The Emirates Cricket Board’s (ECB) quest of identifying the next batch of youngsters to play for the UAE Under-19 team resumed on Wednesday as 25 youths were put through their paces.
Having beaten more than 100 hopefuls thanks to their impressive performances in the ECB’s InterEmirate tournament in April, the cricketers will now set their sights on going one step further and represent the national side in the 2018 World Cup pre-qualifiers in Malaysia in September.
They will get a chance to make their case during an intensive three-month training period with the ECB looking to narrow the shortlist at the end of June before naming the final 15-man squad.
With top Gulf and Asian sides set to compete in Kuala Lumpur, the boys were given a taste of how tough it will be by undergoing a gruelling three-hour fitness session led by ICC Academy’s Sport Science Lead, Peter Kelly.
ECB national development manager Andrew Russell was impressed with the work ethic and insists it will stand them in good stead for the rest of the selection process.
“There are some good talented youngsters who have some extraordinary abilities,” he said. “But they still have a long way to go because they are at the stage where they don’t understand the importance of how crucial fitness is in cricket.
“From where they are now and where they could be at the end of the three-month camp, it will be a huge jump for them and it will give them an idea that fitness is important.
“Although the players will be working on their batting, fielding and bowling skills, we really want to spend a lot of time with the boys while working on their physical and mental aspects.
“In previous years, we’ve relied pretty much on players to be fit by themselves but now we have three months to analyse their performances which is enough time for us.”
Although there will be no matches for the group, Russell revealed there are plans for the final squad to test themselves in a home series in Dubai in September.
“We are in talks with Zimbabwe Cricket Board in allowing their Under-17s side to tour the UAE so that it can give them as much preparation for the pre-World Cup qualifiers,” the South African said.
“If that falls through, we will be looking to play in some domestic competitions. We want to challenge the boys and put them out of their comfort zone in a strong competition because that will increase the burden on them.”
One youngster who will be hoping to don the UAE national colours later this year is Waruna Perera.
The 18-year-old is no stranger to the national set-up having skippered the team in last year’s ACC Premier League in Malaysia.
After just one session from a possible 23, the batsman is fully aware he faces a tough task to book his ticket to Malaysia.
“Looking at the players who the ECB have selected, competition is going to be fierce,” he said. “That is good to see because it shows the cricket academies are producing talented players and that means I have to work really hard than ever before.”
