Captain Mohammad Tauqir revealed the UAE dressing room has nicknamed Shaiman Anwar ‘Sir Viv’ after the incomparable West Indies legend Sir Vivian Richards, and the batsman is living up to it.
– #Quiz360: WIN Dh250 to spend at Legends Sports Bar
– Tendulkar calls on ICC to include more CWC teams in 2019, not less
Anwar was the UAE’s top-scorer for the fourth successive match, and his 62 helped the side get to within 129 runs of the Pakistan total of 339 for seven. It swelled his tally to 270 making him the highest run-getter in the 2015 World Cup.
“He is a brilliant batsman. He is a very, very confident individual in the team and I am so happy for him.
“He’s doing very well for himself and the team,” said Tauqir, speaking to the media after their loss yesterday at McLean Park.
The UAE fans are enjoying this partnership between Khurram Khan and Shaiman Anwar #cwc15 #PAKvUAE https://t.co/vaRKcXthcV
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) March 4, 2015
“He’s such a confident individual that we call him Sir Viv in the dressing room. It’s because of the belief he has, and also for the aggressive way in which he bats.
“Even today, I think he missed a hundred. He just needed to stay on to the end, but an excellent performance.”
After four matches, UAE’s Shaiman Anwar is the leading run scorer at the World Cup. And they says the minnows can’t play.
— Lunga Biyela (@KingBiyela) March 4, 2015
Before the World Cup, Anwar had scored 129 runs from seven one-day internationals. But he has doubled that tally in just four games.
His strike rate in the tournament is an impressive 100 and his average of 67.50 is the second best among the top four run-getters behind Kumar Sangakkara (134.00).
As for the match, Tauqir said it was always going to be difficult for the UAE once they dropped a couple of early catches and allowed Pakistan to set a target of 340.
He felt the two early chances to Pakistan top-scorer Ahmed Shehzad shut the UAE out of the game, saying: “The fielding was below the mark today. We dropped a few catches and if we would have taken those, the total would have been different.
Kudos Shaiman Anwar! Another reason why Associate Nations need to be given more opportunities. #PakvsUAE pic.twitter.com/uwXqmLXhqG
— Abhishek Joshi (@kaalicharan) March 4, 2015
“I think 340 was a huge total. In pursuit of that, we didn’t want to get out in 30 overs and make a mockery of ourselves.
“The plan was to keep wickets in hand and build the innings. At the end, in the last 15 overs or so, we could have gone for big hits.
“Unfortunately, we lost a few early wickets and we needed to slow down and build a partnership.”
Tauqir also defended his decision to alter the team strategy of batting first after winning the toss.
STOP PRESS: It’s not de Villiers, not Gayle and not Sangakkara. Shaiman Anwar is the top run-getter in #CWC15 (Runs: 269* Avg:90*) #PAKvUAE
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) March 4, 2015
“We thought probably the wicket had a little bit of moisture and the conditions were overcast when play started, so we wanted to get them all out earlier and then chase the runs,” explained Tauqir.
The UAE’s next match is against South Africa on March 12, in Wellington.
