UAE plan to carry positive momentum to Zimbabwe
The Asian side set aside an underwhelming performance in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 2019-23, where they languished second from bottom on the points table, to secure a top-two finish in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off 2023 in Namibia.
This result helped them qualify for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 Qualifier in Zimbabwe and kept their World Cup hopes alive. Now UAE need to fight their way out in a group featuring Ireland and Sri Lanka, before tackling the Super Six. The top two sides from the Super Six will make their way to the World Cup in India later this year.
Asif Khan was the architect of UAE’s successful campaign in Namibia, where he was the leading run-getter, scoring 296 runs at an average of 59.2. He scored a hundred against the USA and a 96 in a crucial win against Namibia.
The 33-year old took confidence from his team’s recent showings in the Qualifier Play-off and from their run to the final in the ACC Men’s Premier Cup held in Nepal.
“Our preparations are going well. We are looking forward to making winning combinations in the warm-up matches as this will be helpful for us in qualifiers,” Asif told the ICC.
“My personal perspective is always positive. My form is good, I am trying to deliver 100% in the Qualifier, and I am confident.
“We are very pleased and gained confidence from the win against Namibia, in Namibia. We played very well, and we are going with the same mindset in the Qualifier as well.
Asif Khan's stunning century| Nepal v UAE | ICC CWC League 2
Asif khan smashed the fourth-fastest hundred in men's ODIs against Nepal in ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 match.
“Our key factor is our commitment. We played well in Nepal and Namibia, so we are trying to keep this momentum in the Qualifier.
“Our expectations are always positive and we believe in ourselves.”
Much of UAE’s hopes will rest on their Pakistan-born star batter. While he moved to the country back in 2017, he had to wait five years before making his international debut.
It seems like Asif is looking to make up for the lost time at the international arena, where he has already averaged 40.28 since making his debut in 2022. It has been a strenuous journey for Asif, and leading his side to a first World Cup appearance since 2015 will make it worth the wait.
“My journey has been very hard. I played first-class cricket in Pakistan, played for Pakistan under-19s against Australia under-19s and then moved to the UAE to start playing cricket and give coaching to kids.
“It’s not easy for me. I performed in domestic cricket in the UAE and had to wait for the UAE national team.
“I kept trying, kept performing and then finally my dreams came true and my efforts and performance gave me the chance to play for the UAE.
“This is the best moment for me to represent the UAE and we are looking forward to showing what we can do.”
Path to Qualifier: Second spot in Qualifier Play-off
Having finished among the bottom four teams of the League 2, the UAE made their way to Zimbabwe by contesting ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off in Namibia.
They were one of the six teams in the tournaments, and won four out of their five encounters to clinch the second spot on the table, and with that a place in the Qualifier.
Schedule
Sri Lanka, 19 June - Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
Oman, 21 June - Bulawayo Athletic Club, Bulawayo
Scotland, 23 June - Bulawayo Athletic Club, Bulawayo
Ireland, 27 June - Bulawayo Athletic Club, Bulawayo
World Cup Record
The UAE made their debut in the 1996 Cricket World Cup, when they featured in the tournament in India. They lined up against teams like Pakistan and South Africa in the group stage. While they lost their first four games, they won their final group encounter against Netherlands at Lahore.
They returned to the prestigious global event in 2015, when they qualified for the World Cup in Australia. While they failed to win a single contest, they ran Zimbabwe and Ireland close in their first two games of the tournament.
They will be hoping to qualify for the World Cup for the third time in their history.
Key Player: Karthik Meiyappan
While UAE will bank on the experience of Asif Khan in the batting department, they will hope their young leg-spinner Karthik Meiyappan continues his impressive World Cup form with the ball.
Meiyappan takes first hat-trick of tournament | T20WC 2022
The young spinner, who bowled pace growing up, is all but 22 and already has a World Cup hat-trick to his name. He achieved this feat against Sri Lanka last year at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The spinner also did well at the Qualifier Play-Offs, picking nine wickets at an average of 24.66, with a best bowling effort of 4/45.
Squad
Mohammad Waseem (c), Ethan D'Souza, Ali Naseer, Vriitya Aravind, Rameez Shahzad, Muhammad Jawadullah, Asif Khan, Rohan Mustafa, Aayan Khan, Junaid Siddique, Zahoor Khan, Sanchit Sharma, Aryansh Sharma, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed