokes is in action in the Ramada Gulf Cup, but there are plenty of willing candidates after one of the country’s largest youth cricket competition’s got under way this week.
The tournament started on Sunday morning in Ajman. More than 800 players across 66 teams are involved in the 15-day event.
This year the involvement is limited to the UAE’s leading academies and junior teams because of travel limitations brought about by Covid, but in the past there has been some notable talent from overseas.
In 2005, an unknown 14-year-old called Ben Stokes was voted the tournament’s second best player, as he toured with Durham. Fellow England star Mark Wood was also a past tourist with the county from England’s northeast.
The competition has also seen a variety of players pass through it on their way to international honours with the UAE, such as Rameez Shahzad, Ahmed Raza, and Chirag Suri.