Summer no problem for street cricketers

Despite the blistering temperatures, hundreds of street cricket games take place every Friday afternoon around the UAE.

Transcript

00:00This is where most of the cricket in the UAE is being played.

00:12Not in front of thousands of cheering fans, but in car parks and on patches of sand dotted

00:17around the city.

00:18And instead of 50 over matches, these cricketers are braving 50 degree heat every Friday afternoon.

00:26With just a bat, tennis ball and some makeshift stumps, hundreds of games like this are going

00:31on every week.

00:32But despite the lack of a proper pair of pads, they mean business.

00:55And while these games are popular, there are others who are trying to go that little

01:03bit further.

01:04Loyal cricket fans in Dubai say that up until the late 80s, there were over 15 grounds around

01:10the city for community level cricket.

01:13But with rapid development over the years, they have been devoured by construction.

01:18It's not easy for these cricketers who try to organize regular tournaments.

01:23And many are asking why some sports are getting more priority than cricket.

01:28In Dubai, there is so many golf club and for a few communities, but the subcontinental

01:34India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, rest of the African country, we have so many people playing cricket,

01:40but there is no ground.

01:41People are playing in the parking, people are playing in the mud.

01:45I don't know who can reply me, who can give me answer about this.

01:50This businessman even went as far as turning part of his factory premises into a cricket

01:55ground.

01:56Cricket is my passion and I just play every Friday.

02:00So I need a cricket on Fridays, that's it.

02:04So I need a ground.

02:05To play cricket, you must have a ground.

02:10Despite the searing heat and no proper ground to play on, these players are keeping the

02:14spirit of the game alive.

02:16Many of the world's best players started out playing this kind of cricket.

02:20And perhaps the UAE might find its next big star on these streets.

02:25Sunita Menon, Gulf News.