Asia Cup: UAE facing Sri Lanka newly confident on return to big stage

The UAE national team returns to the top tier of Asia Cup cricket against Sri Lanka on Thursday.

United Arab Emirates player Mohammad Shahzad is bowled out during The Asia Cup T20 qualifying match between Hong Kong and United Arab Emirates at Bangladesh's Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah on February 21, 2016. AFP PHOTOShow less

DHAKA // It is tempting to think the UAE’s players will have no qualms about playing in front of a live audience of thousands, and a broadcast one of millions, when they return to the main tier of Asia Cup cricket Tuesday night.

The national team face Sri Lanka at the Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. Coincidentally, they were the same opponents the last time they played in this competition, in Pakistan eight years ago.

The UAE have played at the past two global events, and as such, should be well versed in how to deal with the pressure of major matchdays.

That assumes, though, the players are the same. Such has been the turnaround in personnel since the 50 over World Cup last year, just six players remain in this squad — Rohan Mustafa, Shaiman Anwar, Amjad Javed, Swapnil Patil, Saqlain Haider and Mohammed Naveed — who toured Australia and New Zealand.

How prepared they rest will be to deal with the extra attention, as well as the fact they are facing up to some of the leading players in the game, remains to be seen.

Mohammed Usman, who cut a dash as a left-handed strokemaker of great poise in the qualifying phase, is a case in point.

He said he only really thought about trying out for the national team when he saw them playing on the television 12 months ago in Australia and New Zealand.

Now he is here, trying to fill the middle-order batting void left by the retirement of some of the greats of the UAE cricket. And he is making a decent fist of it, too.

“I saw the team playing in the 50 over World Cup, and it made me think that I should try and see if I was good enough to play,” Usman said, after playing a match-turning innings against Oman on Monday. “I wanted to give it a shot.”

It is fair to say this tournament has arrived at an embryonic stage of the new national team’s life-cycle. Only last summer, Aaqib Javed, the coach, had warned to expect 18 months of pain as they experimented to try to find the best new players and combinations.

He was right. The last year had been miserable — until this month.

The confidence they have garnered in winning four matches since last Tuesday, against Ireland, Afghanistan, Hong Kong and Oman — all of whom are World T20 bound — has been significant.

They know few of the sides among Asia’s elite will be fearing them this week in Dhaka, but Amjad Javed, the captain, says the UAE have nothing to fear.

“It is simple: go and play your natural game, believe in yourself, and back your ability,” Amjad said.

One salient feature of the qualifying phase was the number of players who made vital contributions to the victories.

“I’m a really lucky captain in that I have more matchwinners in my team,” Amjad said. “Some teams only have one. I have 11, and three others sitting outside waiting for their turn.”

India’s 45-run win fails to dampen Bangladeshi mood

DHAKA // This city is hosting the Asia Cup for the third time in less than four years.

Familiarity, though, has bred anything but contempt, judging by the atmosphere on Thursday’s opening night.

If this competition struggles for context, and is just the hors d’oeuvres before next month’s World Twenty20, then nobody told the frenzied 25,000 Bangladeshis who came to watch its first game.

Maybe it was because they now have a team to believe in.

Maybe it was because the opposition was the superpower with the superstars from across the border.

Or maybe these locals are just the most passionate cricket supporters going around.

The fact thousands of them turned out to watch UAE play Hong Kong in Fatullah last week suggests it is most likely the latter.

When Al Amin Hossain bowled Shikhar Dhawan in the second over of the match, the noise the crowd produced felt like a sporting sonic boom.

Admittedly, the atmosphere did turn flat after approximately two and a half hours of cricket, by which time the Indians were firmly in control.

Rohit Sharma extended his fine winter form in limited-overs cricket.

The opener made 83 from 55 balls, have benefited from being dropped on 21 by Shakib-al-Hasan, Bangladesh’s out-of-sorts all-rounder. Hardik Pandya gave the innings late impetus with a speedy effort worth 31 to carry India to 166 from their 20 overs.

The combination of young and old who started the bowling effort for India dovetailed sweetly. Ashish Nehra was immaculate in taking three for 23.

Jasprit Bumrah, who was five when Nehra played his first match for India, also thrived with the new ball, returning a miserly one for 14 from his opening three over burst.

At the end, the small group of Indian supporters behind their team’s dugout were able to celebrate a comprehensive 45-run win to start their pursuit of a sixth Asia Cup title in style.

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