DUBAI // The fallout from a poor 2015 World Cup, the retirement of its finest ever player and missed qualification for the World Twenty20 left UAE cricket with plenty to ponder at the start of this year.
The past 12 months have only served to create more questions than answers, though.
A popular and successful coach has been lost. The overwhelming majority of matches have been, too.
Now the future appears unclear.
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Aaqib Javed oversaw some years of excellent progress between being appointed coach and leaving in May to take up a role with Lahore Qalanders.
That was arrested at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand at the start of 2015, and has not been righted since.
The national team have had two interim coaches to replace him, first Paul Franks and now Owais Shah.
Results in all formats have remained poor, though, as the side look to find a winning formula without its talismanic former captain, Khurram Khan, who is now on the selection panel.
The one light in the gloom was, ironically enough, when the spotlight was at its brightest.
Going into the Asia Cup T20 qualifying competition in Dhaka in February, expectations were low.
The form guide suggested they would not be topping a group that included Afghanistan, Hong Kong and Oman, and that their stay in Bangladesh would be brief.
Then, before boarding the plane, they beat Ireland for the first time in 15 years in a friendly at Abu Dhabi. Riding the wave of optimism that created, they breezed past three sides who were all bound for the World T20 in India later that month.
Even against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, in front of crowds of thousands and TV audiences of many more, the likes of Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed and Ahmed Raza thrived.
Knitting together a run of consistency away from the TV cameras has proved beyond the side, though.
At least one significant mission has been accomplished off the field.
Finally, after years of suggesting it was imminent, the UAE’s leading cricketers were placed on central contracts and treated as professionals this year.
In July, eight players were announced as having the first full-time contracts with Javed, Naveed, Raza and Shaiman Anwar being handed annual, part-time retainers.
They may be without a permanent head coach as yet, but whoever does get the job of replacing Aaqib should at least have some proper professionals to work with when they get started.
pradley@thenational.ae
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