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| Sharjah Cup | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sharjah Cup |
| Country | United Arab Emirates |
| Administrator | Sharjah Cricket Association |
| Cricket format | One Day International |
| First | 1984 |
| Last | 2003 |
| Participants | varied |
| Most successful | India national cricket team / Pakistan national cricket team |
Sharjah Cup The Sharjah Cup was a series of One Day International cricket tournaments held in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates primarily during the 1980s and 1990s, attracting national teams such as India national cricket team, Pakistan national cricket team, Australia national cricket team, England national cricket team, West Indies cricket team, and Sri Lanka national cricket team. The events were organized by the Sharjah Cricket Association with frequent involvement from the Cricket Control Board of India delegates, the Pakistan Cricket Board, and international bodies including the International Cricket Council for match sanctioning. The Sharjah events became famous for featuring marquee players like Sachin Tendulkar, Wasim Akram, Imran Khan, Brian Lara, and Allan Border.
The Sharjah tournaments took place at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium and were known for short-format international competitions that often included bilateral and triangular series involving teams such as New Zealand national cricket team, South Africa national cricket team, Zimbabwe national cricket team, Bangladesh national cricket team, Kenya national cricket team, Afghanistan national cricket team, Ireland cricket team, Scotland national cricket team, and touring sides from England cricket team development squads. Prominent administrators including members of the Gulf Cooperative Council sporting networks and influential patrons like Abdul Rahman Bukhatir supported the events alongside corporate sponsors such as PepsiCo, Emirates (airline), and regional media partners like BBC Sport and ESPNcricinfo covering tournaments.
Sharjah’s rise as a cricket venue followed exhibition matches in the late 1970s and the formalization of regular tournaments in the 1980s, influenced by the international careers of players from India national cricket team and Pakistan national cricket team and the commercial imperatives seen in events like the Cricket World Cup and Asia Cup. Early tournaments featured stars from West Indies cricket team including Viv Richards and Gordon Greenidge and were broadcast by networks such as Doordarshan and Sky Sports. Controversies over player participation, match-fixing allegations investigated by panels including officials from the International Cricket Council and national boards, and legal matters involving agencies like Interpol and regional law institutions shaped later decades. The Sharjah tournaments paralleled other neutral-venue fixtures seen in the history of Zimbabwe cricket tours, South Africa cricket readmission era fixtures, and Pakistan national cricket team neutral-ground hosting.
Sharjah events commonly used triangular and quadrangular formats, with round-robin stages followed by finals, mirroring formats from the Champions Trophy and Asia Cup. Player selection was coordinated by national selectors from boards such as the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the Pakistan Cricket Board with match officials appointed from panels maintained by the International Cricket Council. Scorekeeping and statistical records were archived by institutions like Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, ESPNcricinfo, and national archives including the Board of Control for Cricket in India record offices. Tournaments often featured reserve days, super overs similar to later Indian Premier League rules, and special awards named after figures like Imran Khan and Sunil Gavaskar.
The primary venue was the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, noted for its capacity, floodlights, and pavilion used by visiting squads from India national cricket team, Pakistan national cricket team, and Sri Lanka national cricket team. Other UAE grounds that occasionally hosted warm-up or exhibition matches included facilities in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with practice facilities near institutions such as the United Arab Emirates University and training camps sometimes supported by coaches from organizations like the National Cricket Academy and franchises inspired by Big Bash League and Indian Premier League methodologies.
Sharjah matches produced memorable performances from batsmen like Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara and fast bowlers such as Wasim Akram and Curtly Ambrose. Record innings, highest-team totals, and bowling figures were chronicled alongside milestones in One Day International history, including last-over finishes reminiscent of games in the World Series Cricket era and climactic performances similar to finals in the Cricket World Cup. Statistical leaders appear in compilations by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, commentators from ESPNcricinfo, and journalists from outlets like The Times of India, Dawn (newspaper), and The Guardian.
National teams fielded full-strength and experimental squads including players from the India national under-19 cricket team, Pakistan Under-19s, and other development sides. Squads included marquee names from Australia national cricket team captains like Allan Border and Steve Waugh era players, leaders from England national cricket team such as Mike Atherton, and stars from West Indies cricket team captains like Clive Lloyd. Selection controversies involved selectors from institutions such as the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the Pakistan Cricket Board, while team logistics engaged agencies like Sports Marketing International and regional travel partners including Emirates (airline).
Sharjah tournaments influenced neutral-venue cricket policies of boards including the International Cricket Council, and shaped commercial models later adopted by tournaments like the Indian Premier League and Champions League Twenty20. The events affected player careers—boosting profiles of international stars in markets across the Middle East and South Asia—and left archival material in collections at Wisden Cricketers' Almanack and ESPNcricinfo. Debates over governance involving entities such as the International Cricket Council and national boards like the Board of Control for Cricket in India contributed to reforms in anti-corruption measures and tournament administration observed in subsequent decades.
Category:One Day International cricket competitions