UAE venues to operate at 70% capacity for Twenty20 World Cup

The organisers of the Twenty20 World Cup have advised that host venues in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will operate at 70% capacity during the tournament.

The UAE is co-hosting the 16-team tournament alongside Oman from 17th October to 14th November following the International Cricket Council (ICC) having decided to relocate the tournament from India due to challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tickets went on sale yesterday for all 45 matches which are to be played at four host venues: the Dubai International Stadium, the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the Sharjah Stadium and the Oman Cricket Academy Ground - where a 3,000-seat temporary infrastructure has been built.

However, in the latest issue to impact the tournament, uncertainty surrounds conditions in Oman, where preliminary rounds are due to be played, following Tropical Cyclone Shaheen.

Just two weeks before preliminary round matches of the tournament commence, the cyclone struck coastal areas of Oman, including the capital of Muscat on Sunday.

The cyclone left streets in the Omani capital under water, prompted evacuations from coastal areas while flights were delayed flights in and out of the country.

Despite the event having been relocated to the UAE and Oman, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is still serving as the host of the tournament. The BCCI and ICC have worked closely with host authorities to ensure fans can be welcomed safely, and COVID-19 protocols will apply at all venues.

Looking forward to the event, the ICC advised “the T20 World Cup is the largest sporting event to be held in the region and it will be the biggest global cricket event since the pandemic with fans in stadia.

“In the UAE, all venues will be operating at approximately 70pc of maximum seated capacity, whilst Abu Dhabi has also introduced new socially distanced 'pods' of a maximum of four spectators on their east and west grass mounds.”

The UAE is currently hosting the Indian Premier League (IPL) with fans at a reduced capacity.

Image: The Al Amerat Stadium/Oman Cricket Academy Ground in Muscat.