Dubai: The UAE cricket team brought their 2027 World Cup qualifying campaign back on track with a stunning, morale-boosting win over hosts Namibia in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2.
Vishnu Sukumaran, who engineered the fightback with a battling 97, feels the team has enough experience to qualify for the showpiece event.
“It is a morale-boosting win for us after four straight losses. All are experienced players in the team, either with the UAE team or in their past. But after landing in Namibia, the conditions at the high-altitude venue were challenging. So it was difficult to adapt straight away. Now I think we will do well,” the 33-year-old Kerala-born all-rounder told Gulf News.
Windhoek, located on the Khomas Highland plateau at 5,600 feet above sea level, posed significant challenges. Sukumaran explained that it was hard to catch their breath after running quick singles or doubles. However, he was grateful for his stint with the UAE Falcons, which helped him get accustomed to the conditions better. Many players from that tour have now found a place in the UAE squad for the qualifiers.
“The tour helped me a lot, and almost seven players from the UAE A team have been selected for the senior team. Because it’s a high-altitude area, breathing is very important. It’s tough to get your breath back, and it’s also difficult to hold high catches. The ball either comes very fast or gets stuck in the sky due to strong winds,” he added.
Overcoming tough conditions
Sukumaran also highlighted the sharp temperature variations in Namibia, which further complicated the game. “Coming from Dubai, where it’s around 40 degrees Celsius, here the morning temperatures drop to six or seven degrees, and it gets hotter in the afternoon. So adapting quickly is key,” he said.
Chasing a daunting target of 314, the UAE struggled initially, finding themselves at 82 for two when Sukumaran walked in. After losing Alishan Sharafu with only 15 more runs added, the team soon found themselves in deep trouble at five down for 114.
It was the arrival of veteran Basil Hameed that settled the nerves. Sukumaran and Hameed, who have played together since their under-14 days, leant on their experience and set small targets to inch closer to the total on a difficult pitch with uneven bounce.
“It was a high target, and the asking rate was high, so we decided to punish the loose balls. Basil accelerated the score with a 47-ball 71, and that helped me play around him. That’s how we got closer to the target,” the left-hander added.
Finishing strong
The dismissal of Hameed opened the door for Namibia, and when Sukumaran fell for 97, missing out on a well-deserved century, UAE were in trouble again. However, 20-year-old Ali Naseer showed maturity beyond his years to score an unbeaten 38 invaluable runs, guiding the UAE to victory. With 22 runs still needed when Sukumaran left, Naseer, alongside the injured last man Muhammad Jawadullah, scored the required runs with three balls to spare.
This record chase, UAE’s highest in an ODI, from a difficult situation, should boost their confidence for the upcoming matches. The Muhammad Waseem-led team will face the USA in their next match on Tuesday, needing to extend their winning momentum.
The UAE currently sits at the bottom of the table with two points from five matches, while Canada tops the table with 14 points from 11 matches, followed by the Netherlands (12 points from eight matches) and the USA (10 from seven). The USA have been flying high since the beginning of the year and have beaten giants like Pakistan in the Twenty20 World Cup at home. They are on a roll and barring the Netherlands, they have managed to remain unscathed. A victory against USA will not only strengthen UAE’s hopes, but also will give them the belief in the long league.
