UAE look to turn promise into progress at the World Cup

Snapshot

Despite quite literally being at the centre of the cricketing world, possessing world class facilities and their own top-tier franchise tournament, probably to the envy of other Associate nations, the UAE's performances haven't always echoed the resources at their disposal. They're a team still trying to find their voice amongst the giants, straddling between punching well above their weight and squandering opportunities.

Yet, after making it through as the last side before the bell rang, Scotland's backdoor entry notwithstanding, the UAE will arrive with a quiet conviction of causing a stir. With 11 wins in T20Is against full-member nations, the most for an associate side alongside Namibia, they're no strangers to causing upsets. In conditions that aren't too different from home, the key to their success will lie in gelling consistency with flair.

The squad, and what it tells us

Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma (wk), Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Mayank Kumar, Muhammad Arfan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Zohaib, Rohid Khan, Sohaib Khan, Simranjeet Singh

Muhammad Waseem, Alishan Sharafu and Junaid Siddique are the only three remnants from the squad that played the 2022 T20 World Cup and that, on the surface, points to a squad that is rather thin on international experience. There is a sense of stability and clarity of roles, however, with the core of the side remaining intact through a chequered 2025.

Sharafu dropping down the order has made room for Aryansh Sharma who will open the batting with Waseem. Dhruv Parashar offers crucial balance with his batting and off-breaks and he will share spin-bowling duties with Haider Ali. Junaid Siddique will take the new ball with Muhammad Arfan and Muhammad Jawadullah being the other likely pace options. There's a cushion of backups and options to fall-back on too.

An undertested and underperforming middle-order remains their weakest link with much of the responsibility resting on Sharafu's shoulders. The bowlers, meanwhile, must remain wary of losing control and discipline.

The road to the World Cup

The UAE almost didn't make it to the World Cup and took the 20th and last remaining spot, beating Japan in a must-win encounter at last year's Asia & EAP Qualifiers in October. They finished third at that competition, behind comparable peers Nepal and Oman after dropping games against both. They then endured a winless Asia Cup Rising Stars campaign and went on to lose two T20Is to Ireland at home in the lead-up to the World Cup.

While their recent results paint a rather bleak picture, there was no question of either promise or potential when they ran Afghanistan close in a Tri-Series and when they nearly took a game off Pakistan in the Asia Cup that followed. Step back a couple more months and there lies a 2-1 series win over Bangladesh. Their win-percentage of 60.97% since the last T20 World Cup provides further evidence that their recent results point to a bumpy patch rather than a worrying rut.

Last five T20Is: W-W-L-L-L (latest)

The way they play

The Emiratis lean heavily on their top-order to get them off to a flyer in the PowerPlay. While, it remains to be seen whether their new opening pair of Waseem and Aryansh Sharma can match the effectiveness of the Waseem-Sharafu duo in the long run, the move to push the in-form Sharafu down could rejuvenate a struggling middle-order that has repeatedly failed to sustain the momentum created in the PowerPlay. Their struggles in through the middle have been somewhat mitigated by consistent and handy contributions from the lower order - a trend revealed by the 9.11 run-rate they've managed to score at in the final phase compared to 7.07 in overs 7-15 since the last World Cup.

Junaid Siddique has a pedigree for taking early wickets. In fact, he's third on the list of bowlers with most wickets in the first over of a T20I and he remains the UAE's most potent wicket-taker. Like every Asian side, the spinners will dictate control through the middle while the pacers will rely on executing their variations at the death.

Who can bend a match in 10 balls

Captain Muhammad Waseem remains the most destructive asset in the UAE's arsenal. A career strike-rate north of 150 in over 90 T20Is shows he wastes little time and his penchant for ball-striking is validated by the fact that he's second on the list of six-hitters in T20Is, only behind Rohit Sharma. A blitz from Waseem at the top of the order could easily bend a game in UAE's favour while a prolonged stay could prove decisive.

Scheduling

UAE have had the luck of the draw with their scheduling. After their opening game against New Zealand in Chennai, they fly to Delhi where they can settle in for their next three games - affording them the rare luxury of attaining comfort and familiarity of the conditions. The flat surfaces and short boundaries at Delhi will only aid ball-strikers like Waseem and Sharafu. The converse, however, is also true and the Emirati bowlers are likely to be in for a stern test.

Banana peel fixture

On paper at least, Canada appears to be the easiest scalp on offer, particularly in conditions that are alien to the North American side. Still, overlooking Canada's firepower at a high-scoring venue that rewards stroke-play could prove detrimental. A hiccup against them could send UAE's entire World Cup campaign down an ungainly spiral.

What a good World Cup looks like

The UAE have just one win across two T20 World Cups and their first order of business will be to at least double that. Should they beat Canada, taking a game off Afghanistan in their next fixture will start to look plausible, particularly considering the recent results between the two teams. Games against New Zealand and South Africa bookend UAE's campaign and will undoubtedly be their toughest challenges. But misstep from either combined with a bit of luck and zeal, the UAE could be reaching for the Super 8s - an outcome that would represent a long-awaited step forward on the world stage.