Jay Shah Backs Oman Cricket Expansion; Muscat Probes Missing Indian Captain
ICC Chairman Jay Shah paid a private visit to Oman this month, travelling to the Oman Cricket Academy headquarters in Al Amerat where he received a full briefing from OC President Pankaj Khimji on the board's ambitious plans to build three new grounds on land already secured adjacent to the existing complex, offering his personal backing for a programme that signals Oman's emergence as one of world cricket's fastest-growing Associate nations. Separately, Muscat has been drawn into an emotionally charged international legal matter: Omani authorities are now formally examining ransom call claims surrounding the disappearance of Indian merchant navy captain Ashish Kumar, whose vessel MT Skylight came under a missile and drone attack near Khasab Port in Oman earlier this year, prompting his wife to seek urgent relief from India's Supreme Court. The two stories together reflect Muscat's expanding significance to the South Asian community—as both a rising destination on cricket's global calendar and a focal point for the welfare and protection of the tens of thousands of Indian nationals who live, work, and sail through the waters of the Sultanate.
ICC Chief Shah Backs Oman's Three-Ground Al Amerat Expansion
ICC Chairman Jay Shah made a private visit to Oman this month, calling at the Oman Cricket (OC) headquarters in Al Amerat where he was thoroughly briefed by OC President Pankaj Khimji and senior board officials on the organization's sweeping development agenda. The visit carried immediate symbolic importance: Shah's personal endorsement signals that Oman Cricket carries the full confidence of international cricket's governing body as it accelerates its infrastructure build-out. Khimji used the occasion to reveal that Oman Cricket has already secured land directly across from its existing Academy complex in Al Amerat to construct three new cricket grounds, with the first expected to be completed by end of 2026 and the remaining facilities to follow in phased stages under a comprehensive master development plan. Shah's message blended encouragement with accountability. 'For Oman today, funding is not a problem,' he declared, stressing that on-field commitment and hard work remain the decisive factors in the game's long-term growth. The timing of the visit is particularly meaningful: Oman is gearing up to host the ICC Men's T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Qualifier 2025, which begins October 8 and features nine nations—including the hosts—competing for three coveted berths at the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. The Al Amerat expansion firmly positions Oman as a serious and durable fixture on the global cricket hosting calendar. [1]
Muscat Probes Ransom Calls Linked to Missing Indian Ship Captain
A deeply compelling case involving a missing Indian merchant navy captain has brought Muscat into the centre of an international legal and humanitarian investigation. Captain Ashish Kumar disappeared after the vessel MT Skylight came under a devastating missile and drone attack near Khasab Port in Oman on March 1, 2026, in what appeared to be a targeted assault in waters adjoining the Strait of Hormuz. Indian authorities and the captain's family initially feared he had perished in the attack. However, a critical development emerged when DNA testing on recovered human remains failed to match genetic samples provided by the captain's younger brother, leaving his fate officially unresolved. Fresh hope arose when the captain's wife reported receiving multiple ransom calls in March, with callers demanding Rs. 2 million—evidence she also supported with a WhatsApp communication thread suggesting he may still be alive. She moved India's Supreme Court, and the Indian government's Solicitor General confirmed to the bench that Muscat authorities had been notified of the ransom call claims and were actively examining them. For Muscat's large South Asian expatriate and seafaring community—one of the Gulf's most significant Indian diaspora populations—the case underscores both the dangers faced by Indian nationals working in Gulf waters and the critical diplomatic channels between India and Oman that exist to protect them. The matter remains under active investigation. [2]
Sources: [1] muscatdaily.com · [2] Live Law