UAE coach Javed lauds presence of Khan and Tauqir in new selection panel

Denzil Pinto 08:51 13/01/2016
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  • UAE coach Aaqib Javed feels the team will start improving within a year.

    Head coach Aaqib Javed insists the UAE are now “moving in the right direction” and hailed the Emirates Cricket Board’s (ECB) new selection committee.

    Following a series of interviews overseen by ECB chief David East, UAE’s high performance manager Will Kitchen and Javed, a newly formed panel was announced on Sunday as part of the team’s plans of establishing a more professional set-up.

    Former captains Khurram Khan and Mohammad Tauqir, who were both interviewed, were named in the panel alongside ECB member Zayed Abbas and Sharjah Cricket Council vice-chairman and chief selector Waleed Bukhatir.

    The four individuals will watch domestic games across the country and work closely with local cricket councils in identifying talent for future national squads.

    Javed, who also sat on the board, had nothing but praise for the committee, saying Khurram’s and Tauqir’s experience will be vital.

    “They are all young guys with new ideas,” said the 43-year-old. “They all are sports fans and that’s very encouraging.

    “Waleed and Zayed bring a lot of experience and I feel with the addition of Khurram and Tauqir, who were the two best options (in the interview stage), and both being  captains, they have good knowledge of the game. So it’s a good decision by the board.”

    The pair has plenty of experience, playing 186 matches between them. And the fact they retired last year is a big plus, insists .

    “There are several things that we want to do and are really confident that Khurram and Tauqir will bring something new to this selection process,” said the 1992 World Cup winner.

    “They know UAE cricket inside out. They recently retired and know who the players are and who are the up and coming talent, so it’s all good.

    “This is the same for any professional national team around the world. You will find three or four cricketers on a panel and they all understand the game so this is the first step moving forward.”

    Javed also revealed there are plans to launch a ‘talent hunt’ programme across the country in their bid to spot players.

    “Nowadays, if you want to play in the UAE national team, you would have had to have play in a ‘A’ Division tournament otherwise it’s really difficult to get into the UAE team,” he said. “It’s not ideal if you are living in remote areas of the country or playing in a ‘B’ or ‘C’ division side. There are plans to roll out the programme across the emirate and if there is talent, then we want to train them and develop them. We don’t want to waste any talent and want this to create a pathway to the national side.”

    East confirmed the first ever central contracts should be in place by next month, giving the opportunity for Javed to work with full-time players.

    The ex-Pakistani fast-bowler believes once that is introduced, the UAE will reap the rewards with the side now going through a rebuilding phase after two World Cup qualifications

    “I would think after one year, the UAE will improve considerably because there are some very talented players  who have played first-class cricket in India and Pakistan.

    “They are close to meeting the qualification criteria and then they can play for the UAE so it’s very encouraging for the future,” he said.

    “If we can be patient this year and work hard the UAE will make big progress. It’s a crucial time but we are definitely going in the right direction.”

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