Muhammad Waseem’s struggles personify a team at odds with ODI cricket

UAE’s bid to notch a win at Cricket World Cup League 2 in Scotland meets a damp end

USA bowler Ian Holland celebrates the wicket of UAE's Muhammad Waseem. Peter Della Penna / Cricket Scotland

There is more than one reason why the start of Asia Cup qualifying cannot come soon enough for the UAE national team.

The basic logistics of travel from Aberdeen to Muscat mean the players are facing a hectic couple of days.

They will leave Scotland on Wednesday, briefly dump their jumpers and cold-weather gear back in Dubai and Sharjah, then head on to Oman the morning after their return home.

UAE will play T20 internationals against Kuwait, Singapore and Hong Kong next week, for the right to face India and Pakistan on home soil at the Asia Cup.

They surely cannot wait to get to Muscat, a place that holds happy memories, and a return to a format in which they are far more confident.

Their trip to Scotland for the series of Cricket World Cup League 2 one-day internationals has been forgettable, at best.

It was ever thus: UAE have played eight limited-overs matches in Scotland across the formats down the years, and have lost every one.

Their chance to break that duck was scotched on Tuesday when they were confronted by weather that was, indeed, better suited to ducks.

UAE’s final fixture against United States was called off after incessant drizzle throughout the day had rendered the ground at Mannofield unplayable.

UAE v Scotland - in pictures

UAE's Chirag Suri takes a catch off Basil Hameed's bowling in the Tri-Nations Series match against Scotland at Mannofield Park, Aberdeen, on August 14, 2022. All pictures courtesy Ian Jacobs/Cricket Scotland

The UAE's Aryan Lakra takes on a short ball from Scotland fast bowler Chris Sole.

CP Rizwan was stumped by Matthew Cross off the bowling of Mark Watt.

Scotland's Mark Watt has his leg stump uprooted by UAE pace bowler Zahoor Khan.

Left-arm spinner Mark Watt was outstanding with the ball for Scotland again.

Calum MacLeod took a brilliant slip catch to dismiss Rohan Mustafa off Mark Watt's bowling.

Kashif Daud returned figures of one for 13 as the UAE started brightly against Scotland.

Kashif Daud was hit for six off the second ball he bowled - and took a wicket with his third.

Kashif Daud celebrates after taking the wicket of Craig Wallace.

Junaid Siddique appeals for a caught behind dismissal off Kyle Coetzer.

Scotland's Kyle Coetzer is bowled by Junaid Siddique for a disappointing 10 runs.

Scotland captain Matthew Cross and UAE skipper Ahmed Raza shake hands before the match.

Aryan Lakra caught Chris Greaves off Ahmed Raza's bowling.

Muhammad Waseem high-fives captain Ahmed Raza after catching Scotland batter Michael Leask.

Matthew Cross top scored for Scotland with 85, at the ground where he first started out in cricket.

Scotland wicketkeeper Matthew Cross with tournament referee David Jukes and UAE captain Ahmed Raza.

A share of the points at least meant USA had no chance of leapfrogging UAE into the top three in the table. The seven-team competition carries with it three places at the World Cup Qualifier next year.

UAE had hoped to be far better placed at this stage than having to squabble with the likes of USA and Namibia over the last available berth for that event.

Ahmed Raza, the captain, spoke ahead of the trip to international cricket’s most northerly venue of the fact they were still hoping to topple Scotland and Oman at the top of the table.

And yet the cricket the national team have played remains far too inconsistent for that to be a realistic possibility.

Unlike the 20-over format, in which they have been a sound unit for some time now, the national team have yet to crack ODI cricket.

The facts bear it out. Of their past 10 T20Is, UAE have won eight, losing only a dead rubber against Oman and a game against Bahrain in which they still did enough to safeguard progression in T20 World Cup qualifying.

The contrast with the 50-over version is notable. In two CWCL2 tri-series against the same opposition this summer, in Texas and Aberdeen, they have won just two and lost seven matches.

Previous to that, they had given Papua New Guinea their sole win in the competition to date.

Cricketers in the UAE play little 50-over cricket relative to the T20 format. If anyone personifies the difficulties of formulating a plan to cope with the extra time on offer, it is Muhammad Waseem.

Waseem is a short-form maestro. He has won the Abu Dhabi T10 twice, been part of a Pakistan Super League title-winning franchise, and his feats in T20 international cricket have been extraordinary.

In 12 matches so far, the opener has hit two centuries – each against a full member nation – three half-centuries, has an average of 46, and a strike rate of 153.33.

His 50-over stats bear no relation to such excellence whatsoever. He has just one 50 in 18 ODIs, on a featherbed in Sharjah where two of his colleagues scored tons, and an average of 17.59.

It is only fair to point out this remains a player of prodigious talent, who is still less than a year into his international cricket career. He has plenty of time to make good, and should be given it, too.

In the meantime, it will be a return to Muscat – the site of his finest moment yet in a UAE shirt - and return to the format in which he sparkles.