Today's Edition
KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
The UAE women’s cricket team head in to their Asia Cup opening game on Friday in Sri Lanka, buoyant after receiving the ICC Associate Member Women’s Performance of the Year award for their form book in the season gone by.
When they start the Asian campaign against Nepal in Dambulla, the UAE cricketers will try to make up for the disappointment of missing out on the T20 World Cup – to be hosted by Bangladesh in October.
However, they are in a tough Group A with India and Pakistan, too. Group B in the tournament, expanded to eight teams this year, comprises Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Thailand.
Led by Esha Oza and coached by former UAE captain Ahmed Reza, the team will hope to make up for the most of the opportunity at a larger Asia Cup to prepare for their next bid on the global stage, and the accolade from the governing body, the International Cricket Council, could be the inspiration card they need.
The rise of the Emirati women’s team was on full display in 2023, going unbeaten at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier in Kuala Lumpur, and capped off with a win in the final over a strong Thailand side, someone whom they had never beaten before.
The finalists have been rewarded with spots in the Asia Cup, and although the national side agonisingly fell short in the World Cup qualification, the momentum has been acknowledged.
“It is a matter of great honour and pride for our team and the country,” said Oza to the ICC website.
“We did well in the Asian qualifier and notched up a few firsts, including that win over Thailand."
“We been playing against bigger and better teams than us to test ourselves. We have a lot of support staff, like strength and conditioning coaches, and making use of some very good facilities, so all that is helping us grow our game,” she added.
Although the UAE women’s team played its first one-day international in 2007, the country achieved Twenty20 International status only in 2018.
However, the national team did not play any games from 2019 and 2021.
Calling the ICC award a “proud moment”, the General Secretary of Emirates Cricket Board, Mubashshir Usmani, said: “Over the last few years, we have laid special emphasis on promoting and developing women’s cricket and it is heartening to see those efforts have now started to bear fruit. We now have more than 1,000 players registered and playing across the country."
“This success has been possible due to the hard work and the training that these girls undergo at our facilities. We are happy with the progress of our team as they continue to rise in their rankings while their upward curve is evident from their outstanding performance in the recent ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in Abu Dhabi.”
Reza also weighed in, “We have a developing tournament; players are coming through the circuit and playing age-group tournaments... there are more home-grown players coming and a there are more eyeballs on the women’s team than before. Such a recognition [from the ICC] then obviously helps.”
Meanwhile, the ICC handed the Initiative of the Year award in women’s cricket to Oman.
Following the UAE’s lead, the cricket board in Oman had launched a Cricket4Her programme which impressed the governing body.
UAE’s first match against Nepal begins 12.30pm UAE time.
