OSN extends partnership with Emirates Cricket Board as Official Sponsor of UAE National Cricket Teams

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OSN extends partnership with Emirates Cricket Board as Official Sponsor of UAE National Cricket Teams

Underlining its commitment to promoting cricket in the Middle East and defining its credentials as the home of cricket, OSN, the regions leading pay-TV network, has further extended its partnership with Emirates Cricket Board as the Official Sponsor of the UAE National Cricket Teams for 2015.

Signing up in March 2014 as the first corporate sponsor of the UAE National Cricket Teams, OSNs renewed support extends to the UAE Mens National Cricket Team, UAE Womens National Cricket Team, UAE Under 19 Mens Cricket Team and UAE Under 16 Mens Cricket Team.

OSN will mark the extended partnership with live coverage of the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 being held in New Zealand and Australia in which the UAE Mens National Cricket Team, placed in Pool B, will face Zimbabwe (on Feb. 19), Ireland (Feb. 25), India (Feb. 28), Pakistan (March 4) and South Africa (March 12). This is the second year the UAE team will compete in the ICC Cricket World Cup having appeared previously in 1996.

David Butorac, CEO of OSN, said: The extended partnership to the UAE National Cricket Teams underlines our commitment to nurturing and promoting national cricketing talent. As the definitive home of cricket, OSN is not only focused on bringing high quality telecast of all leading international matches but also in creating a tangible platform to celebrate the next generation of talent in the UAE and the region. The UAE National Cricket Teams are marking their steady advancement in the international circuit and OSN will bring all the action live and in true high definition to the home audience.

David East, CEO of Emirates Cricket Board, added: We are proud of our teams with the members giving their heart and soul to the game. Now, we are all looking forward to their performance at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. They have made strong progress following the qualifiers and they are aware of the tough task ahead. The support of OSN comes as a strong motivation for the team as they know their performance reaches their fans and friends in the UAE through a seamless live telecast. The support from the region is their inspiration to deliver their best.

Aqib Javed, the coach of the UAE National Mens Team, said: The team has been working extremely hard and I am encouraged by the progress made in overall fitness, skill and confidence. The players are excited about the prospects of facing the worlds leading teams at the ICC Cricket World Cup, and have the ability, potential, and most importantly, the mindset to take on tough opponents. The support from OSN to our team therefore comes as a morale booster.

The UAE Mens National Team will leave for New Zealand on January 29 and OSN will bring all the action, right from their practice matches through to the ICC Cricket World Cup games. The OSN logo will appear on all playing and training gear of the UAE Mens National Cricket Team.

In November, the team had undertaken a rigorous three-week training schedule in Dubai, which culminated in a four one-day series against Afghanistan that was telecast by OSN. The UAE team won the series 3 to 1. The camp had focused on building the teams fitness, strength and conditioning as well as batting, fielding and bowling. They were also briefed extensively with opposition analysis data to further streamline their tactics. The UAE team also took part in the High Performance Programme (HPP) organised by ICC in Perth, to hone their skills.

As the undisputed home of cricket, OSN Sports Cricket HD offers cricket fans across the region thousands of hours of live international cricket in true high definition. OSN recently bagged exclusive regional rights to broadcast the entire roster of 18 International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments and qualifiers for the next eight years. OSN also holds rights for the Indian Premier League, Champions League T20, Big Bash league and the Indian, England, Australian, New Zealand and Bangladesh Cricket Boards. All the action will be presented in glorious high-definition (HD) on OSNs dedicated cricket channel OSN Sports Cricket HD.