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The Emirates and Lancashire Cricket have been looking for the next cricketing star by scouting out new young talent in the UAE, giving the next generation the opportunity to train and play professionally in the UK.
Through the Future Flyers programme, Emirates and Lancashire County Cricket recently held a coaching meeting at the Sevens during the club’s 2023 pre-season. The purpose of the meeting is to help unlock the full potential of young people who may not otherwise have the opportunity to play at a professional level, and to provide Lancashire cricket’s first-team coaches with the opportunity to observe them.
The initiative marks Emirates’ latest effort to support the growth of grassroots cricket in the UAE among Emirati and expatriate youth. Future Flyers was born from finding talent in the most surprising places. As part of their partnership with Emirates, Lancashire County Cricket visited Expo 2020 Dubai and held masterclass sessions with Lancashire and England players at the Sports Centre. A group of students were invited to the meeting, one of whom was 16-year-old Mahika Gaur.
Lancashire Cricket representatives were amazed by Mahika’s cricketing talent and since then she has received world class coaching, training and competition during her education at Sedbergh School in the UK. Since the 2021 edition, Mahika has featured in the UAE Women’s Under-19 World Cup and was named to the Manchester Originals in The Hundred.
The Future Flyers Conference welcomed 24 young cricketers aged 15-17 from several schools in Dubai. Pupils are selected by the school coaching staff based on their cricket skills and love of the game. Young cricketers take part in mentoring sessions with Lancashire Cricket’s first-team coaches, who keenly observe high potential players while giving them an unforgettable on-field experience. The young cricketers then watched a T20 doubles match between Lancashire boys and girls.
Following the coaching session, Lancashire cricket representatives selected top performing young player Shelina Laxmidas, who was awarded a trip to Manchester by Emirates Airline, as well as at Emirates Old Trafford, the iconic home of Lancashire cricket training and accommodation opportunities, and was observed and mentored by the Lancashire cricket first-team coach to further hone her skills.
During the coaching session, young players will also have the opportunity to learn from Lancashire cricketer Liam Livingstone, who was part of the England squad that won the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Livingstone helps them improve their techniques and improve their skills. The ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup trophy was also on display, giving young cricket lovers the chance to take photos with the iconic trophy.
Emirates has supported the Lancashire cricket team since 2013, owns the naming rights to the club’s home ground at Old Trafford and is the shirt sponsor of the Lancashire Chargers.
Emirates has been at the center of cricket for over 20 years and is the Official Airline and Global Partner of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The airline also sponsors the ICC Cricket World Cup, which will be held in India in 2023.
The airline sponsors match officials selected from the Emirates ICC Elite Group of ICC Referees, the Emirates ICC International Group of Referees and the Emirates ICC Elite Group of Match Referees, with Emirates appearing on their official kit. In addition to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Emirates also supports the Women’s T20 World Cup and the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. – trade arab news agency
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