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29 March 2024

UAE launches Forty's Cricket Club

Inaugural members of the Forty's Cricket Club (UAE) launched in Dubai on Thursday. (SUPPLIED)

Published
By Allaam Ousman

Life begins at 40 for a group of prominent businessmen in the UAE with a passion for cricket.

The Forty's Cricket Club (UAE) is set to become an exclusive social networking forum with a defined programme of corporate affairs, entertainment and sports. 

Launched at a gala ceremony at the Grand Hyatt on Thursday in the presence of UAE's top businessmen, members of the royal families of Ajman and Sharjah, and ambassadors of India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the club started off as a simple Cricket Club with a small group of high profile business community friends wanting to form a club and promote the game of cricket. 

However the vision and objective of the club evolved to bigger goals and the Club has now evolved into a powerhouse of a large group of powerful business community and supported by members of the Royal Family, gignitaries and high ranking Officials.

“A few of us, who are above 40, used to play active cricket and the group include some businessmen as well. So we thought of extending the reach of the club by deciding to go beyond cricket,” Shaji Ul Mulk, founder and chairman of Mulk Holdings who is the vice-chairman of the club.

The club’s vision is to be a VVIP Forum to promote the business community by improving its networking amongst each other and act as a bridge with Royal Family members and high ranking Officials.

It all began during a match between Indian Invitation XI and Indian Consulate General's XI to celebrate India's Republic Day this year. Businessman IP Khaitan steered the last ball of the match to scramble for a single and give Invitation XI an exciting one-wicket win.

This match was followed by a match against the UK veteran's cricket team made up of former English county team players. Through brilliant performances from Shaji Ul Mulk, CTK Nasir and skipper Freddy Sidhwa, the UAE veteran's team, as it was then called, won the match.

IP Khaitan is the chairman of the Club, while Emirates Cricket Board chief administrator Mazhar Khan is the CEO. Dubai Cricket Club adminstrator and former player Mohammed Lokhandwala is the club’s treasurer.

"We have many ambitious plans. The members will get to play in the best stadiums around the world. We will also be hosting the World Veterans tournament involving 16 countries in 2013. The club will also try and support the development of the game in UAE. Plans are also on to stage an Indian Premier League-type of tournament involving all GCC countries," said Khan.

"Life begins at 40. It does for the so-called senior cricketers who are part of this exclusive 40s club. It will be a perfect vehicle for broadening social networking. It's a brilliant idea," added Khan.

Al Mulk said the club has plans to build a state of the art club house building for the members.
 
The club also plans to conduct regular tournaments with veteran teams around the world.

“The members also are interested to conduct group tours for watching the World Cup and Indian Premier League matches,” he said.
 
"We have already booked the Dubai International Cricket Stadium to play 10 matches," said Khaitan.

"It has been a tough grind. It was really hard work. We started something like in February when the idea was formulated and it grew bigger and bigger," said Lokhandwala giving Shaji Al Mulk credit for roping the business community.

"We'll be participating in veterans cricket tournaments in New Zealand, England and Australia. Within a couple of weeks we should start playing matches," he added when asked about their plans.

Paras Shahdpuri, Rizwan Sajan, Faizal Edavalath Kottikollon, Ashok Puri, Mohammed Khubaib M.Y, Dr. Sudhir Kartha, Tauseef Khan, Arshi Islam, Shiva G. Pagarani, Brij Raj Bhalla,  Indu Mouli  and Gurinderjit Singh are the other members of this club.