UAE woes continue in one-day cricket with defeat to USA in CWCL2

The latest new-look for UAE in one-day international cricket appeared very much like the previous ones after they were soundly beaten by the United States.

The four-wicket loss in Dubai to the table-topping tourists cast the national team further adrift at the foot of the Cricket World Cup League 2.

The search for answers to the UAE’s ills in ODI cricket already looks increasingly desperate given the squad they named for this tri-series, which also includes Nepal.

They started the match well behind everyone else at the bottom of the CWCL2 table. Of 16 matches to this point, they had won a mere three.

Their opposition, by contrast, were riding high. They lead the table, starting the day level on points with defending champions Scotland, who had played three more matches than them, with 15 wins from 21 matches.

The away side were also fresh from a comprehensive win over resurgent Nepal two days earlier.

It was six months since the UAE last played the format, and nearly half the side was new. Ahead of the toss at Dubai International Stadium, five new caps were handed out.

Some of the debutants were already familiar. Haider Ali, Mohammed Rohid and Harshit Kaushik were all part of the T20 side who won qualification for that format's World Cup, in Muscat earlier this month. Mohammed Shahdad and Shoaib Khan, though, were new to national team colours.

Despite the relative ease with which the USA claimed the points, the UAE could at least take cheer from the fact almost all the new recruits showed signs of promise.

First to shine was Shahdad, the 24-year-old Dubai-raised batter, who anchored the recovery after the home team fell to 4-2 in the second over.

The 24-year-old right-hander’s 79-ball 34 might not appear spectacular on the scorecard. But it showed the sort of discipline that has been sorely absent during the UAE’s slump in this format in recent years.

Shoaib then looked bright before running himself out for 27 from 28 balls. Even his dismissal spoke of a positive mindset. Maybe it was an injudicious run, but at least it was not the sort of comic mix-up that has often beset the UAE top order in this format in the past.

Kaushik then showed why he has had faith invested in him by Lalchand Rajput, the coach. The left-hander showed in a remarkable innings of 44 not out in 12 balls in the T20 Qualifier in Muscat that he has rare power-hitting ability.

That was evident again on his first trip to the crease in the ODI format. Kaushik hit four sixes in his 54-ball innings of 53 – two of which made it into the second tier of the stands.

His effort meant the UAE at least batted out their 50 overs – a feat they have only achieved five times in their past 12 ODIs.

Making it all the way through their quota of overs was also something that appeared a long way off, given the start they made against the excellence of Saurabh Netravalkar. The left-arm swing bowler took 3-28 from his 10 overs after taking the new ball for the USA.

The target of 212 always felt within the compass of the league leaders, even if the UAE did show fight with the ball.

Junaid Siddique led the way. The UAE pace spearhead fired out both the USA’s dangerous openers, Smit Patel and Andries Gous, within the first three overs of the chase.

Haider was thrifty in taking 1-28, while his fellow left-arm spinner Simranjeet Singh took 2-48.

Although the home team continued to fight, consecutive half-century stands, first between Monank Patel and Milind Kumar, then between Kumar and Shubham Ranjane, took the game beyond the UAE.

The national team will bid to recover some ground to their rivals when they face Nepal, who are second last in the table, at the ICC Academy on Thursday.