UAE captain Mohammad Tauqir insists his players must stick to the basics and play patiently when they take on Ireland in today’s Intercontinental Cup first-round match.
Tauqir’s side enter the four-day game at Malahide on the back of a 275-run warm-up defeat to Scotland last week where they were all out for 73 before scoring 278 in their second innings.
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While Tauqir was happy with how his team responded in the second innings where Swapnil Patil scored a ton, he admits players cannot afford to take any more risks.
“We didn’t have a good first innings at all against Scotland but we recovered to bat for nearly 90 overs in the second innings,” said the Emirati.
“The players learnt quickly in the second innings and in order to put on a good score, we will need to learn from our mistakes.”
The 43-year-old added: “We have to stay at the crease, remain focused and play our shots sensibly.
“In bowling, we have to bowl in the right areas and the results will follow. The fast bowlers will need to do well and bowl the right line of length and it’s essential we stick to our basics.”
The UAE will be boosted by the return of vice-captain Khurram Khan, having joined the squad over the weekend. And the skipper believes Khan can make a big impact. “Khurram has been one of the most consistent players for the UAE now and he can pose serious threats to Ireland as he has good variations of batting shots,” he said.
“His inclusion will definitely add value to the team.”
The UAE know Ireland fairly well having met them on many occasions, with the latter winning by two wickets in their World Cup Pool B match in February.
Coach Aaqib Javed, who will make at least one change to today’s side, believes it’s important to res-trict the hosts to less than 350 to have any hope of winning.
