UAE beaten as former academy coach Ali prospers
On another chastening day for UAE cricket at least one person from Dubai was able to celebrate at the ACC Premier Cup in Muscat.
The national team’s frailties were exposed again as they were thrashed by hosts Oman. Issues that had been papered over with opening wins against Kuwait and Bahrain resurfaced as they were entirely outplayed.
In a game reduced to 15-overs a side by rain, the home team won by nine wickets with more than two overs to spare.
On the neighbouring field at the Oman Cricket Academy, Qasim Ali might have been an intrigued observer, were he not wholly invested in his new remit instead.
Since the start of this year, Qasim has been in charge of Kuwait. For much of the recent past, he had played an integral role preparing the brightest young talents in the UAE for international cricket as the head coach at the ICC Academy in Dubai.
His first assignment at this 10-team event in Oman pitted his new charges against some familiar faces last week, when the UAE beat Kuwait.
Yesterday, though, he was able to savour an uplifting win as Kuwait beat another of the Gulf sides at the competition, Bahrain, by 26 runs in a similarly rain-abbreviated game.
“It was an excellent win,” Qasim said. “They stuck to a plan, which is really pleasing to see, and it is another win on the board.”
While his focus was on Oval 2 at the Oman Cricket Academy, on the adjacent field the UAE toiled against Oman.
Asif Khan struck his third half century in a row. But fine bowling from Bilal Khan – who became the third fastest player to 100 T20 international career wickets – limited the national team to 142-5 from their 15 overs. Kashyap Prajapati, Naseem Khushi and Khalid Kail hit 11 sixes between them in the 12.4 overs needed to finish the job.
Qasim, for his part, knows the UAE players better than he does his Kuwait ones.
“It does feel strange, seeing them in the hotel and not being part of their set up,” Qasim said. “Some of them came through my scholarship programme for five years, someone like Ali Naseer, who is showing some really good confidence.”