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UAE Cricketers Face Schedule Clash with World Cup Qualifiers
30 Sep
Summary
- UAE players might miss ILT20 if the national team reaches World Cup Qualifier playoffs.
- The ILT20 is scheduled from November 21 to December 20, 2026.
- Emirates Cricket Board's request to move qualifiers was denied due to a packed calendar.
Uncertainty looms over the availability of United Arab Emirates players for the fifth season of the DP World ILT20, scheduled from November 21 to December 20, 2026. This concern arises as the national team could qualify for the ODI World Cup Qualifier playoffs, potentially causing a portion of the ILT20 season to be missed by some leading UAE cricketers.
The ILT20 auction, set for October 1, 2026, in Dubai, requires franchises to account for this player availability issue. League interim COO Mike Fordham confirmed that players not selected for the national side would remain fully available for their respective ILT20 franchises.
The UAE national team has eight remaining matches in the ICC World Cricket League 2, crucial for their qualification chances. Despite the Emirates Cricket Board's request to shift the Qualifier playoffs to January, the ICC cited a tightly packed global cricket calendar, making a schedule overlap unavoidable.
Squad composition rules for the ILT20 mandate a minimum of four UAE players per franchise. Notably, many prominent UAE players, including Muhammad Waseem, are not part of the current World Cricket League 2 squad. However, franchises have a Right-to-Match option for previously contracted UAE players.
