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Abu Dhabi to host million-dollar cricket event

Abu Dhabi is set to become the next stop-over on the international cricket circuit when it hosts a million-dollar tournament next year, officials said on Friday.

The capital city of the United Arab Emirates will hold the richest limited-overs tournament after the World Cup in late 2001 at the proposed Sheikh Zayed cricket stadium. Work on the 20,000-seater stadium, named after the present ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the UAE, begins next month and is expected to be completed by September next year.

B.R. Shetty, vice-president of the Abu Dhabi cricket council, said the modern 15-million dollar stadium was being funded by the royal family.

"We propose to hold our first one-day international in September, 2001, followed by the million-dollar tournament later in the year," Shetty said.

"Invitations will go out to all the nine Test-playing nations and we are in touch with the International Cricket Council to give us suitable dates," he said.

Abu Dhabi will become the second venue in the region to host official limited-overs tournaments that cater mainly to the large Asian expatriate population.

Sharjah, which began the trend in 1984, has hosted more one-day internationals (159) than any other venue in the world.