The United Arab Emirates was elected to the ICC in 1990 and has a large expatriate population from India and Pakistan, but it has yet to make its mark on the field of play as a cricketing nation. Its national team have competed in only one World Cup, in 1996, and won one of their 11 one-day internationals, against the Netherlands.

Yet the UAE is fast developing as a centre for staging cricket. The ICC moved from Lord's to rented accommodation in Dubai in 2005 partly for tax reasons and is building its new headquarters in Dubai Sports City, where a cricket stadium is also being built.

Sharjah, north of Dubai, has staged four Test matches and almost 200 one-day internationals since 1982 but is on the wane, while international cricket has also been played at two venues in Abu Dhabi, where England will arrive today.

Dilawar Mani, the chief executive of Abu Dhabi Cricket Club, is the brother of Ehsan Mani, the former ICC president, and an ambitious man. Three years ago the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, where England are expected to hold net sessions during their holding camp this week, was built at a cost of $28 million (about £19 million). It has staged eight one-day internationals, most recently a three-match series between Pakistan and West Indies, and has a good wicket.

This year five English counties - Essex, Lancashire, Somerset, Sussex and Yorkshire - visited Abu Dhabi for a pre-season tournament. They will be joined next season by Middlesex and Dilawar Mani has spoken of his ambition to host matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL). “The IPL will have to find venues and we would not hesitate for a moment if that opportunity came along,” he said.

Mani has also offered to step in to host Pakistan's home series against India, which is scheduled for next month, if concerns over security persist. “If Pakistan is not able to host the Indians at home, we would be willing to stage the matches free of cost,” Mani said.

It was confirmed yesterday that West Indies will tour England next summer, replacing Zimbabwe for two Test matches - at Lord's and the Riverside Stadium - and three one-day internationals. Sri Lanka were originally lined up to visit but the tour was postponed when 13 of their best players opted to play in the IPL. The ECB must now consider who will tour in 2010, when West Indies were originally scheduled.