UAE head coach Dougie Brown has urged his players to“play at the top of their game as a team” and adjust to conditions quickly if they want to seal a series win against the Netherlands.
The two nations meet on Monday in the first of the three-match 50-over series in Amsterdam with the tourists looking to continue their good form under Brown.
Under his helm as interim, the team won eight of 12 matches but face a stern test to add to that record with the Dutch sitting top of the 50-over World Cricket League Championship.
The UAE arrived on Wednesday and although heavy rain washed out practice for one day, Brown is hopeful his troops can “hit the ground running”. “We have to be flexible and make adjustments quickly,” said the 47-year-old.
“We have not played a match in these conditions but we have practised although that is different to playing. Time hasn’t allowed us to get much match practice under our belt so we’re going to have to make adjustments quickly.
“We have to be competitive in these conditions as practice is completely different to what you’re faced in match situations.”
The Dutch come into the game on the back of a 2-1 home series loss to Zimbabwe in this format but Brown is fully aware of the threats posed by the hosts.
“We are coming into someone else’s conditions and that will be a challenge,” he said. “But it’s a challenge that we are prepared for and I see it as an opportunity. We’re definitely not favourites. The Dutch are playing really good cricket. We know if we want to compete with them, we have to play at the top of our game as a team to win the series.”
