Partnership to strengthen girls’ school cricket, identify emerging talent and create pathways for young female cricketers beyond the school game
CORE Cricket, the global grassroots cricket initiative of IFCC, has come on board as a Strategic Partner of the CBSE UAE Cluster Girls Cricket Championship 2026-27, furthering its commitment to creating opportunities for young female cricketers and strengthening the development pathway for girls’ cricket at school level.
Organised by GEMS Legacy School, Dubai, the championship features U17 and U19 Girls competitions and brings together schools from across Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman. The official fixtures list 15 team entries in the U17 competition and seven teams in U19, creating 22 team entries across the two age categories.
“The true spirit of cricket lives in our neighbourhoods and in our schools. When we invest in the grassroots—opening the pitch to every young boy and girl with a dream—we aren’t just teaching a sport; we are building a more inclusive future and shaping the next generation of champions. This is what we believe at GEMS Legacy School and endeavour to realize for our future generations.”
Asha Alexander,
Principal |CEO|Executive Leader,
Climate Change
With squads of approximately 16 players per team, the championship represents up to 352
student-cricketer participation opportunities, providing a significant competitive platform for girls to represent their schools and demonstrate their cricketing talent.
The tournament progresses through knockout stages, with the U17 and U19 finals scheduled for 8 October 2026.
Creating a Stronger Pathway for Girls in Cricket
CORE Cricket’s strategic partnership is intended to go beyond tournament branding. At the heart of the association is a commitment to increase participation, identify promising young female players and help connect school cricket with structured development and higher-level opportunities.
The championship provides young girls with an important competitive environment at a formative stage of their cricketing journey. CORE believes that strengthening these school-level platforms is essential to creating a sustainable pipeline of female cricketing talent.
The winning teams are expected to have the opportunity to represent the UAE Cluster at the CBSE National-level competition later in the academic year, extending the journey from school competition in the UAE to a much wider competitive platform.
“Nearly 900 young cricketers getting an opportunity to represent their schools is what grassroots cricket should be about. Somewhere among these school teams could be the next generation of outstanding cricketing talent. Our responsibility at CORE is to help create the ecosystem, visibility and pathways that allow that talent to go further.”
Mudassr Nazar,
Founding Member,
IFCC | CORE Cricket
From School Ground to Bigger Opportunities
Through its partnership, CORE aims to support a more connected pathway:
School Cricket → Competition → Talent Identification → Development → National Exposure → Higher Opportunities
CORE’s wider grassroots philosophy is focused on building the “98% of cricket” – the vast ecosystem beyond the professional game comprising school players, grassroots cricketers, academies, coaches, families, communities and organisations that make cricket possible.
For girls in particular, creating accessible and visible pathways at an early age can play an important role in encouraging more young players to remain in the sport and pursue cricket at progressively higher levels.
The CBSE UAE Cluster Girls Cricket Championship therefore represents an important opportunity for CORE to work alongside schools, coaches and the wider cricket ecosystem to help discover talent early, develop it meaningfully and create opportunities for young female cricketers to go further.
22 Team Entries. Up to 352 Young Female Cricketers. Two Age Groups. One Bigger Pathway.
From School Cricket to the World of Cricket.
About CORE Cricket
CORE Cricket, an initiative of IFCC, is a global grassroots cricket platform focused on building opportunities for the 98% of the cricket ecosystem beyond the professional game. CORE connects young players, schools, academies, coaches, corporates and cricket communities through structured competitions, talent-development pathways, high-performance programmes, technology and international exposure.
A key part of CORE’s mission is to expand opportunities for girls and young women in cricket, helping create an inclusive grassroots ecosystem in which talent has a pathway regardless of gender or geography.
Discover Talent. Develop Potential. Create Pathways.
Media Contact
CORE Cricket | IFCC Global – Media & Communications Email: media@corecricket.co.uk | Website: www.corecricket.co.uk
