Cricket was brought to the football-mad Sultanate of Oman in the 1970s by expatriates from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and it received royal patronage from the early days. Having played on dusty grounds and concrete strips with artificial turf for decades, Oman got its first proper ground - the picturesque Al Amerat Cricket Stadium - in 2012. The venue has two floodlit grounds, and the main ground hosted the opening match of the 2021 T20 World Cup.