Abu Dhabi: Just when it seemed that there was very little to look forward to in UAE cricket post the Khurram Khan and Saqib Ali era, Amjad Javed and his new brigade have created history by qualifying for the Asia Cup T20 tournament in Bangladesh.
For the past one month, there may have been an overdose of T20 cricket in the UAE – the Pakistan Super League and the Masters Champions League being played almost simultaneously. However, that shouldn’t stop UAE’s cricket buffs from tuning in to the Asia Cup, especially with their home team expected to lock horns with some of the powerhouses like India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The team comprising of part-time cricketers have showed that they are best adapted to this version of the sport. It is most popular format on the ‘maidans’ of UAE and that explains the significant achievement. Now that they have made it to Asia’s biggest cricketing spectacle, Javed and company will be keen to make it count.
Rubbing shoulders with the likes of Virat Kohlis, Shahid Afridis and Lasith Malingas would do a world of good to the confidence of the young side as they are looking for resurgence. They will also get the rare opportunity of fame with the TV coverage of the event going world wide. Whatever maybe the outcome, UAE has proved that they are on the right path and investing on young blood is the best way to move forward.
“The boys have responded well to all that we have discussed in the run-up and during the qualifiers. They have implemented that to perfection and that has been the key behind our progress,” said Amjad Javed, the newly appointed captain who asserted that T20 cricket is his side’s forte as UAE’s cricketing structure mainly revolves around it.
“Most of the boys know this format well as 70 percent of the tournaments in UAE is played in T20 format. UAE has become a hub for many teams for winter training and matches against these sides have also helped immensely. We beat Ireland, Scotland and Afghanistan in friendlies so the morale was always high,” Javed told Gulf News over phone from Bangladesh.
“Most of our matches are played under lights in UAE and our training sessions are also held in the evening hours. We are well suited for these setting and we didn’t need much time to adapt despite being here just a day before the event,” revealed Javed, who felt that the main grey area of improvement was the batting.
“Both openers Rohan Mustafa and Muhammad Kaleem have provided us with some decent starts but you cannot expect them to do well in every match. The batters have to keep improving as we will need to score 150 plus totals against the top Asian sides if we have to put them under pressure,” said Javed, quickly adding that UAE have the bowlers to restrict any side if they have a decent total on board.
“Bowling is not at all a worry as on these wickets we can test any side. Any total above 140-150, we back ourselves to defend and the team that will take us lightly might have to repent,” warned Javed, who has realistic goals for the tournament.
“If we can stun one team, which I feel we are capable off, I think it will be a job well done. We have nothing to lose here so the pressure is not on us. A strong performance in all departments and a win in that process would be a perfect finish for us,” he added.
