Cricket's growing global circuit is set to expand further early next year when Abu Dhabi stakes its claim to host one-day internationals at its new state-of-the-art facility.

Local officials hope to rope in world champions Australia, New Zealand and India for the inaugural event in April after a soft-launch in March featuring matches between Indian and Pakistani veterans.

The 20,000-seater Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in the capital city of the United Arab Emirates is being hailed as a marvel of modern architecture and one of the sport's most glittering arenas.

The multi-million-dollar complex, named after the President of UAE and the current Ruler of Abu Dhabi, boasts of expansive dressing rooms for players, floodlights, hospitality suites, an ultra-modern media centre and restaurants.

The centre square, comprising eight wickets, is complimented by top-grade practice facilities just outside the main stadium while the adjacent clubhouse contains a modern gymnasium for the players.

Unlike neighbouring Sharjah, already a popular cricket venue funded by local businessman Abdul Rehman Bukhatir, the stadium in Abu Dhabi is backed by the royal family which is interested in promoting the sport in Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Minister for higher education, Sheikh Nahayan, Mabarak Al Nahyan, are actively associated with the cricket project.

"We want to make Abu Dhabi a regular cricket venue with at least two or three tournaments a year," said BR Shetty, an expatriate Indian businessman who was recently appointed president of the Abu Dhabi cricket council by a special decree of the royal family.

Shetty is confident he will be able to convince India, who draw in big sponsorship money because of its vast cricket-crazy TV audiences, to play in Abu Dhabi.

Saurav Ganguly's men have not played in off-shore venues like Sharjah, Toronto and Singapore since April, 2000 following a directive from the government to shun "meaningless" one-day events for

three years in the wake of the match-fixing controversy.

That ban ends next April and even though India are still reluctant to play in Sharjah, Shetty is hopeful the ice will be broken at the new stadium.

"I personally met Indian Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani and Sports Minister Vikram Verma and they both agreed in principle to send the team to Abu Dhabi," Shetty told AFP.

"We are in touch with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and its president Jagmohan Dalmiya has assured me the team will play in April provided there are no other commitments."

India have no prior engagements in that period unless the government gives the green light for the first-ever Test tour of Pakistan in 15 years which is tentatively scheduled for March and April.

As a build-up for hosting the Indians, Abu Dhabi is organising a 'cricket for peace' event in March featuring ex-Test players from India, Pakistan and the rest of the world.s