Dubai: The UAE women’s cricket team received a timely boost ahead of the ACC Women’s Twenty20 Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, when they were awarded the ICC Associate Member Women’s Performance of the Year award. This accolade followed their impressive unbeaten streak at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 Asia Qualifier in Malaysia late last year.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the global winners of the ICC Development Awards 2023 on Wednesday. Six emerging nations were honoured for their groundbreaking initiatives and outstanding performances over the past year.
In addition to the UAE, Mexico, Oman, the Netherlands, Nepal, and Scotland received top honours. Launched in 2002, the ICC Development Awards highlight the efforts of ICC Associate Member countries to grow the game globally, whether through innovative development programmes or inspiring on-field performances. The global winners were selected by an esteemed panel from a shortlist of regional awardees spanning 21 emerging nations.
ICC General Manager – Development, William Glenwright: “The ICC Development Awards has a long-standing history of recognising the groundbreaking work being done by ICC Members to grow the game in emerging nations. Each year this project highlights some inspiring and remarkable stories and this year is no exception, with passion and innovation at the forefront of these successful initiatives.”
A proud moment for UAE cricket
General Secretary of the Emirates Cricket Board, Mubashshir Usmani, expressed his pride in an ICC statement: “Winning the ICC Associate Member Women’s Performance of the Year award is a proud moment for UAE cricket. Over the last few years, we have laid special emphasis on promoting and developing women’s cricket, and it is heartening to see those efforts bear fruit.”
“Our team won the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifiers in Malaysia, remaining unbeaten throughout the event. Our current captain, Esha Oza, performed exceptionally. This success is due to the hard work and training these girls undergo at our facilities.”
Usmani added, “We are pleased with the progress of our team as they continue to rise in rankings. Their outstanding performance in the recent ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in Abu Dhabi, where they fought tenaciously against Sri Lanka in the semi-final, shows their potential. The Emirates Cricket Board will continue to invest in the development of women’s cricket across the country.”
The UAE claimed the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier in Kuala Lumpur with a dominant unbeaten run. They secured important victories over hosts Malaysia, Qatar, and Bahrain before defeating Hong Kong in the semi-finals. In the final against a strong Thailand side, they won by six runs, thanks to the mastery of Kavisha Egodage.
Impressive performances and future prospects
Their victory advanced them to the global qualifier, where they continued to impress, reaching the semi-finals before being narrowly defeated by Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi.
Head coach and former UAE men’s team captain Ahmed Raza noted the team’s growth: “The success is a byproduct of the hard work that the Emirates Cricket Board has put in. The women’s team trains at world-class facilities alongside the men’s team. A lot of credit goes to the ECB for their support and development programmes, which continue to produce young talent.”
Preparing for the Asia Cup
The UAE is in a challenging Group B with Nepal, India, and Pakistan. Raza is confident in the team’s readiness: “In the last 12 months, we have achieved a lot and continue to raise our standards. We had a six-week camp in Dubai in challenging conditions. The players never complained because they knew what they were training for. We are ready for the Asia Cup and aim to reach the semi-finals, drawing on the experience from two years ago,” Raza concluded.
Six award winners:
Mexico for the ICC Development Initiative of the Year for their pioneering projects, including sending a team to the Street Child Cricket World Cup in India.
Oman for the 100 per cent Cricket Female Cricket Initiative of the Year for their Cricket4Her program.
The Netherlands for the ICC Associate Member Men’s Performance of the Year for their efforts in qualifying and competing at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India.
Nepal for the ICC Digital Fan Engagement of the Year following substantial growth on their social channels.
Scotland for the Cricket 4 Good Social Impact Initiative of the Year.
