Muhammad Waseem has urged his UAE teammates to forget about their chastening Asia Cup opener against India, pointing out they can still qualify for the next phase of the competition.
The national team return to action on Monday afternoon in Abu Dhabi, when they face Oman.
As was widely anticipated, the two sides lost their first matches in the pool. But, while Oman showed fight in their fixture against the giants from Pakistan, the UAE were entirely humbled by the stars of India.
They were fired out for their lowest T20I score – 57 – and the Indian Premier League stars of their opposition’s top order completed the chase in just 4.3 overs.
It was a startling capitulation, but Lalchand Rajput, the UAE coach, attempted to put a brave face on the effort immediately after.
He pointed out that India are a “world champion side”, the calibre of which the UAE players have never had to opportunity to face before.
“The coach has said it perfectly,” Waseem, the UAE captain, said on the eve of the UAE’s fixture against Oman.
“To play against such a world-class team was a good experience for us. Playing with them, yes, the score was [tough to take].
“The sooner we move on and forget about this game, the better for the team and management.
“We are a better side than we showed [against India] as you saw in the tri-series. We played Pakistan’s bowlers, we played Afghanistan’s bowlers.
“At practice in the days [since the India match], we have been thinking about the next game. Then we have a game against Pakistan, and we are still alive in the tournament.
“We will try to play the best cricket possible and try to see ourselves qualify [for the Super Four].”
Now the UAE are facing more familiar opposition. They have regularly played neighbours from Oman in both ICC qualification competitions, as well as the 50-over World Cup League 2, in the recent past.
They will also vie with each other for T20 World Cup qualification in Muscat next month.
Although the Oman side, in particular, have had a substantial overhaul of players in recent times, the sides know each other well.
The fixture is the only day game of the competition. Starting at 4pm at Zayed Cricket Stadium in the capital, the final part of it will likely overlap with the fixture taking place at Dubai International Stadium, between Sri Lanka and Hong Kong. That begins at 6.30pm.
“[India] are a very good team and it was a great experience for us,” Waseem said.
“Playing against them is great for us. I will say that we are working very hard.
“We will show a good next game, and we have played much more against them before. We know [Oman]. They know us. So, we will try to make a good result.”
The fixture pits together two sides whose players mostly originate from the subcontinent. Six of the UAE’s line up for the game against India are Pakistani nationals, with the other five being Indians.
Relations between those two countries have been strained since the attack in disputed Kashmir in April.
Many supporters on either side had pushed for the game between India and Pakistan not to go ahead, or for players and officials to boycott the fixture.
Dubai police also announced safety advice for supporters ahead of Sunday's game, as well as special security measures at the stadium.
Despite the different nationalities within his side, Waseem says the dispute is not an issue, terming them “a family”.
“All these situations are only in India and Pakistan,” Waseem said.
“There are no such situations in the UAE, whether it is in daily life, whether it is in cricket, or in our friendship.
“We live like a family – away from cricket, and in cricket matches, too. We have played a lot of cricket with each other.
“We live like a national unit, so we do not have such a problem. We are all like a unit, and a family.”
