There was talent and a pathway, but a decade down the road the UAE have not made any other appearances in a global event.
An ardent cricket fan told me he was 118,000th in the queue, and within minutes, he received the disappointing news that his hopes of securing a ticket had vanished with all tickets sold out.
South Africa bounced back from two heavy defeats to beat Afghanistan by seven wickets in the third and final One-Day International in Sharjah on Sunday.
Arvinder Singh cannot forget the dreadful night January last year when police in Sharjah swooped on him and 49 other Indian youths while they were sleeping and tortured them in custody without saying what wrong they had committed. Singh, 21, was lucky as he was among the 33 men who were later released, but 17 others, including his cousin Sukhjinder Singh, have been sentenced to death for the murder of a Pakistani.
Walee Bukhatir and Mazhar Khan, the men who drive cricket in the UAE, tell Harish Kotian/Rediff.com what the game is missing by India and Pakistan not playing at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
'I've not been doing much work because I was not getting the kind of roles I want to do.'
'I could not believe that such a great player could be so friendly. He was like a father figure to all of us.'
Vaibhav Suryavanshi lived up to the hype around his rare talent as India outclassed United Arab Emirates (UAE) by 10 wickets
Afghanistan's Rahmanullah Gurbaz surpasses Babar Azam, goes level with stalwart Virat Kohli for special feat in ODI
Reader Vijay Dsilva sent us this picture from Sharjah.
A flawless maiden hundred from opener Ryan Rickelton helped South Africa crush Afghanistan by 107 runs.
Recalling his glorious exploits in arid Sharjah, especially his famous 'Desert Storm' knock of 143 against Australia to help India romp into the final of a tri-nation ODI event in the late 1990s, cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar on Thursday described how physically tough it was.
India head coach Amol Muzumdar was frustrated by the his team fielding efforts which he believes could have altered the game's outcome against Australia.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes K L Rahul's impressive ODI form has cemented his position as the team's first-choice wicketkeeper.
Phirni can taste astoundingly good with nutritious black rice.
India's chances of qualifying for the semi-finals depends on the outcome of the last group match between New Zealand and Pakistan on Monday.
India's Champions Trophy squad has raised eyebrows with a number of bold selections, including a spin-heavy attack and the exclusion of experienced pacer Mohammed Siraj.
Talking to mediapersons in Hyderabad on Wednesday, A K Nizar, head of commercial department, Air Arabia, said that the airline launched in Hyderabad in October 2008, has been well received by passengers from city and adjoining regions. The airline enjoyed an average of 85 per cent seat factor for Hyderabad-Sharjah route for the month of January 2009.
Captain Nigar Sultana top-scored for Bangladesh with a 44-ball 39 but she did not get enough support from her batting colleagues.
The use of freshly-made mango pickle makes all the difference to this recipe for a yum paneer starter.
Afghanistan earned a first-ever One Day International victory over a depleted South Africa when they romped to a comfortable six-wicket triumph in the first game of the three-match series in Sharjah on Wednesday.
Schutt (3/12) also equalled South Africa's Shabnim Ismail's record scalp of 43 wickets across all editions of T20 World Cup.
Australia's batters provided their experienced bowling unit with sufficient runs to defend on a slow wicket and register a comprehensive 60-run win over New Zealand in the Women's T20 World Cup in Sharjah on Tuesday.
The gynaecologist has been accused of kidnapping a baby from hospital.
Former Indian cricketer Anshuman Gaekwad passed away on Wednesday at the age of 71
The airline will launch services from Sharjah aboard state-of-the-art Boeing 737-800 aircraft. As a result, from September 1, 2009 to October 24, 2009 and from March 28, 2010 to October 30, 2010, flight 9W 562 will depart from Kochi at 1045 hrs, arriving in Sharjah at 1305 hrs. Flight 9W 561 will then depart Sharjah at 1415 hrs, arriving in Kochi at 1945 hrs. But the departure and arrival timings of the flights are however, subject to the governments approval.
Pakistan bowlers fired in unison to guide their team to a memorable 31-run win over Sri Lanka in their low-scoring opening match of the Women's T20 World Cup in Sharjah on Thursday.
Bangladesh displayed superb team effort to beat Scotland by 16 runs in the opening match of the Women's T20 World Cup in Sharjah on Thursday.
The ICC on Tuesday said the Women's T20 World Cup will be moved to the United Arab Emirates due to the prevailing unrest in Bangladesh
Bangladesh will take on Scotland in the tournament opener in an afternoon fixture followed by a clash between Asian teams Pakistan and Sri Lanka later in the day at Sharjah.
The world champions declined an invitation to play in a one-day tournament in Sharjah starting in late March.
This traditional pulao is a key part of any Bengali comfort meal.
Four Indian men have been sentenced to death in Sharjah after being convicted of murder in two separate cases, including one which involved contract killers hired by a businessman to kill his rival.
In reply, Bangladesh were guilty of not putting in partnerships after spilling a few catches in the first half.
Indian Airlines and the Sharjah government on Monday launched special holiday packages to promote the United Arab Emirates as a prominent tourist destination for Indian tourists.
The five Indians were identified as Jasun Singh, Jasun Singh, Rajendar Singh, Youquob Khan and Krishna. Two Indians have the same name.
The Pakistan Cricket Board is willing to make 'adjustments' in the schedule of the 2025 Champions Trophy, with matches involving India taking place in the UAE.
He believes the time has come to hand over the leadership to the future of Sri Lankan cricket.
