Cricket teams from India and Pakistan are competing in Sharjah in the UAE throughout Thursday in the Akai-Singer Champions Trophy. England and the West Indies are also taking part. But as our correspondent FRANK GARDNER reports from Dubai, this time it is cricket with a difference. For the first time, the Gulf Emirates stadium is hosting an international floodlit tournament lasting into the night:

Purist fans might not like it, but floodlit cricket has arrived in Sharjah. At a cost of $1.5m, covering a battery of 2,000 watt light bulbs, the UAE has joined a select band of nations now hosting day and night cricket.

Gone is the red ball and stiff white flannels of tradition, to be replaced by garishly coloured clothes, and a white ball for better visibility. But the Gulf's moist climate could also throw its own fast ball to the players.

Indian team manager, Anshuman Gaekwad, was quoted in the Gulf News as saying his team experienced slippery dew when they held an early evening practice under the lights. Floodlight cricket was first introduced in Sydney in 1930.

Since then, it has been popularised for television by the Australian media magnate, Kerry Packer. A total of seven countries now host floodlit cricket, and last year, Sri Lanka won the Wills World Cup against Australia at a floodlit match in Pakistan.

In Sharjah, international cricket has always been something of a social highlight for the Asian community. Tickets for Thursday's Akai-Singer Trophy have been selling at a premium.