UAE would be joyed after making the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifiers 2022. The team was not a part of the 2021 T20 World Cup Qualifiers as PNG(Papua New Guinea had pipped them). Since the conclusion of the last edition, UAE has played 13 T20Is and has won 7 out of them.
Squad: CP Rizwan (c), Vrittya Aravind, Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, Basil Hameed, Aryan Lakra, Zawar Farid, Khasif Daud, Karthik Meiyappan, Ahmed Raza, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Sabir Ali, Alishan Sharafu, Aayan Khan.
Standby Players: Sultan Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Vishnu Sukumaran, Adithya Shetty, Sanchit Sharma
Strengths
UAE has got a consistent batter present in the ranks in the form of Muhammad Waseem. The right-handed batter has scored 503 runs in 13 matches since the conclusion of the last edition. His form would be critical for the team as he can single-handedly ruins any team’s journey.
Weaknesses
UAE bowlers don’t have the express pace to disturb the batters. There is no doubt that medium pacers would be effective but they can be predictable too. UAE Selection Panel has taken a bold move by dropping their most experienced player Rohan Mustafa which is quite baffling as senior players are needed for a marquee tournament.
Fixtures
16th October: United Arab Emirates vs Netherlands at Geelong at 13:30 IST
18th October: United Arab Emirates vs Sri Lanka at Geelong at 13:30 IST
20th October: United Arab Emirates vs Namibia at Geelong at 13:30 IST
Chances
UAE knows that it’s unlikely that they will qualify for the tournament. The team’s matches are at the night and would have dew where they can take advantage of it. UAE would be aware that they are failing in the crunch situation of the match just like in Asia Cup 2022 where they were knocked out in the Qualifiers stage.
UAE’s biggest opponent would be Sri Lanka. The island nation currently is in red hot form. UAE should keep one thing in mind they should not give up as NRR (Net Run Rate) can play a huge role in the Qualifiers.
Also Read: Uphill Challenge for Namibia