17 June 2022 11:56 pm Views - 229
The 2022 edition of the Abu Dhabi T10 will take place at the Zayed Cricket Stadium from 23 November to 4 December.
This year's will be the fourth since cricket's fastest format moved to Abu Dhabi, the result of a five-year agreement between Ten Sports Management (TSM), Abu Dhabi Cricket (ADC), Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT – Abu Dhabi).
The league's total economic impact value in 2021 soared to $621.2 million, while last season's competition reached 342 million television and over-the-top (OTT) digital viewers, in turn increasing Abu Dhabi T10's sponsorship value by 81 percent to $279.3 million - all new records for the franchise tournament.
There was an astounding 1.4 billion impressions across social media and more than 115 million video views for the Abu Dhabi T10's digital content, which resulted in the 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 walking away with an award for ‘Best use of digital and social media in sports’ at the highly coveted Middle East Sports Industry Awards (SPIAs).
"Through our partnership with the Abu Dhabi T10, we have further positioned Abu Dhabi as a major sporting global hub and consistently demonstrated the city's ability to both build, and host, one of cricket's most entertaining competitions," said HE Aref Al Awani, General Secretary, Abu Dhabi Sports Council. "This is evidence of the success of a significant strategic objective of the Abu Dhabi government; to create and deliver sporting events that contribute to enhancing the emirate’s leadership in global sports."
Shaji Ul Mulk, Chairman T Ten Sports Management, added: "When we first brought the league to Abu Dhabi, we had the aim of establishing it as one of the standout events on the international cricket calendar and, with the support of ADC, ADSC, DCT – Abu Dhabi and Emirates Cricket Board, we've done just that.
"The Abu Dhabi T10 is now well established as a credible form of the global game, and we see incredible growth with each edition, with global broadcast figures increasing to 342 million viewers thanks to the hard work of everyone involved - from the players to our franchise owners, broadcasters and sponsors. We will continue building on this success and we're excited to take those next steps as cricket's fastest format continues to evolve at a rapid rate."
"The past three editions of the Abu Dhabi T10 have proven that 10-over cricket has both a thriving market and engaged international audience," said Abu Dhabi Cricket CEO Matt Boucher. "With the sponsorship value at $279.3 million last year and the league's economic impact value now standing at $621.2 million, the Abu Dhabi T10 continues to bring remarkable value to all involved - both in Abu Dhabi and overseas."
Season 6 of the competition will see reigning champions Deccan Gladiators defend their trophy against star-studded sides Delhi Bulls, Chennai Braves, Bangla Tigers, Northern Warriors, and Team Abu Dhabi.
Captain Wahab Riaz and icon player Andre Russell were among the Deccan Gladiators squad that lifted the trophy in 2021 with Liam Livingstone, Eoin Morgan, Faf du Plessis and Moeen Ali highlighting a group of world class players, with the tournament enjoying a depth of talent to rival the best franchise leagues across the globe.
Another stellar cast of cricketers will be selected to descend on Abu Dhabi when the 2022 Official Draft gets underway later in the year, with UAE men's national team stars again provided the opportunity to test their skills against the world's best.
The tournament's format will remain the same, with each team playing 10 league fixtures before the top four sides advance to the playoffs and final.