IPL 2020: UAE Extremely Proud Of Its Relationship With Indian Government And People, Says Emirates Cricket Board

Ahead of hosting this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL), the government in UAE and the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) have said they consider BCCI’s decision ‘a very big and an exceptionally important move’. The thirteenth edition of the tournament is scheduled to be played in the UAE as the BCCI awaits the clearance from the Indian government.

Earlier, the ECB as well as Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had expressed their desire of hosting the IPL as the coronavirus situation in India kept deteriorating. The BCCI eventually picked UAE as the venue for the IPL 2020. The much-anticipated season will start from September 19 and end on November 10, the IPL Governing Council announced on Sunday.

‘Proud of our relationship with India’:

As UAE gears up to play the role of hosts for IPL 2020, Khalid Al Zarooni, the vice-chairman of the ECB, has opened up on the relationship between India and UAE. Al Zarooni said that the relationship between the two countries is great and UAE are proud of that.

“The IPL aside, our relationship with the Indian government, the Indian public and Indian trade is also an important aspect of our history, one that we are extremely proud of. Such support between our countries can only benefit our relationships in the future,” he told The Times of India.

At a time when most countries in the world have barred people from entering their territories, UAE is expecting an influx of visitors in excess of 1400 for IPL 2020. Speaking about that, Al Zarooni said:

“All UAE Airports are very highly effective facilities that excel in passenger processing and experience. We are one of the world’s leading benchmarks for travel and safety to the highest standard; we have all confidence that any traffic flows through the UAE airports will be managed at the highest level.”

This is not the first time that UAE is hosting the IPL. In 2014, they had hosted the initial phase of competition because of general elections in India.

Also Read: IPL 2020: Chennai Super Kings Players To Undergo COVID-19 Test Before Assembling In Chennai

WATCH: Lancashire Awarded Five Penalty Runs After A ‘Dangerous’ Throw From Dieter Klein Hits The Batsman