Man Utd co-chairman acquires UAE T20 cricket franchise

Manchester United’s co-chairman has acquired a franchise in the new T20 cricket league in the United Arab Emirates, the league’s owners confirmed on Wednesday.

US businessman Avram Glazer purchased the franchise in his role as chairman of Lancer Capital.

"I am very excited to be a part of UAE T20 at its formation. UAE T20 promises to be a world-class event that will be transformative to the growth of cricket in the Emirates,” Glazer said.

UAE T20 League chairman Khalid Al Zarooni hailed the move as being testament to the Gulf state’s position as an international sports destination.

"I am very excited to welcome Mr Glazer to the UAE T20 Family,”  Al Zarooni said.

"To have a partner who has invested into sports properties with a long-term perspective is a testament to the strength of the UAE T20 League's business model and its value proposition to fans and its stakeholders, and an ode to the UAE as the destination of choice for global sports events."

Glazer, a son of the late US business magnate Malcolm Glazer, is also an owner of the TampaBay Buccaneers American football team.

His purchase of the T20 franchise follows a failed bid to buy a new Indian Premier League team in October.

The six-team UAE T20 will kick off in February and March 2022.