Dubai: UAE will take on England A team in three 50-over games at the Dubai International Stadium from December 1 to 3. The series is likely to give UAE players the much-needed exposure. The UAE team will be lead by Amjad Javed.
Speaking to Gulf News, Javed said: “A series like this will give us confidence. When the opponents are class professional players, automatically our performance too will improve.”
The UAE selection committee with Waleed Bukhatir as chief selector has picked youngsters like Chirag Suri and Rohit Singh, who had excelled in domestic Inter University cricket tournaments.
Former England Test star Owais Shah, who was appointed this month as Emirates Cricket Board’s (ECB) interim Head Coach, and Pakistan pacer Rana Naveed Ul Hassan as bowling coach, are shaping the team to take on the England A team.
“Owais and Rana are helping us by putting extra pressure in training to increase our level of performance and face the challenges that we have in front of us,” added Javed, who has just returned from America after playing a whirlwind knock for Danube UAE Falcons in 2X Cricket Cup in Houston, Texas.
Waleed Bukhatir, commenting on the team and series, said: “This series is an important component of our team’s preparations ahead of a very busy 2017 calendar. Only by competing against full-professional sides can we collectively, including our players and our performance team, analyse and implement effective practices. We are very pleased with the continued support the England and Wales Cricket Board provide us, and our men’s team, through such opportunities.”
Javed, expressing happiness with the team combination, said: “Team is a very balanced one and the amount of work every one is put in during the practice sessions by all is remarkable.”
England A are likely to play a four-day match against Afghanistan too from December 8 at the Abu Dhabi Zayed Cricket Stadium. The team arrives here after training under the guidance of former England spinner Graeme Swann. England A are made up of top performers in English county cricket. After the UAE tour, the England A team will fly to Sri Lanka to play their A team.
The ECB have announced that the entry to watch the series between England A and UAE will be free.
UAE team: Amjad Javed (C), Ahmed Raza, Atif Ali Khan, Chirag Suri, Ghulam Shabeer, Imran Haider, Mana Shahzad, Muhammad Usman, Mohammed Qasim, Mohammed Naveed, Muhammed Shanil, Qadeer Ahmad, Rohit Singh, Rameez Shahzad, Rohan Mustafa, Sreekumar Laxman and Shaiman Anwar
