The UAE will look to fine-tune their preparations for this week’s ICC World Twenty20 qualifiers when they face familiar foes Ireland in a warm-up game on Monday.
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It will be the first official T20 game for the UAE having played practice matches against Jersey Men’s XI and Kenya. They won those encounters by eight wickets and 100 run respectively, and will be looking to extend that run against the strong Irish team ahead of their opener against Scotland, scheduled for Thursday.
UAE coach Aaqib Javed has named an experienced squad led by Mohammad Tauqir with new boys batsman Abdul Shakoor and allrounder Umair Ali also included.
Tauqir’s side will know Ireland fairly well having met them twice last year. At the 2014 World Twenty20, the UAE suffered a 21-run defeat on Duckworth-Lewis, while Ireland claimed a thrilling two-wicket victory at this year’s ICC Cricket World Cup in Brisbane.
Despite the retirements of Ed Joyce and Tim Murtagh, Ireland coach John Bracewell has selected a squad with a blend of youth and experience, with veterans Kevin and Niall O’Brien as well as uncapped Tyrone Kane all named.
UAE Squad: Mohammad Tauqir (captain), Fayyaz Ahmed, Amjad Ali, Saqib Ali, Umair Ali, Shaiman Anwar, Faizan Asif, Nasir Aziz, Manjula Guruge, Amjad Javed, Muhammad Naveed, Swapnil Patil, Ahmed Raza, Muhammad Shahzad, Abdul Shakoor
