PERTH // Aaqib Javed, the UAE coach, says his side have “a brilliant platform” to build from ahead of next year’s World Cup, despite falling to a second defeat yesterday.
The national team succumbed to a comprehensive nine-wicket loss to a Western Australia XI at Murdoch University, just south of Perth.
The tourists will now head north for the next leg of a series of warm-up matches designed to help the side prepare for their first appearance in a World Cup in 19 years.
The next time they return to Perth will be when they face the defending world champions India at the Waca in February.
Aaqib said the players were still trying to understand the conditions and get used to the wickets after yesterday’s defeat.
“I think they are just trying to gauge themselves and where they stand for the future,” the coach said.
“With these games they will know how to improve, what to do and what not to do. This is just a brilliant platform for them to understand the wicket.”
A strong performance with the bat by Shaiman Anwar initially saw the UAE come back from a low scoring start to reach 210 all out. He hit four sixes and four fours in an innings of 63.
The UAE’s total was a long way short of being defendable, especially as they proceeded to drop several catches as the home side eased to victory.
“Our coach has trained us well and we are practising very hard in the hot weather in UAE so hopefully we will do well in Australia,” Shaiman said. “We have to do a lot of hard work to be ready for the World Cup.”
Khurram Khan, the UAE captain, said the opportunity to practice against experienced Australian teams was helpful ahead of the World Cup.
“We need to work on our partnerships,” Khurram said of the side’s misfiring batting line up.
Geoff Marsh, the former Australia batsman who is in charge of the Western Australian XI, believes the UAE will have gained valuable experience from their time in Perth.
“They played really well in the first game and I’m sure they’ll get something out of it,” said Marsh, whose son Mitchell is in Australia’s squad for the series against Pakistan in the UAE next month.
“They are a good little side and they obviously can play because they played some lovely shots out there. So it is just a matter of building partnerships and I’m sure they will do well.”
The UAE now head to Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory for four matches, including a fixture against the Papua New Guinea national team.
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