DUBAI // The UAE coach Aaqib Javed’s was “extremely disappointed” seeing his side thrashed by 10 wickets at the hands of Pakistan in the first of the two warm-up matches in the Under 19 World Cup.

Playing all their batsmen and bowlers in a mutual agreement between the two teams, the UAE were shot out for 101 and bowlers went wicket-less with Sami Aslam (43 not out), the captain, and Imam ul Haq (42 not out), knocked off the winning runs in 17 overs at the Sevens yesterday.

“What we are looking from these boys is to give the full member nations a good fight, and today, surprisingly they didn’t perform anywhere close to their potential,” Aaqib said.

It was Aaqib’s first game after returning from a successful 2015 World Cup Qualifying campaign in New Zealand with the senior national team, and the head coach was clearly disappointed.

“I don’t know if it was just a bad day or a total mess they have got into during my absence. It is hard to believe if it was the latter problem, because they were working under two experienced coaches in my absence.”

While he was gone, some suggested that only a handful of players turned up regularly for practice sessions.

“I am not aware of such thing,” he said. “We played a tri-nation series against England and Pakistan, followed up by the Asia Cup, but they performed pretty well. They did the basics well.

“They were really bad today, in batting, bowling as well as in fielding.

“What we can do now is to put this game behind us, talk to the players, and look for a better performance in the next game.”

The UAE play Zimbabwe tomorrow at the same venue and meet England in the Group C opener at the Zayed Stadium on Friday.

apassela@thenational.ae