Wednesday 12 / February / 2025
Muscat: Work on Oman’s venues for the upcoming Twenty20 Cricket World Cup has been met favourably by the sport’s governing body, with the tournament set to begin on October 17 this year.
The facilities at the Oman Cricket Association’s headquarters in Al Amerat were visited on Friday by members of the International Cricket Council (ICC), as well as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), who remain the hosts of the World Cup, despite the matches taking place in Oman and the neighbouring United Arab Emirates.
The delegation was led by BCCI President and former India captain Sourav Ganguly, and the ICC’s acting CEO Geoff Allardice. Jay Shah, the Secretary of the BCCI and President of the Asian Cricket Council, and Rajeev Shukla, the BCCI’s Vice President, were also part of the group.
“This is the first time I have seen the venue, and it looks pretty good,” said Ganguly. “It’s different – it’s not like those humongous stadiums in India or other parts of the world. It’s got the touch of the English countryside to it.”
The ex-India batsman added that preparations needed to be made in case the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was to negatively impact the tournament.
“I don’t know – nobody knows about COVID,” he said in this context. Regarding whether this would affect the ability of supporters to attend matches, he said he “couldn’t say at the moment.”
Despite the uncertainties posed by the pandemic, however, Ganguly explained that good quality pitches would always ensure a successful tournament, irrespective of where it is held.
“Eden Gardens is different, but at the end of the day, grass is grass, and soil is soil,” he revealed, comparing the ground at the OCA to one of India’s most popular cricket stadiums. “It depends on how well the pitch is rolled and how much grass is there on the surface.”
Oman has been penciled-in to host one of the preliminary rounds of the Twenty20 World Cup, although talks are underway to bring more matches from this stage to the country. The rest of the tournament will be held in the UAE.
Upgrades to the facilities at the Oman Cricket Association’s grounds in Al Amerat are underway, with some of the most important modifications including brighter floodlights, and seating for the audience who wish to attend matches at the venue.
The ICC’s Geoff Allardice was also of a similar opinion, hoping the tournament would provide plenty of enjoyable cricket action and close-fought games.
“Exciting times for us are ahead, as one of our marquee tournaments are coming up in a few months,” he said. “This represents an opportunity to introduce a new venue to the sport, and I think it’s the same for Oman Cricket as well. The team’s been doing well for a number of years now, and the opportunity to play a major tournament in front of a home crowd is going to be great for developing cricket in the country.
“A minimum of six matches are to be held here, although the schedule is yet to be finalised,” added Allardice. “We have got discussions over the next few weeks with the governments of Oman and the UAE, regarding the COVID requirements and the rules around spectators and entry of teams. I think what everyone wants to see is good cricket and good conditions.”
“Our pitch consultant was here and he was very happy with the state of facilities, two months out from the tournament,” he went on to say. “I think an atmosphere with spectators absolutely helps, and I think that when you are at a World Cup, it means so much for the teams. The games are played with an intensity that really lifts the standard of the whole event.”
Oman has been included in Group B of the preliminary stage, alongside Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, and Scotland.
The other group features the Netherlands, Namibia, Sri Lanka, and Ireland.
The four teams that finish in the top two spots in both groups will make it through to the next stage of the competition, the Super 12s, which already includes cricket’s other major nations: India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies, South Africa, England, and Afghanistan.
