UAE captain Ahmed Raza excited by coaching role at U19 World Cup

National team's 'Young guns' will be mentored by 31-year-old at tournament in South Africa

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  Vriitya Aravind. Role: wicketkeeper, right-handed opening batsman. Might not necessarily keep wicket at the World Cup, given the excellence of Kai Smith. But Aravind’s free scoring at the top of the order should be a feature of the U19 side, as it has been for the senior team over the past two months. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Jonathan Figy. Role: left-handed batsman. Missed all of 2019 for the U19 side, as he was back at school in the UK. He has been reacquainted with his mates for this tournament, though, and comes armed with experience of full ODI cricket – in which he averages 55 with the bat. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Aryan Lakra. Role: left-arm spinner, left-handed batsman. The left-handed all-rounder could scarcely have done more during 2019 with either bat or ball for the U19 side. He tuned up for the trip to South Africa with an innings of 150 in a friendly against Scotland in Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Karthik Meiyappan. Role: leg-spinner. Already a match-winner for the UAE senior team. He took four wickets to swing an ODI against Namibia in Oman earlier this month. He captained the team in Lakra’s injury-enforced absence at the U19 Asia Cup. Satish Kumar/ For the National / Story by Paul Radley

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  Ansh Tandon. Role: left-handed batsman. His unbeaten 100 off 102 balls against Sri Lanka in the U19 Asia Cup in September was a moment when UAE’s players should have felt they can mix it with the big boys. And he rubbed shoulders with the stars of the Abu Dhabi T10, too. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Virat Kohli, Joe Root and Kane Williamson have all been celebrated participants in Under 19 World Cups in the past.

But whether this month’s tournament features too prominently in their diaries is debatable.

The same does not go for all international captains, though. Ahmed Raza is taking advantage of a break in the UAE senior team’s schedule to be in South Africa.

The UAE captain will be a coach and player mentor for the U19 side, who start their campaign against Canada on Saturday.

His role will involve advising the young players on how to manage what they are faced with, as well as throwing balls to batsmen at nets, and he cannot wait to get started.

“All the boys have been very welcoming, and have been accepting all the experience I have to share with them,” Raza, 31, said.

“I’ve been trying to make them understand how to react in difficult situations and overcome tough phases by playing smart cricket.

“Three of these players have already broken in to the men’s team, and a few others are knocking on the door.

“I’m really excited for these young guns, and can’t wait to see how this World Cup unfolds.”

The competition also marks a return home for the Dom Telo, the team’s coach. The 33-year-old coach is originally from Cape Town, which is some way from where UAE will play their group matches, in Bloemfontein and Potchefstroom.

But he is delighted to be leading the young national team back to his homeland. “I haven’t been back to South Africa in three and a half years now,” Telo said.

“It is any coach’s dream to be coaching in a World Cup. It is one of mine, something I’ve always wanted to achieve.

“I didn’t think it would come this early in my career, but credit to these young players and the way they have gone about their business, and in qualifying for a World Cup, they really deserve it.

“It is exciting for me, just as much as it is exciting for them. Going home is the cherry on the top.

“Playing against South Africa [in the last group match on Saturday, January 25] is going to be a nervous game for me, but I have faith in these guys.

“I know they’ll put everything on the line. That is the type of players they are.”