UAE cricket has its smile back after keeping World Cup dream alive

Mudassar Nazar’s interim stint as coach revives national team as they advance to global Qualifier

UAE have turned things around brilliantly to retain ODI status and keep World Cup qualification hopes alive. Victor Besa / The National

In a few short weeks, the national cricket team has gone from clapped out old banger bound for the knacker’s yard, to a well-oiled machine with its course set for the final phase of World Cup qualifying.

When they boarded their flight via Doha to Namibia two weeks ago, their jobs were basically on the line. Now they can look forward to measuring themselves against the likes of West Indies and Sri Lanka at the global Qualifier in Zimbabwe.

Such has been the turnaround in fortunes they can justifiably believe they are capable of bloodying a few noses when they get to that tournament. And take one of the two places on offer for the World Cup in India itself? Stranger things have happened.

“In any tournament you go into, you are aiming to win the tournament not just qualify,” said Mudassar Nazar, who was the UAE’s interim coach for the Qualifier Play-off.

“There are a couple of big teams there which can be beaten. Let’s see where they go from here.

“I’m hopeful they do well, first in Kathmandu [in Asia Cup qualifying later this month] and then towards the World Cup Qualifier. At least they have a lot of confidence now.”

As Nazar said, confidence is sky-high. The difference to a month ago could scarcely be more stark.

So, what changed? There only seems to be one answer: the Emirates Cricket Board’s decision to discontinue its association with Robin Singh, the former coach.

The final throes of the ex-India all-rounder’s three-year stint in charge were miserable. And not just the results (20 losses in his final 27 games in charge).

The dressing room was a desolate place, where players were suffocated by micro-management. The captaincy changed three times in seven months. The starting XI was altered on a daily basis. And the roles players had were chaotically assigned.

Nazar was a safe pair of hands. Asking him to step up from his role heading up youth development in the Emirates to help the full senior team was an inspired decision by the ECB.

He has the authority of a 76-Test career with Pakistan, a broad breadth of experience coaching Associate-level cricket, and the manner of a genial uncle. On his watch, the players have been able to breathe again.

Nazar had good support, too. His No2, Ahmed Raza, has all the energy of someone who, aged just 34, should really still be playing the game. Crucially, he also has the enthusiasm of a work-place newbie, giving his all to his new job. Plus, there is the invaluable fact that he bleeds UAE cricket.

Azharuddin Qureshi, the side’s strength and conditioning coach, also played a full role in keeping the players on point in the sapping conditions of Windhoek (Namibia’s capital is 5,600ft above sea level) all while fasting.

To say the general on the field, Muhammed Waseem, has warmed to the task of captaincy is a gross understatement. He has been a player transformed since taking on the armband. He averages 49 with the bat in the 10 matches in which he has led, compared to half that in his overall ODI career.

He has led with words, as well as deeds. “I just told my team to believe in themselves, because we know we can play good cricket,” Waseem said.

“We had not done that in the past 20-25 games. We played cricket with an open mind, and it worked.”

The global Qualifier, which is scheduled to start in mid-June in Zimbabwe, will involve 10 teams vying for two spots at the main event in India.

The Netherlands, Sri Lanka, West Indies, Zimbabwe and likely Ireland are the five teams who had been involved in the ODI Super League. Nepal, Oman, and Scotland made in through the World Cup League 2 competition.

United States, who won the Play-off having beaten UAE earlier on, and UAE took the last two places.

Despite being last through the door, UAE are right to feel optimistic about their prospects, given the cricket they have played of late.

“A, I wanted unity, and B, I reminded them how good they were,” Nazar said of what he said to the team when he first took temporary charge.

“I have been involved in a lot of Associate countries for a number of years now, and been part of the ICC [Academy] at the beginning. Having coached them, these guys are wonderful players.

“I had great belief they were going to do well in this tournament. It started by telling them that is where we are going.

“They knew there was a lot at stake, not just for their careers, but also for the UAE. ODI status meant a lot. Once we got into the rhythm of things, we looked towards topping the group.

“We missed out on that as we lost out to USA, but finished on the same number of points. We played as well as any other side in this tournament.”