After guiding the UAE team for a number of years as their captain before transitioning to coaching, Ahmed Raza will add another feather to his cap after being entrusted with coaching DP World International League T20 champions Dubai Capitals in the Global Super League invitational tournament in Guyana, which starts on Thursday.
The former UAE spinner was part of the technical staff of the Capitals side that clinched their maiden ILT20 title after defeating Desert Vipers in a last-over thriller in the final in February.
It marked a significant milestone in the cricket journey of Raza, 36, who had retired from the game to take up a coaching role at the Emirates Cricket Board in 2023.
Having cut his cricket career short at the age of 34, Raza has taken up coaching full-time. He is the head coach of the UAE women’s national team and has also been part of the technical staff of both Dubai Capitals and Team Abu Dhabi in the Abu Dhabi T10 over the past two seasons.
Now, Raza is relishing the chance to guide the franchise in an overseas competition.
“The experience of being part of the technical staff with both Dubai Capitals and Team Abu Dhabi has been invaluable,” Raza told The National over a video call from Guyana on Wednesday.
“And now heading the team to the GSL is definitely a bigger role and obviously a great feeling.
“My gratitude towards the GMR Group for trusting my ability and giving me this opportunity to lead in a newer franchise tournament.”
The former left-arm spinner, who played 51 ODIs, 54 T20Is and 20 first-class games for the UAE in a career spanning 17 years, is relishing his new role.
“It’s a franchise [Capitals] with a rich history in cricket. To represent as a head coach in a global tournament is unheard of for someone who is a full product of the UAE,” he says with a broad smile.
“I mean, you've probably never had a UAE-born coach going global. I'm not only representing the Capitals, I'm representing our own home brand, which is ILT20 and the Emirates Cricket Board. I'm a product of the UAE cricket board. I've not played cricket anywhere else.
“This is my home. So, to be able to represent the country and represent us on the global stage, I am full of gratitude for the opportunity.
“One thing is trusting your ability, the second is to deliver. So hopefully, we can deliver. May this partnership continue.”
Raza has used his knowledge of the local cricket scene to promote talent. He had a say in bringing in wicketkeeper-batter Rahul Chopra and left-arm spinner Haider Ali into the franchise.
Chopra is now the UAE ODI captain and Haider made a dream debut in the UAE’s 2-1 win in the bilateral T20 series against Bangladesh at Sharjah in May.
“Scouting local talents was my primary role for the Capitals. I have worked with them both, Rahul and Haider, closely and it’s very pleasing to see them going on to international cricket and doing well for the country,” Raza said.
“I'm the bridge between the coaches and the players. So there's a lot of communication which goes back and forth.”
The Capitals take on New Zealand’s Super Smash champions Central Stags in the tournament opener at the Providence Stadium on Thursday.
The tournament pits five franchise league winners against one another, including Australia’s Big Bash champions Hobart Hurricanes, Caribbean Premier League winners Guyana Amazon Warriors and Bangladesh Premier League’s Rangpur Riders.
“The talent which is on show in the GSL is absolutely brilliant and everyone is eager to get the tournament started,” Raza said.
“The quality of teams here and the players on show … you get the winners of different franchises coming together and playing in a tournament. It’s a great platform for the players.
“In my team, everyone is eager to get going. The players have arrived from different parts of the world. We took a day and a half to give everyone a bit of rest, did some strength and conditioning work to get their bodies ready. We had a couple of good sessions and now just waiting for the first game.
“We are going to play the opening game. So we are going to set the tone of the tournament. Hopefully, we get two points on the board to start with.”
The Capitals suffered a minor setback as three of their UAE players, Alishan Sharafu, Haider Ali and Muhammad Jawadullah, had to be replaced. They were called up for national duty for the Pearl of Africa quadrangular series against Namibia A, Kenya and hosts Uganda from next week.
“National duty comes first,” Raza added. “We already have Khalid Shah here and are waiting for the rest of the replacements to be sanctioned by the GSL, which we should know before the start of the tournament.”
Joining the Capitals are Bangladesh legend Shakib Al Hasan and Afghanistan all-rounder Gulbadin Naib.
“Shakib has played around the world and he brings in lots of experience. Gulbadin has been one of our leading players in ILT20 and also brings in a lot of experience. We've got a few new faces as well,” added Raza.
“The teams here are all champions of their respective leagues. It's going to be a hard-fought tournament. It's not a format that you can take a game or two to get up and running. So every game matters.”
Dubai Capitals fixtures in GSL
July 10: v Central Stags
July 11: v Hobart Hurricanes
July 13: v Guyana Amazon Warriors
July 16: v Rangpur Riders
July 19: Final (if they qualify)
