IPL takes UAE by storm as fans lap up the action

SHARJAH: There is corruption in cricket. And there is following too. There are those bringing a bad name to it. And there are those who can't get enough of it.
Over the years, facts and insinuations put together, the United Arab Emirates has been a destination for both these kinds. The corrupt have only moved around in the shadows, unnoticed while the followers have been all round here madly in love with the game.
Indian cricket had gone away from here, Sharjah especially, for 14 long years because of the insinuations. It returned here this IPL season to the joy of the followers. It's been one rollercoaster for hundreds and thousands who've flocked to all three venues to watch the Indian stars in action.
It was the BCCI's intention to price the tickets reasonably - from a minimum of 30 Dirhams (Rs 480) going up to 150 Dirhams (Rs 2400) - so that all expats here could enjoy the cricket. However, even if the board would've priced it double, the crowds, waiting on the highways as many as ones filling up the stadiums, would've lapped it up because such has been the unexpected demand.
The IPL is here only till April 30 and will return to India, to the agony of many who haven't managed to get inside the grounds yet. The only word coming out from scores of followers is the demand for more cricket here.
"Let me tell you one thing. There's cricket that sells here. And there's Indian cricket that's in demand here. Between the two there's no comparison. The people here will flock to the venues like this every time when Indian cricketers are playing. No other national team comes close to this kind of popularity," says Shahnawaz Hakim, manager at the Sheikh Zayed cricket stadium in Abu Dhabi. Pakistan played South Africa here in October 2013 and Australia is scheduled to visit here for a neutral series at the end of this year. There's a general discussion surrounding all of this in the cricket circles here. And then of course, there's conversation on the possibility of India and Pakistan playing here in the UAE in 2015.
That is what the locals here want -- to watch India and Pakistan in action, two countries that while playing here more than a decade ago made the cross-border rivalry a fulltime passion for all stakeholders. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which agreed to the 'Big Three' agenda, is hopeful the BCCI will make way for the wishes of many (and the PCB's itself), to play here again. PCB's broadcasters have invested millions in Pak cricket but haven't been able to milk the deal because of India not playing Pakistan. There's pressure on them too that it should all work out.