In Pictures

Preserving cricket’s history in a Dubai backyard

An Indian industrialist’s love for the sport has made him create a cricket museum in his Dubai backyard.

Shyam Bhatia came to Dubai in 1965 when he was offered a job with an insurance company. A former first-class cricketer from Rajasthan, India, he decided ‘to move on with life since there was no money in the game’ at that time. [Faras Ghani / Al Jazeera]

28 Mar 2015

Dubai, UAE – The UAE is not renowned for history.

Sharjah’s cricket stadium does hold the record for having hosted the most ODIs and Pakistan cricket fans hold that ground dear (as well as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, having been the team’s ‘home’ venues).

However, a backyard in Jumeriah, a hop across Burj Khalifa, is overflowing with historical value.

Shyam Bhatia, an industrialist on the outside but a former cricketer and an enthusiast everywhere else, has created a cricket museum in his house, preserving memories and records achieved on the field that not many others have bothered to hold on to.

Holding signed bats, balls, caps and a special Sachin Tendulkar corner, Bhatia has also written three books on cricket – he doesn’t want to stop just yet. The museum houses a private collection but he wants to share it with the world which is why there are plans to move it to a different location in the near future.

“I always feel that whatever I am today, it is because of this game and the reason I started this museum was because I wanted to give something back to the game,” Bhatia told Al Jazeera.

“I’m trying to move out of here and to a more public location. This is still at my house so giving access to the public is difficult. But I want to share these memories with the fans.”