The day is not far when a Qatari cricket player will turn out for the national team, said Dr Mohan Thomas, president of Indian Sports Centre (ISC), an apex body operating under the patronage of embassy of India in Qatar.
Speaking during the pre-event press conference of ISC’s Cricket Super Cup, he said the 2030 Asian Games which Qatar will host might well see a Qatari leading the national cricket team.
“The 2030 Asian Games, the T20 format of cricket we might well see a Qatari leading the side,” said the Indian doctor, who is an ENT specialist based in Qatar for the last few decades. He is happy the way the youth development activities are moving at Qatar Cricket Association (QCA).
“Qatar Olympic Committee has recently appointed young and energetic board members at QCA and we are confident that cricket will make all round progress and we are sure in a few years time we will have a number of Qatari players playing for the cricket national team,” added Dr Thomas.
Speaking on the occasion, Kushal Kumar of Warriors Sports Center under whose technical leadership the ISC Cricket Super Cup is being organised said the Super Cup celebrates Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav and will feature 16 teams and will begin today and continue until March 18.
“The event will be played on league-cum-knockout basis, with teams divided into four groups and two teams from each group making it to the quarterfinals. The quarterfinals, semifinals and final will be knockout affairs,” Kushal said about the tournament.
“Various nationalities beyond the subcontinent will be playing in the Super-8 over format spanning over 11 days. Besides Indians, players from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, South African and Britain will also be seen in action in the tournament,” added Kushal.