Dubai: C.P. Rizwan, who has been performing consistently and bagging regular player awards in the UAE’s top domestic tournaments, has been selected into the UAE team that will take on Nepal in upcoming One-day International series commencing from January 25 at the at the ICC Cricket Academy grounds.
Rizwan, with deadly spells through his leg spin and big scores with the bat had been producing match-winning performances for the last four years.
Speaking to Gulf News, Rizwan said: “My long wait and hard work has been rewarded as ever since coming to the UAE in March 2014, I had been working hard to get a call from the selectors.”
The UAE team will be led by Muhammad Naveed in the absence of Rohan Mustafa, who is undergoing an eight-week ban from international cricket along with Ahmad Raza and Rameez Shahzad for using the social media to attack Pakistan Cricket Board on their poor organisation of the Asian Cricket Council Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Karachi recently.
Incidentally, the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) that imposed the ban revealed that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has accepted the formal apologies made to them by the players.
As a gesture of good will, the ECB will also donate the fines imposed on these players to a Karachi-based charity.
After announcing the team, chief selector Waleed Bukhatir said: “We are delighted to welcome Nepal to the UAE for this (ODI) tri-series, and we expect a strong performance from our team under the captaincy of Naveed.”
The three matches against Nepal will be held on January 25, 26 and 28.
UAE team: Muhammad Naveed (C), Muhammad Usman (VC), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammad Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor. Sultan Ahmad, C.P Rizwan.
