Dougie Brown is a highly respected figure in the world of cricket, known for his exceptional skills both as a player and a coach. A former all-rounder for Scotland, England and Warwickshire, Dougie has left an indelible mark on the sport through his versatile performances and leadership on and off the field. His career highlights include pivotal contributions in county cricket, representing Scotland in international matches, and later transitioning into coaching roles where he has inspired the next generation of cricketers.
Dougie’s impact extends beyond traditional cricketing nations, particularly through his significant contributions to cricket in the UAE. As the head coach of the UAE national team, Dougie played a crucial role in developing the country’s cricketing structure and elevating its performance on the global stage. Under his leadership, the UAE team achieved several milestones, reflecting his dedication to nurturing talent in emerging cricket markets. His time in the UAE also highlights his ability to adapt to diverse cricketing cultures and build a cohesive team in a fast-evolving environment.
With his deep understanding of the game and vast international experience, Dougie offers unique insights into cricket’s evolution, the challenges players face today, and the strategies that drive success. His passion for cricket is matched only by his commitment to fostering a love for the sport globally.
Below is the exclusive interview with Dougie Brown, where he shares his journey, his time in the UAE, and his vision for the future of cricket.
What was your favourite Professional cricket memory?
That’s a great question. After a 36-year playing and coaching career, there are so many great memories you carry with you, but I do have one which stand out.
Being a young guy coming from Central Scotland the opportunities to play professional or international cricket were realistically non-existent at the time, so to be within the space of a couple of weeks of signing my first professional contract for Warwickshire to be standing with bat in hand at Edgbaston, one of the most famous grounds in the world, facing the fastest bowler in the world was incredible. I didn’t know it at the time, but Allan Donald was going to be a brilliant teammate for the next 12 years. He’s still a very good mate to this day. The feeling of standing there, hoping that you’re good enough to deal with what’s about to come down I will never forget. To be honest, it was a pivotal moment in my, one that I’ll never forget.
How was coaching the UAE national cricket team and what are you most proud of?
I’m not going to lie; it was one of the proudest things I’ve ever achieved as a coach.
When I took over the Head Coach role, the UAE team were ranked number 21 in the world. The players were incredibly talented but probably lacked the discipline and professional standards that I was used to having played and coached at one of the biggest clubs in the world.
We managed to put measures in place and looked to professionalize the behaviors and monitor the standards that I thought was important in our environment.
In a very short space of time, we saw the culture within the environment changing from what it was to an incredibly positive, professional and honest one. Of course, it was challenging too but the players loved that, as did the coaching staff and when my contract ended just before COVID, we had an ICC world ranking of 11 in both ODI and T20i cricket. I was very proud of what had been achieved in the time.
What initiatives are you involved in currently?
Since finishing my contract as head coach of the UAE national side in 2020, I have established a sports consultancy business in Dubai called RedBear Sports working predominantly within cricket.
We are currently involved in several cricket projects across the region including participation and pathway development, leadership and cultural development and high-performance player development through our programmes at The Sevens Cricket Academy.
However, our immediate vision is to actively change how cricket is introduced and coached within the school system throughout the UAE. This will be a significant project. It will be the first of its kind in the region which will undoubtedly, positively impact a huge number of students within schools in the UAE.
Why did you decide to introduce this schools programme? What is the aim?
Let’s start with our aim of which there are four parts.
Firstly, cricket is the most widely played sport in the country. Over 1.2 million people play regular weekly cricket, so we know that we have a captive audience, not just amongst the male population, but the Women and Girls pathway too. We really want to get as many schools actively encouraging their pupils to have fun, be competitive and be as active and fit as they can be through the sport.
Secondly, we know that families finding residency in the UAE is going to increase in the next few years. Families with children in professional cricket pathways in their home countries should not be a barrier to them re-locating and adding to the positive, vibrant demographic we have here in the UAE.
Thirdly, we want students within schools to be able to have fun, compete within a team environment and choose to follow an active and healthy life through their participation within the sport.
Finally, cricket takes up a lot of time. In an already busy school environment, having cricket specialists available at minimal cost to the school to define and deliver the curriculum is incredibly beneficial to the school, and ultimately, the pupil.
Having been around the professional game in England for a number of years and seeing how British schools promote their cricket by way of introducing pupils to many of life’s values which sit at the heart of the game, seeing the opportunities cricket gives you at the highest level, my vision was to be able to ensure schools were in a position to do both. Showcase life lessons and provide opportunities at the highest level for the best performing students.
Cricket, for me, has been everything. It has given me experiences that I could only have ever dreamed of; it has allowed me to travel, meet all sorts of interesting people, make a living and ultimately live a dream.
I want to provide an opportunity for others to be able to experience all the above, but their starting point be the UAE and not the UK.
Who is backing this great initiative?
Firstly, we have employed an incredible member of our team, Nick Tester, who is leading this initiative on our behalf. Nick, who held a senior role at the world famous, Rugby School in the UK shares the passion for our vision, ensuring that every student who is part of our schools’ programme benefits.
Several world class cricketers from around the globe are also totally onside with what we are doing. They are all friends of mine, having crossed paths in elite cricket at some stage in our respective careers. They are also regular visitors to the UAE and really want to champion this vision.
Imran Tahir lives permanently in the UAE with his family. Imran has played more franchise cricket than any other player in the history of the game and really wants to support school cricket infrastructure in the UAE where his son, an incredibly talented cricketer goes to school.
Maia Bouchier is a multi-format player for the senior England Womem’s team. She was also coached at Rugby School, UK where Nick was one of their coaches. She is currently one of the best players in the world game.
Sikandar Raza, Zimbabwe, has been one of the most successful cricketers in the world over the past 3 years. He is regularly in Dubai and is also captain of Dubai Capitals in the ILT20.
Natasha Cherriath is a former UAE Women’s player. She was also the first ever captain of the UAE national team. She is an incredibly passionate supporter of all things UAE, in particular the Women and Girl’s game.
Finally, David Warner, Australia, is one of the biggest names in the game. He has achieved everything that is possible at international level as a batter and is instantly recognisable, even away from cricket. Like Sikandar, he also plays in the ILT20 for Dubai Capitals, and he is also a resident of the UAE.
Having players such as these as our ambassadors supporting what we are doing is incredibly humbling and I really can’t thank them enough for their support.
What feedback are you getting from schools?
I think we all know that the global standards of schools across the region are as good as it gets when it comes to education. Sporting standards, whilst very strong across certain sports could really do with a boost, especially when it comes to cricket
I was worried that our vision would get lost in the overall day to day running of the school where many other things are the priority.
The feedback we’re getting from everyone connected to schools is staggering. School Directors, Headteachers and Directors of Sport totally get what we are looking to create. In an already hectic school week, why would you not allow cricket experts to help to progress your cricket curriculum and create a multitude of opportunities for students in the programme whilst allowing full time staff to focus on their roles.
So far, we have 12 schools signed up to the programme and we are beginning to recruit some world class coaches to place in the schools as from September. Over the next period, we expect the number of schools actively participating in our programme to increase. In addition to the wellness factor which playing a sport such as cricket brings, we really want schools in the UAE to be a destination of choice for high performance pathway players from other countries.
We know of a few examples of families wanting to relocate to the region, but they have not moved due to their children being in a county cricket set up in the UK. With the popularity of the sport, the incredible weather and abundance of world class facilities such as the Sevens Stadium, there is absolutely no reason for world class coaching and player development to be at the forefront of lots of children’s education.
How do you think this will redefine the health and wellbeing of children?
For a long time now, health and well-being have been a huge focus for not just the Dubai Health Authority, but within the Health Authorities throughout the seven Emirates.
Cricket is a fun game but being the type of game that it is, with its unique variety of disciplines, it can also be very physically and mentally challenging. Clearly, at the highest level, a supreme level of fitness is required, but at entry level, it provides an opportunity to be active within a team environment. The game also provides opportunities to develop many of life’s core values whilst having fun at the same time.
What is next?
Currently, we are actively seeking partners to help bring this vision to life in the form of sponsorships and grants. Securing financial backing is critical for a successful and sustainable growth. A title sponsor at AED 800,000 per year allows us to recruit at least 5 coaches that will service 10 schools. However, we can also look to get partners involved at a lesser level too which will also go a long way to making our vision a reality.
I guess we are providing a solution for many people. By introducing the right students to the right schools, we will be able to create a high-class performance pathway within several locations throughout the UAE in addition to creating greater competition and participation.
There will also be many wider reaching benefits which the local and national economy will benefit from too. For example, by providing a destination of choice for many more families, an increase in travel and tourism to the region will almost certainly result as successful expat professionals relocate into the area.
We would also love to be able to engage with both local and national governments. Their involvement will enhance the credibility of the programme and potentially provide additional resources for its development. This will play a vital role in fostering the growth of the programme and enhancing opportunities for schools, students and families.
For more information on https://redbearsports.org/
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