Youth and experience will lead the way

Sharjah: UAE captain Saqib Ali is confident that his team can put up a good show in the Asia Cup.

"We have a good allround side with a mix of experience and youth. Players like Khurram Khan, Arshad Ali and Mohammad Tauqir [have] played in the 2004 Asia Cup," he said.

Ali told Gulf News that the appointment of Vasbert Drakes as the new coach has come at the right time. "Drakes has shown us the way by working hard along with us. He is a professional to the core and players have got along very well with him," he said.

When asked what the team's approach would be while competing with Test playing nations like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Ali said: "In modern cricket anything can happen. If we can give our best, we can surely produce a good result. Moreover, our approach is not to win or lose but gain from the experience of playing such strong nations."

Ali, who hails from Pakistan, hopes that the team's fielding is capable of tilting the balance.

Good catches and crucial run outs, he says, are what the team will be on the lookout for because these "can change the complexion of a match."

According to Ali, the biggest benefit of playing in the Asia Cup is the confidence that the team may gain from it.

"We are aiming towards qualifying for the next World Cup and this experience will go a long way in helping us to play well in the oncoming World Cup qualifiers," he said.

Ali has been working hard on his batting and bowling despite the heat. Practicing in the heat, he says, is good for the team since Pakistan will have similar weather conditions.