Lalchand Rajput says the UAE have discovered a new self-confidence at the T20 World Cup, despite exiting at the group stage.
The national team had their departure in the first round confirmed when New Zealand beat Canada on Tuesday morning, making it impossible for them to finish in the top two in the group.
The UAE still have one pool match still to play, against South Africa at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday.
Even though the Proteas have nothing to play for, having sealed progress to the Super Eight in emphatic fashion, they remain a daunting prospect for the UAE.
However, the national team have at least looked far more confident over the course of the previous two matches in India’s capital.
First, they had a rousing win over Canada. Then, three days later, they pushed Afghanistan to the last over of what could have turned out to be a potential pivotal fixture.
In the process, players such as Junaid Siddique, Mohammed Jawadullah, Aryansh Sharma and Sohaib Khan put in uplifting performances.
It went some way to dissolving some of the negativity which has surrounded the side for some time now.
“The positive is that the players have started believing in themselves that they can play good cricket against better teams,” Rajput, the UAE coach, said.
“It's a journey. You cannot change overnight any team or any player, but it’s a process to continuously follow. Now the next journey is that we have to qualify for the 50-year World Cup.”
Whatever advances the side has made in India, the idea of them qualifying for the One-Day International version of the World Cup feels far fetched at present.
Ahead of a tri-series in Kathmandu next month which also involves them, Nepal and Oman, the national team are adrift at the bottom of the eight team Cricket World Cup League Two.
However, they have at least shown at the T20 World Cup that they are capable of turning around waning fortunes, and competing with higher-ranked sides.
“When we came to the tournament, definitely we came with a positive frame of mind that we can upset anybody,” Rajput said.
“But after the three games, [South Africa] is the last game for us because we lost two and just won one. But again, the positive from this tournament that we can really play better cricket against better teams.
“Afghanistan is a Test-playing country. That last time in the World Cup they reached the semi-final, so to almost put them on the back foot was great for us.”
Although sides from non-Test playing countries have generally acquitted themselves well against the established elite in this tournament, none has yet been able to force a win.
UAE defeat Canada – in pictures
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UAE's Aryansh Sharma scored a match-winning fifty against Canada in their T20 World Cup clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. AFP -
Aryansh Sharma, left, and Sohaib Khan hit sparkling fifties to guide the UAE to victory. AFP -
UAE's Junaid Siddique celebrates taking the wicket of Canada's Saad Bin Zafar. AFP -
Canada's Harsh Thaker after reaching fifty. AFP -
UAE's Junaid Siddique, right, finished with five wickets on Friday. AFP -
UAE's Muhammad Jawadullah celebrates taking the wicket of Canada's Nicholas Kirton. AFP
Outside of the World Cup, the UAE have had experience of bilateral series against Test sides like New Zealand, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
Rajput believes more fixtures like that will give sides like them a better chance of causing upsets in the future.
“Our journey has been good so far,” Rajput said. “In the first game [at 10-wicket loss to New Zealand in Chennai] we didn’t do well as a bowling unit but as a batting unit, we did well.
“In the past two games we have proven we are a better team than what was expected after the first game. If you look at the Associate countries, they don’t play many matches, so they don’t get much time to play against the best players of the world.
“I think this was a big opportunity for them, and they have to come out of their shell. Once they start winning games, the confidence goes up, and they start playing even better.
“I think this World Cup will give us a lot of confidence, and the players self-belief that they can do it. I hope we can continue that.”
