ICC prepare for Dubai move

A ceremony to prepare the ground for the International Cricket Council's new state-of-the-art headquarters took place in Dubai today, in the presence of several members of the executive board, including Ehsan Mani, the chairman, Malcolm Speed, the chief executive, and Teddy Griffith and Bob Merriman of West Indies and Australia.

"This is a very exciting day for all concerned with the ICC," said Mani. "After all the debates that have gone on over the last few months, today's ceremony represents a fantastic new chapter in the history of the ICC and the game of cricket."

Speed added: "There were several reasons for our decision to move to Dubai. The financial benefits have been well covered but the ICC will also be a more effective and efficient organisation by bringing its entire staff under one roof. We will be better able to serve our members once we have made this move.

"What some people don't realise is the fantastic infrastructure that Dubai offers," said Speed. "This, along with the brand new facilities that Dubai Sports City proposed and the geographical advantages that Dubai offers in relation to the cricketing world, makes it the ideal location

Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, a partner at Dubai Sports City, said: "We are pleased that the governing body of one of the world's major sports has chosen Dubai Sports City as the place to have its headquarters. The ICC had already chosen to locate its first-ever Global Cricket Academy at Dubai Sports City and today is further confirmation of their endorsement of Dubai, which is an important development not only for the region, but also for Dubai Sports City."

"It has always been our goal to build the first integrated sports city with the best possible facilities and in the process create the most prestigious sporting destination in the world."