Harpreet Bhatia promised we were going to see a new UAE team in Dundee. So it proved. It was just a pity we did not get to see more of it.
Most of the UK is in drought at the moment. Some areas have not seen rain for more than 40 days. And yet, with their big reboot all ready to start on tour in Scotland, the national team had two full games washed out, plus 20 overs of the third.
In addition to that, they got the worst of the conditions in each of the matches they did play in their Cricket World Cup League Two tri-series.
In the first, Scotland won the toss and invited them to bat on a pitch that had been under cover for four days, including all of that morning.
When Canada did the same two days later, it was at least drier, but the overhead conditions still assisted new-ball bowling.
Despite those distinct disadvantages, they got within one ball and a wicket of beating a Scotland side that set the benchmark at this level of cricket, then thumped Canada by 97 runs.
It was highly promising, and spoke of a side who are unencumbered by the baggage of their past troubles.
Ahead of the tour, Akshdeep Nath had said there was no reason to believe they can’t win all their matches.
And why wouldn’t he think that way? Newly arrived from India this year, the former India Under 19 vice-captain has no idea about how difficult the UAE had found this competition for the previous two years.
In 15 matches up until their return to ODI cricket in April, they failed to reach 200 eight times. That sequence included a total of 49, and one of 78.
Yet since the arrival of Adeeb Usmani at the top of the order, and Harpreet – the new captain – in the middle, they have looked revitalised.
Adeeb hit a century against Scotland that helped UAE set a target of 232 that was so nearly enough.
Harpreet then made a dapper 81 to quell early problems against Canada, and help them build a match-winning total.
Their confidence is rubbing off on the rest. Batting in concert with Harpreet, Rahul Chopra – returning following a back injury – went on to make 127 not out against Canada, the third highest score by a UAE batter in ODI history.
“It was important we got these two points because we had had the two washed out games in which we couldn’t get the points,” Chopra, a former captain of this side, said.
“I just wanted to capitalise and get maximum runs for the team. I had missed the previous tour [to Nepal in April] because of injury, and I wanted to prove myself and show I am important for the team.”
No one in the new-look side, it would appear, is quite as important as Harpreet. Given the captaincy for this tour despite having only been in the UAE for seven months, he cut an assured presence throughout.
The left-handed batter turned 35 on the final day of the tour. Clearly, at that age, he might not be a long-term answer, but UAE cricket needs to mine whatever they can from him in the time he does have. He is a class act.
He manages to marry the wisdom of years’ worth of experience of Indian cricket with the energy of a new boy.
It is obvious that youngsters like Aayan Khan, who excelled on his return after a year out of the side, look up to him.
“It is a very special birthday for me,” Harpreet said after the win against Canada. “It is the first time I have scored runs on my birthday, and won for my team.
“All credit goes to the boys. We lost two wickets early but still Rahul and me were able to manage. It is a team effort. As I said before, this team is different. This team is going to win more games from here.”
The fact they took just four points from a possible eight on tour felt unjust given the strides they made and the cricket they played. But it was still an uplifting trip.
They will be given another tough examination next time out, when they travel to the United States for a tri-series that will also involve Namibia.
The US were the first side to seal their place at the World Cup global qualifier, to be played in February.
It is unlikely the UAE will follow them directly there – they remain last in the table, with only the top four sure to progress to the qualifier.
But they will be confident they will see them there, via the repechage play-off in December, if they keep playing the way they did in Scotland.
