CBFS powered by Fancode T20 tournament set to boost UAE's domestic cricket

Dubai - UAE’s top eight teams to contest in a T20 tournament to commence from January 8 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium

The CBFS (Cricket Benefit Fund Series), established in 1981 by Abdulrahman Bukhatir, which had played a huge role in boosting the popularity of One Day Internationals around the world and is UAE’s first biggest cricketing event, is back to boost the game again.

Sharjah Cricket has played a pivotal role in encouraging domestic cricket over the years, and is now set to provide a new platform for talented domestic cricketers by staging the ‘CBFS tournament powered by Fancode’ from January 8.

The historic Sharjah Cricket Stadium, which has hosted the maximum number of One Day International in world cricket, will be the venue for the event.

Sharjah Cricket has collaborated with Twenty First Century (TCM) Sports Management Private Limited to promote domestic tournaments and bring to light talented cricketers. TCM Sports Management Private Limited, a premier sports marketing & management company, will be the commercial partner for the conduct of Sharjah Cricket’s domestic tournaments.

The ‘CBFS tournament powered by Fancode’ will be a T20 tournament with UAE’s top eight teams battling for the title. The teams are Brothers Gas, Bukhatir XI, Karwan Strikers, Karwan Blues, Savannah Lions, The Vision Shipping Limited, MGM Cricket Club, and Inter Globe Marine. (See detailed fixture below).

This tournament is endorsed by the Sharjah Sports Council and approved by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB). Like the CBFS, which is the brainchild of Abdulrahman Bukhatir, this event is also being held under his auspices. Bukhatir, hailed as the father of cricket in the UAE, wanted to revitalize CBFS, and has initiated this tournament to harness young talent and provide a world-class, professional environment to hone their skills.

Commenting on the tie-up with Sharjah Cricket, Basant Dhawan, CEO TCM Sports Management Private Limited, said: “We are excited to join hands with Sharjah Cricket as its commercial partner for the upcoming domestic season. This partnership is a new milestone for cricket in Sharjah. As it is very well known in the cricketing world, the Sharjah cricket ground holds the record for hosting the highest number of One-day international matches in the world. The upcoming tournaments being played at this historic venue shall create opportunities for domestic cricketers to showcase their talent and reinforce UAE’s growth as one of the key cricketing nations across the globe.”

Khalaf Bukhatir, CEO of Sharjah Cricket, who has been exploring innovative ways to spread the game and wanting to carry on his father’s mission said: “With the UAE set to host three franchise leagues in three different formats in a year, this initiative will provide a platform for the players to showcase their talent to the talent scouts of the franchise teams and will help in improving the participation levels of domestic cricketers. The aim of this ambitious cricket league is to give local players international-level expertise and experience, which will be a vital step towards the development of cricket in the UAE. TCM, as commercial partner of the Sharjah Cricket Council, will enhance the quality of cricket played domestically and will reach out to more audience engaged through various live streaming platforms.”

(TCM) Sports Management Private Limited was founded in 1993 with a vision to create value for the right owners, consumer brands and fans by delivering quality content through its sports marketing efforts. They have transformed into a sports industry as India’s premier marketing company - by creating highly customized sports strategy from ideation to execution.

"We have worked closely with world renowned sports federations and brands for over two decades, helping them create a global image and brand loyalty. Our work has taken us to countries & events around the world. We have successfully managed the sponsorships of 1500+ cricket matches including the World Cup, Asia Cup & IPL. Besides cricket, we also engage in sports marketing for hockey, kabaddi, football etc. We also manage Indian & international sporting talents," revealed Basant Dhawan.