Dubai: Senior UAE player Basil Hameed is confident of leading his team to victory as he assumes the captaincy role in the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024, in Oman. The UAE will face hosts Oman in the opener on Saturday, and the all-rounder believes the team possesses the skills and talent needed to perform to their potential.
“We have the skill sets, potential, and the depth, so we should have the belief in winning the tournament. That will be the first thing. Second is the execution part. Whatever skills we have achieved over the years, it’s very important to execute that in a very good manner,” Basil Hameed told Gulf News.
“When you play against these professional teams, they have a lot more exposure than our young team. Despite these shortcomings, if we have strong belief, we can beat any team on our day, especially in the Twenty20 format. We have achieved wins against some of the top countries like New Zealand and Afghanistan.”
Opportunity for UAE’s young players
Basil Hameed, who previously represented the south Indian state of Kerala in the domestic Ranji Trophy competition before moving to the UAE, has been in impressive form recently. He looks forward to extending that form and guiding the young team against their illustrious Group B rivals, India A and Pakistan A.
“This is my first outing as a captain, and obviously, some of the experienced players are not available, especially skipper Muhammad Waseem and pacer Junaid Siddique. However, there are opportunities for the young boys and me to show our full capability. When you perform against these Test-playing nations, the world recognises your effort more than what you do in Associate Cricket. So, I take this as an opportunity to explore ourselves against the big teams.”
Strong recent form boosts UAE’s confidence
The UAE is one of the stronger teams in the Twenty20 format and aims to cement its place among the Asian elite with a strong showing in the challenging Group B. In the recently concluded tri-series in Windhoek, the UAE defeated hosts Namibia and the USA, returning home on a high note.
Hameed attributes his recent focus and improved performance to a clear understanding of his role. Yet, he emphasises that his primary joy comes from the team’s success rather than personal achievements.
“The team comes first for me. I’ve been given certain roles, and there was clarity from the coach and the captain. I was trying to find the success formula in that role, which I’ve been able to over the last few years. I’m glad that I could find that formula in the Namibia series, but unfortunately, we didn’t do well in the ODI series. I would be happier if my performance helps the team win,” Hameed said.
New talent set to shine
Hameed will have the assistance of his childhood teammate from Kerala, Vishnu Sukumaran, and it will be a crucial opportunity for players like Aryansh Sharma, Dhruv Parashar, Tanish Suri, and Ansh Tandon to solidify their places in the senior squad.
Meanwhile, the Indian team, led by Tilak Varma with Abhishek Sharma as vice-captain, features several prominent names who have performed well in the Indian Premier League and the domestic circuit.
UAE squad: Basil Hameed (captain), Aryansh Sharma, Ansh Tandon, Dhruv Parashar, Mayank Kumar, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Haider Shah, Muhammad Jawadullah, Nilansh Keswani, Omid Rahman, Rahul Chopra, Raja Akifullah, Sanchit Sharma, Tanish Suri, and Vishnu Sukumaran.
Schedule of UAE matches:
October 19: UAE vs Oman
October 21: India A vs UAE
October 23: Pakistan A vs UAE
October 25: Semi-Finals
October 27: Final
