More than 700 students at Arcadia Global School in Al Furjan got a close-up brush with international cricket on September 4, when women's national team players from the UAE, Hong Kong and Thailand visited as part of the ACC Women's Asia Cup Trophy Tour.
The visit turned the school day into a working cricket clinic. Students took part in an interactive question-and-answer session with the players, tested their knowledge in a cricket quiz, and joined games before moving onto the school's cricket nets for hands-on batting, bowling and fielding practice using the bowling machines on site.
Why the school made room for it
For Arcadia Global School, the visit was not just a novelty break from lessons. Founding principal Andrew Wilson said cricket runs deep in the school's identity, describing the sport as central to how the community sees itself.
"Hosting the ACC Women's Asia Cup Trophy Tour was incredibly special for Arcadia Global School because cricket is part of the fabric of our community. We do not simply like cricket, we love it," Wilson said.
He pointed to the impact of putting elite female athletes directly in front of the school's students, particularly the girls, arguing that visible role models change what young people believe is possible for themselves.
"For our girls especially, seeing successful female cricketers on their own school stage sends a powerful message: there should be no ceiling on ambition," Wilson said.
Lessons beyond the pitch
Wilson framed the value of the visit around what students learn from hearing athletes describe their own path to the top, rather than just watching them play.
"Students learn that success is rarely about talent alone. They hear first-hand about the hard work, setbacks, sacrifice, resilience and determination that sit behind achievement," he said.
He added that direct contact with athletes who have competed at the highest level helps students see achievement as something built rather than simply granted.
"When young people speak directly to someone who has reached the highest level, they begin to understand that extraordinary achievements often start with very ordinary things, turning up, working hard, responding positively to failure and refusing to give up," Wilson said.
He also connected the visit to broader lessons about wellbeing and daily habits, saying meeting elite athletes makes those ideas tangible for students rather than abstract advice.
"Meeting elite athletes brings all of this to life. It shows our students that character, wellbeing and success are closely connected, and that healthy, successful lives are built through the choices, habits and small actions we repeat every day," Wilson said.
The stop at Arcadia Global School in Al Furjan formed one leg of the wider ACC Women's Asia Cup Trophy Tour, which brought together players from the UAE, Hong Kong and Thailand for the school engagement.
