Ajman: Alubond Tigers created ripples in UAE’s domestic cricket history by winning seven top tournaments in the current season.
Speaking to Gulf News after winning the seventh title of the season, Alubond team owner Shaji Ul Mulk said: “Never before in my 30 years of association with cricket here has any team won so many tournaments in one season. Our achievement is special because all the tournaments we have won were high profile ones played on turf wickets and not on cement tracks. To win seven out of the 11 tournaments that we played speaks volumes of our team spirit and hard work of the players.”
This team, once known as Eurocon Alubond, is one of the oldest teams in UAE with Shaji himself captaining the team for many years. Shaji used to be a top performer along with his son Adnan Ul Mulk till his business commitments forced him to stop playing but ensured that the team continues to play in domestic cricket. “I always recruited the best of cricket talents for my company and play for the team. A lot of credit should go to our team manager Zulfiqar Ali who shaped a winning combination and to our captain Nazir Aziz.”
In most matches, Nazir who plays for UAE national team, showed the way with great spells which includes taking 13 wickets in Asianet Premier League and outstanding performance in Arabian Cricket League. The team’s star performers include Pakistan Test star Hassan Raza, who was in top form in all tournaments, and UAE allrounder Rohan Mustafa.
Alubond is in the final of the Al Dhaid Gold Cup T20, due to be held soon, and is fancied to win their eighth title this season. “We knew that to keep winning we need to train hard and everyone trains hard at the Ajman Cricket Club’s turf wickets. To beat top teams like Danube and Ibson needs strong dedicated training and that is why we had this unbeaten run,” added Shaji, who is also the secretary general of the Ajman Cricket Council and member of the Emirates Cricket Board.
Alubond’s winning run began with the Elite Cup 50 over tournament, beating Ibson by 80 runs in the final. Their three players — Gulam Shabbir, Mohammad Azhar and Rohan Mustafa won the Best Batsman, Best Bowler and Player of the Tournament awards respectively. This was followed by an emphatic 10-wicket win over Red Flower in the final of the Asianet Premier League. The third title win was Al Dhaid Gold Cup 40-overs tournament beating Phoenix with Sultan Ahmad bagging best bowler award.
They also won the Al Dhaid Twenty20, beating Multiplex by three wickets and Shahid Siddique winning the best batsman award. In Arabian Cricket League final they recorded a nail-biting one wicket win over Danube. The sixth tournament win was in Abu Dhabi UBL Twenty20 tournament defeating Interface by 60 runs and next was the prestigious Techaccess 50-over tournament in Abu Dhabi stopping Danube by four wickets.
Speaking about the victories, skipper Aziz, who works as sales executive for Alubond, said: “I have been leading the team for seven years and this year the team combined very well. We all train together at Ajman ground and hence created a huge bonding backed by management support. Every player chipped in to produce such a historic performance.”
