It’s 9am on a chilly morning in Dubai, but the groundstaff are already on the field at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, with rollers out. That might seem like a late morning to them because when the ILT20 starts – and later the Champions Trophy 2025 – they’ll be working from 6am on match days. That’s what it takes to put on a good show for a cricket match.
Overseeing it all will be Matt Sandery, the Adelaide-born head curator for Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. “On a matchday, we work long hours. That’s the nature of it. It’s what tournaments entail. All the staff want to make sure we’re a world-class T20 event. This is what it takes mate!,” Sandery tells TimesofIndia.com from Dubai, where preparations are on in full swing for the third edition of the ILT20.
