▁( W CL ), ▁U AE ▁will ▁play ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 9 – 2 2 ▁I CC ▁Cr icket ▁World ▁Cup ▁League ▁ 2 ▁going ▁forward . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Early ▁days ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 2 , ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁took ▁responsibility ▁of ▁the ▁She ikh dom s , ▁and ▁cr icket ▁was ▁introduced ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁Army ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁the ▁U AE , ▁but ▁was ▁then ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" T ru cial ▁States ". ▁The ▁game ▁spread ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁as ▁personnel ▁from ▁the ▁British ▁Royal ▁Air ▁Force ▁and ▁other ▁Commonwealth ▁forces ▁( which ▁included ▁first - class ▁and ▁club ▁cr ick eters ▁from ▁Australia ▁and ▁New ▁Zealand ) ▁station ed ▁in ▁cities ▁such ▁as ▁A j man , ▁Al ▁Ain , ▁Dub ai ▁and ▁Sh ar j ah , ▁continued ▁their ▁favour ite ▁past ime . ▁The ▁pitch es ▁installed ▁by ▁them ▁around ▁the ▁air ▁base ▁in ▁Sh ar j ah ▁were ▁used ▁by ▁British ▁and ▁other ▁foreign ▁national s ▁after ▁the ▁war ▁ended . ▁ ▁Sh ar j ah ▁residents ▁began ▁playing ▁the ▁Dub ai ▁residents ▁in ▁the ▁local ▁der b ies ▁which ▁were ▁held ▁in ▁Dub ai . ▁The ▁Garden ▁city ▁of ▁Al ▁Ain ▁has ▁the ▁oldest ▁cr icket ▁council ▁in ▁the ▁whole ▁of ▁the ▁U AE . ▁The ▁popular ity ▁of ▁the ▁game ▁decl ined ▁after ▁independence ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 ; ▁however , ▁when ▁South ▁A si ans ▁began ▁sett ling ▁in ▁the ▁country ,