The Best Cricket Betting Sites in the MENA Region for 2024

Competitive Cricket Odds

Why settle for odds of 2.00 when you can get 2.50 at one of the top cricket betting sites? It may not seem like a big difference for one bet, but the difference can quickly add up over multiple bets. Our recommended betting sites offer outstanding odds on every cricket match and tournament. You will get the best odds on major cricket events such as the Ashes and the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Cricket Betting Apps

The best betting sites for cricket offer dedicated apps, allowing you to bet on cricket and any other sport you passionately follow. These mobile betting apps are available on Android and iOS-powered devices. With just a few taps of the screen, you can quickly log in and bet on cricket matches. These betting apps also support live streaming, meaning you can watch every six live.

Generous Welcome Offers

You can claim generous welcome bonuses at the best cricket betting sites. You may receive a free bet for creating an account, or a risk-free bet that sees a percentage of your stake returned if your first bet loses. Alternatively, you can boost your balance by claiming a deposit bonus. Betting sites match a percentage of your first deposit amount, giving you more funds to bet on the latest cricket matches.

Licensed and Regulated

You’ll be safe at our recommended betting sites. We only give our seal of approval to sites licensed and regulated by respected regulatory bodies such as the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). Licensed betting sites boast the same security measures as banks, happily process withdrawals, and offer a range of player protection measures to help you bet responsibly.

Test Cricket

Test cricket is the oldest and longest form of the game. The first official Test match took place in March 1877, when Australia defeated England by 45 runs in a fixture that would later become known as the Ashes. Matches take place over five days, with a red ball used instead of a white ball. Only national teams granted Test status by the International Cricket Council (ICC) can take part in Test matches.

The teams play a four-innings match. The team that scores the most runs in their two innings wins the match. A follow-on can be enforced if the first team to bat leads by at least 200 runs when the other team concludes their innings. The result is a draw when both teams score an equal number of runs, or if rain affects play and prevents both teams from completing their innings.

One-Day Cricket

One-day cricket is the longest form of limited overs cricket. One-day cricket attracted a new audience to the game because of matches being completed in one day, as opposed to five. One-day cricket matches typically last for five to seven hours, with each team scheduled to bowl 50 overs. Both teams had to bowl 60 overs until 1983, when the rules of One-Day Internationals (ODIs) changed.

As the first innings usually begins in the afternoon and the second innings takes place in the evening, the result of the toss is important in one-day cricket matches. In many stadiums around the world, dew gets the ball wet and makes life difficult for bowlers in the second innings. The second team to bat must exceed the total runs scored in the first innings, with drawn matches going to a super over.

Twenty20 Cricket

Better known as T20 cricket, this form of the game has attracted millions of new fans to the sport. This fast-paced format requires both teams to bowl a maximum of 20 overs. Matches typically last for three hours, with a 10-minute interval scheduled between innings. Again, the first team to bat must set a target for the second innings. If both teams score the same number of runs, they play a super over.

The Middle East has hosted many T20 tournaments, including the exciting Indian Premier League (IPL). Stars such as Rashid Khan and Virat Kohli have showcased their skills in the historic Sharjah Cricket Stadium and other grounds in UAE. Besides franchise cricket, national teams such as UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Kuwait regularly compete against each other in T20 internationals.

T10 Cricket

T10 cricket is the newest and most controversial form of the game. As the title suggests, each team plays a maximum of 10 overs. Purists have been critical of the format because many batsmen can play several matches without facing a ball. Fans of the format like how matches only last for 90 minutes. Like other forms of limited overs cricket, teams play a super over if they score the same number of runs.

The number of cricket betting sites accepting bets on T10 matches is increasing all the time. The T10 League in UAE became the first competition to restrict both teams to 10 overs per side. Teams such as Kerala Kings and the Pakhtoons have won the league since it launched in 2017. Since then, the Qatar T10 League, Vincy Premier T10 League, and several others have launched.

Tip #1 – Check the Weather

Always check the weather before you bet on a cricket match. Knowing whether rain is forecast can help you make more informed bets. In limited overs matches, the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method is used to calculate the target score for the team batting second when weather interrupts play. Delays lead to overs being lost, often culminating in matches being called off. In Test matches, rain delays lead to drawn matches.

Tip #2 – Review the Playing XIs

Only eleven players from each team can take part in a cricket match. The star batsman or bowler may travel with the team, but this doesn’t guarantee they will play. They may suffer an injury during the warm-up or feel unwell on the day of the match. Check each team’s Facebook and Twitter accounts approximately one hour before the start of play to confirm the playing XIs.

Tip #3 – Bet After the Toss

A traditional coin toss takes place approximately 30 minutes before the beginning of every cricket match. The winning captain chooses whether to bat or bowl in the first innings. The best betting sites for cricket immediately adjust their odds to reflect the outcome of the toss. Some pitches favour the first team to bat, while others favour the chasing team – especially evening matches when dew is a factor.

Tip #4 – Study the Statistics

It’s important to do your homework before you bet on a cricket match. Is the home team on an unbeaten streak? Has one team dominated the fixture in recent years? You can easily check the head-to-head record between any two teams on websites such as Cricbuzz.com and ESPNcricinfo.com. You will also find detailed player profiles, complete with statistics such as strike rate and runs scored.

UAE

UAE is the home of cricket in the Middle East. An associate member of the ICC since 1990, UAE has enjoyed some success in one-day cricket. The team won the ICC Trophy in 1994 but failed to progress from the group stage in both World Cup appearances to date (1996 and 2015). UAE has won the ACC Trophy on four occasions, finishing runners-up in the three other occasions of the tournament.

UAE hosted IPL 2020, with matches taking place at three of the country’s world-class venues: Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, and the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah. We expect this to inspire a new generation of cricket fans in UAE. The Emirates Cricket Board continues to invest in coaching schoolchildren to increase the participation rate of cricket.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia may only have a single turf wicket, but there are over 140 cricket clubs dotted across the kingdom. Cricket received royal patronage in the oil-rich country in 2001, which followed Saudi Arabia being welcomed as an affiliate member in 2003 and an associate member in 2016. The national team debuted at the 2004 ACC Trophy, where they enjoyed an impressive 91-run win over Maldives.

Saudi Arabia’s first T20 match took place on 20 January 2019 at Al Emarat Cricket Stadium in Oman. The match was part of the 2019 ACC Western Region T20 tournament. Despite losing by 41 runs to Bahrain in their opening match, players such as Faisal Khan and Shamsudheen Purat guided Saudi Arabia to the final. They won the final by eight wickets after easily chasing Qatar’s 157/6 with 27 balls to spare.