CP Rizwan said he was proud of the way the UAE’s bowlers almost dragged their side to the point of victory, but was left ruing missed chances on the opening night of the T20 World Cup.
The national team succumbed to a three-wicket defeat to the Netherlands, in their first match at a global event in seven years.
They stood little chance after an insipid batting display allowed them to post just 111-9 in their 20 overs, with opener Muhammad Waseem top scoring with 41 off 47 balls.
Junaid Siddique belatedly breathed life into the defence with a fine spell that brought him three wickets.
He was denied a fourth when Rizwan himself shelled a catch, which proved seminal to UAE’s chances.
“I’m really proud of the effort,” Rizwan said. “They put their heart and soul into it, especially the bowlers, Junaid, Zahoor Khan and Karthik Meiyappan.
“They did a wonderful job to put the batsmen under pressure. They attacked the stumps, which was crucial.
“On this wicket, it is not that easy to chase. Had we taken those chances, it would have made a slight difference.
“I’m really proud of the effort and the energy they put in the field. It was really heart-warming to see.
“It would have been really good if we could have picked up that win, but I am really proud of the boys.”
After the meagre batting effort, it seemed the Dutch would race to victory, especially after a productive powerplay.
But it took until the penultimate ball until they got the job done.
“We were saying between sessions that it is not that easy to chase here,” Rizwan said.
“We saw what happened with Sri Lanka [who well comprehensively beaten by Namibia in the opening game].
“They literally collapsed. There is always something happening in the wicket, and it is not easy to come and start playing your shots from the first ball.
“We said that if you can take those half chances and try to create pressure, stop easy singles, then we are definitely in the game.”
Scott Edwards, the Netherlands captain, said his side had been distracted in their run chase, in part due to the odd dimensions of the ground.
The field, which is used for Australian Rules football more commonly, has narrow square boundaries and long straight ones.
Edwards, who grew up in Melbourne, said the run chase had been a challenge for his side.
“The pitch was us and down, and the outfield was super slow towards the end,” Edwards said.
“We got a little carried away with trying to hit boundaries square.
“They showed in the first innings it was hard to get those boundaries when you think it would be easy. We got a little caught up in that middle period, then consolidated towards the end.”
