An already troubled build up to the T20 World Cup for the UAE has been mired further after a player was thrown out of the squad for disciplinary issues on the eve of the first game.
The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) are looking into the possibility of requesting a replacement for Mohammed Zohaib for the tournament.
They confirmed on Monday the left-handed top-order batter had been sent home, citing unspecified disciplinary reasons.
Zohaib is said to have been angered by his treatment, with some reports in the country of his birth claiming he believes he was treated harshly by the management because he is from Pakistan.
Although he is upset by the lack of clarity on what he has done wrong, it is understood Zohaib does not feel his place of birth has anything to do with the issue.
The UAE took a squad to the World Cup that included nine Pakistani nationals, and six Indian nationals.
All qualify to represent the UAE based on the ICC’s residency qualification, with a number of them having lived in the country since early childhood.
Lalchand Rajput, the coach, is from Mumbai and played Test cricket for India. His staff also includes Yasir Arafat, the former Pakistan all-rounder.
Muhammad Waseem, the team captain, did not speak directly about the issue in his pre-match briefing ahead of the UAE’s first game against New Zealand in Chennai on Tuesday.
He did, however, reiterate his frequently aired view that country of origin is not a consideration within his side, and that their sole focus is making UAE proud.
“There is no India-Pakistan,” Waseem said. “We are playing for the UAE and we are always treating ourselves like a family.
“We are living like a family, friends. We are spending time together, eating together. There is no Indian-Pakistani in the UAE team.”
Zohaib, the 27-year-old batter, has played 16 T20 Internationals for the UAE, with a single half-century to name, and a strike rate of 103.
He was recalled to the side for the World Cup after a spell out on the sidelines. He scored 14 against Ireland in a T20I in Dubai, then 19 against Nepal in the first official warm-up match, followed by 16 in the last against Italy.
All of those matches ended in heavy defeats for the national team, whose form has been poor across formats for some while now.
The issue is an unwanted distraction for the ECB, who currently have an important role to play in an issue that extends far beyond the borders of UAE cricket.
Mubashshir Usmani, the ECB general secretary, has emerged as a key figure in the negotiations to get Sunday’s fixture between India and Pakistan back on track.
As per the advice of its government, Pakistan are set to boycott the T20 World Cup group match in Colombo.
That is a consequence of the strained political relations between the countries, as well as what Pakistan regarded as ICC’s double standards over refusing Bangladesh’s request to play their matches outside of India.
Despite the government directive, the ICC have been trying to negotiate a compromise to ensure Pakistan play the fixture.
An ICC delegation has gone to Lahore to put their case to Mohsin Naqvi, the president of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Usmani was not part of that travelling group, but has added his voice to the negotiations, and is thought to be vital to the mediation.
He has pointed out the massive financial hit the sport will suffer due to the loss of broadcast and advertising revenue of a boycott will be widely felt, especially for non-Test-playing nations like the UAE.
The UAE’s affiliation with both India and Pakistan is long-lasting. International cricket first started in the country when those two were invited to play matches at the new ground in Sharjah in the early 1980s.
More recently, the UAE have been valued partners for both countries when they have faced troubles at home.
The country was also the adopted home of the Pakistan national team for a decade when international teams refused to tour there due to security concerns.
The pilot seasons of the Pakistan Super League were also played in the UAE, and that competition briefly returned during Covid, too.
The UAE has hosted the Indian Premier League in exile, first when it clashed with Indian government elections, then during Covid.
Dubai has also been a regular home for India when problems between them and Pakistan have necessitated neutral venues for major tournaments, such as for all their games in the Champions Trophy last year.
Given the depth of association between the countries, it feels remarkable that the national team will be playing a competitive fixture in India for the first time on Tuesday.
The national team have been playing officially recognised international cricket since 1994, which was when they first qualified for an ODI World Cup.
In the 32 years since then, the national team have played in many of the leading cricket playing countries in the world. That includes Asia Cups in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan, as well as the 1996 World Cup in the latter.
They have also played five times – three ODIs and two T20 internationals – against India in that time.
And yet the UAE’s T20 World Cup opener against New Zealand in Chennai on Tuesday will be the first time they have played an official fixture on Indian soil.
