Five things UAE cricket must address in the New Year

Barnaby Read 09:30 25/12/2016
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  • UAE has endured a difficult 2016.

    UAE cricket’s 2016 came to an abrupt end in defeat to Afghanistan in the three-match T20I series this week.

    Around the corner in the New Year are warm-ups to April’s crucial Intercontinental Cup fixture with Papua New Guinea in Abu Dhabi.

    Ahead of those fixtures, Sport360.com’s online deputy editor, Barnaby Read, looks at five things UAE must address at the turn of 2017.

    What do you think of the UAE’s record in 2016 and what would you like to see them change in the New Year?

    Have your say by commenting below, using #360fans on Twitter or getting in touch via Facebook.

    FULL-TIME COACH

    By the end of January, interim coach Owais Shah’s second temporary deal will be up.

    It will also mark nine months since their most successful ever coach Aaqib Javed handed in his resignation.

    Whether Shah is the man for the job or it is someone else, UAE must appoint a full-time coach to lead them forward for the sake of stability, continuity and allow someone to put their stamp on the team as they look to forge UAE’s transition into a professional team.

    BATSMEN MUST CONVERT STARTS

    Speaking to Shah after the Lions series his frustration was evidently clear that his batsmen continue to get starts but not make the most of their opportunities.

    In the subsequent series against a very strong Afghanistan, the likes of Rohan Mustafa and Shaiman Anwar again made good early on but could not see innings out.

    If they are to turn around their woeful record in 2016 then these batsmen must start taking responsibility and proving that they can go big when their team need them the most.

    DOMESTIC GAME RESTRUCTURING AND INVESTMENT

    Time and again this notion has been raised but if the Emirates Cricket Board want to take UAE cricket to new levels then they must rip up the domestic structure and start again.

    The regional boards must be brought together, the importance of longer format tournaments and competition for places among UAE nationals as well as extra investment must be instigated and sourced.

    It is time people put UAE cricket’s needs ahead of their own or risk yet more teams like Danube turning their back on the domestic game and leaving national team players with limited opportunities.

    GET SOME FANS

    Somehow, someway, the ECB and its regional boards must engage the local cricketing community.

    Send players to schools, get the professional internationals to run training sessions and make the enormous expat communities from the sub-continent aware of their compatriots taking up the willow for their shared adopted nation.

    The next time Afghanistan, or other teams for that matter, come to play in the UAE, they should be outnumbered by UAE supporters and not the other way round.

    A good starting point? Send schools along to games and give them some UAE flags to wave.

    SEND PLAYERS OVERSEAS

    When missing out on the Pakistan Super League action, Ahmed Raza spoke of the need for UAE players to be given an opportunity outside of the country.

    A good standard of club cricket in England, domestic seasons in Pakistan and elsewhere in the world are not beyond UAE players and their CVs, combined with the clout of the ECB and their bed buddies from Pakistan should help.

    Like with many things on this list, definitive action combined with desire and support would go a long way.

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