UAE coach Aaqib Javed has welcomed the idea of playing in the 2016 Asia Cup qualifying tournament later this year.
According to Cricinfo, the UAE will compete against Afghanistan, Hong Kong and Oman in a round-robin format for the only place in the main round, which is scheduled to take place between March 1 and 10, 2016.
The winner of a four-team Associate qualifier involving UAE, Oman, AFG and HK will advance to the 2016 Asia Cup T20. http://t.co/VLWSUgnKpv
— Peter Della Penna (@PeterDellaPenna) September 5, 2015
Dates for the qualifiers are yet to be finalised, but could be played towards the end of November in the UAE.
Javed’s side will have plenty of match practice by then, with a four-day InterContinental Cup and two 50-over games against Hong Kong in early November, while Afghanistan play Papua New Guinea in Sharjah during the same period.
The UAE will be seeking to reach their third Asia Cup after appearances in 2004 and 2008 and with tough opponents in the main round, Javed insists the potential qualifiers would be a great test.
“If we can play to our potential, then it’s a great chance for us to qualify. But it will not be easy. Everyone knows how strong Afghanistan are,” he said. “They are getting stronger year by year. Oman and Hong Kong are not easy as well but it’s a good opportunity for Associate teams to get involved.”
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After missing out on next year’s World Twenty20 in India following a dismal display in Scotland where they won only one of their six games, Javed made no secret that he will bring in some new faces.
“I am already trying to find out the best possible players because if you see after the World Cup, there were many players who are not interested in the UAE cricket anymore having fulfilled their dreams of playing in a World Cup,” he said.
“It’s time to rebuild the team and we will definitely include some youngsters who will still be in the country for the next four to five years. It’s a crucial time for us.”
And based on what he saw during the recently-concluded U-19 ACC Premier League in Malaysia, the 43-year-old hinted fast-bowler Yodhin Punja is on his radar after finishing top wicket-taker in the tournament with 14 scalps.
