UAE Cricket Goes All-in on Citizenship for Global Push
Five cricketers secure UAE citizenship, ditching slow residency routes for quicker national team access.
Harpreet Bhatia holds a UAE passport now. UAE cricket naturalises players for the first time. Khuzaima Tanveer, Ajay Kumar, Akshdeep Nath, and Adeeb Usmani join him. Officials issued five passports at once.
Before, UAE cricket used residency visas. Expat players waited years to qualify. That took time. Citizenship speeds it up. These five skip residency hurdles. Associate nations chase World Cup spots. UAE grabs talent first. Rivals won't poach as easily.
With passports, call-ups run smooth—no visa issues on tours. UAE gets a stable core. Binod Chiabera ground fills with settled voices. Others will follow. The shift sticks.
Filed under Khuzaima TanveerAjay KumarAkshdeep NathHarpreet BhatiaAdeeb Usmani
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- DevelopingApr 19, 2026 · CricHubb Desk