Brief scores:
Canada 132-9 (20 overs): H Patel 45, N Dhaliwal 39 not out; R Mustafa 2-15, M Tauqir 2-22, M Guruge 2-31
UAE 136-5 (19.1 overs) M Shahzad 56, S Patil 27 not out; S Pervez 2-32
UAE won by five wickets
The UAE coach Aaqib Javed says the national team’s results at the World Twenty20 Qualifier prove an overhaul of the elite game in the country is run is long overdue.
The UAE picked up their first win of the competition by beating Canada by five wickets. It maintained their faint hopes of making it to the World Twenty20 in India next year, which would be their third successive appearance at a major global event.
However, Aaqib suggested the three preceding defeats in their pool showed just how far the national team are lagging behind their rivals.
He made no excuses for the losses to Afghanistan, Scotland and the Netherlands, suggesting each team was better than the UAE side.
“I feel this team is ageing and there is no fitness because it is hard for guys who are in their late 30s,” Aaqib said.
“I think there are better teams, I’d admit that, but we still have two games and we have a chance to get through.
“We have to adapt to professionalism because UAE are the only team of part-timers. Every other team has full-time players.
“We need to adapt, otherwise there is no way we can move forward. This is what I am going to stress after this tournament: once and for all, we have to adapt.”
Since the UAE qualified for the 2013 World T20, and the 50 over version earlier this year, they have lost their most influential player, Khurram Khan.
Young players are not exactly queuing up to replace him, though, or at least have yet to be trusted to do so. The average age of the side in the win over Canada was over 31.
The win against the Canadians will have provided a boost to morale ahead of the final two pool matches, against Kenya today and Oman on Friday, not least because of a return to form for Rohan Mustafa.
The left-handed all-rounder had a miserable World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, and was only brought back into the squad from the standby list after injury to Saqib Ali.
He took two wickets, as the UAE’s three spinners took six of the nine wickets to fall in restricting Canada to 132 from their 20 overs.
Mohammed Shahzad struck 56 at the top of the UAE’s reply, and victory was secured with five deliveries to spare.
pradley@thenational.ae
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