ICC announces Global Cricket Academy

Cricket academies sprouting up in various countries might now be the norm, but the ICC has announced that it will open a Global Cricket Academy in Dubai Sports City, the world's first integrated sports city.

The academy, which is expected to be completed in 2007, will include a cricket stadium with a capacity of 30,000, three other cricket grounds, indoor and outdoor training facilities, lecture theatres, classrooms, sports science and sports-medicine facilities. These facilities will be accessible to cricketers, coaches, umpires, curators and administrators.

Speaking about the academy, Ehsan Mani, the ICC president, said: "The Global Academy is a very exciting development not only for the ICC but also for cricket globally. Dubai is an ideal location with its ease of access for the cricket-playing world, and the climate offers the perfect setting for this facility. With the facilities that are being put in place, the ICC Global Cricket Academy will be an outstanding resource for the ICC and our 92 members to use to continue the growth of the game."

The cricket academy is only one sport of many which will be housed in the city, which will encompass a total area of about 50 million square feet. Other academies there include Manchester United Soccer Schools, an Ernie Els Signature Golf Course, a David Lloyd Tennis Academy and a Butch Harmon School of Golf. Facilities for other sports like rugby, ice hockey, field hockey, baseball, volleyball, boxing and wrestling are also expected to come up in the next few years.

Dubai Sports City is itself only a small part of the Dubailand project, which covers a whopping 2.5 billion square feet and is being developed with a view to sell Dubai as leisure, sporting, tourism and entertainment capital of the region.

One of the chief architects of the project is Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, the Dubai Sports City partner and the president of the UAE cricket board. "Dubai Sports City is delighted to have the ICC Global Academy as part of our offering. As a brand it fits so well with not only our other world-class partners but also with our own vision," he said. "Our goal is to combine the excitement of sports with the innovation of Dubai itself." Bukhatir was the brains behind the idea of playing international cricket in Sharjah. If the success of that experiment is any indication, expect Dubai Sports City to attract millions of sports lovers in a few years' time.