Following the surprise announcement that Mohammed Tauqir would replace Khurram Khan as the UAE's captain at the cricket World Cup in New Zealand and Australia, Jaideep Marar looks at the task at hand for Tauqir.
The UAE has long struggled to attract Emiratis to take up cricket, dominated by the expatriates from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In this context, the slightly surprising appointment of Mohammed Tauqir as UAE captain for the upcoming World Cup is a logical step by the Emirates Cricket Board.
But it brings with it a massive challenge as Tauqir takes over the reins from long-serving captain Khurram Khan, 35 days before the World Cup.
It is an extremely short time frame for the captain and the players to get accustomed to the new arrangement. The off-spinner will have to draw from his decade-long international experience if the UAE are to make an impact in the tournament, where they have been drawn in Pool B alongside defending champions India, Pakistan, the West Indies, South Africa, Ireland and Zimbabwe.
The 43-year-old is the second Emirati to lead the UAE in a World Cup after Sultan Zarawani, who captained the side during their 1996 campaign, the UAE's only previous appearance at the tournament.
A former captain, Tauqir is not new to the role, but this assignment is a daunting one as they are pitted against the world’s best limited-overs teams.
There are a few positives which should work in his favour though.
Having returned to the side five months ago after last turning out for the UAE in 2012, he has settled back into the setup nicely and he knows the squad and the goals they have set out to achieve.
Importantly, he doesn’t need to look far for help with Khan is his deputy.
The big change at the top could also prove beneficial to the team as Khan, easily the best player in the squad, will be able to play more freely without the pressure of captaincy.
The 43-year-old, born on the exact same day in history as Tauqir, has been in roaring form in the build-up to the World Cup and averaged 270 runs in their first series victory against Afghanistan last month.
The squad has a decent mix of tried and tested players and most of them have been together since Aaqib Javed took over as coach three years ago.
Javed, who had an excellent working relationship with Khan, targeted the 2014 World Twenty20 and the World Cup 2015 qualification as his immediate targets, achieving both.
The change in guard should not affect that alliance in any way as Khan can continue to provide the leadership with his displays and Javed the guidance to keep the bunch focused. Both Javed and Khan will also have key roles to play in helping Tauqir settle into the job quickly as the road ahead is quite arduous.
The UAE’s chances look slim but a good fighting display will go a long way in enhancing their stature in world cricket and probably generate more interest among the Emiratis.
The collective experience of Javed, Khurram and Tauqir can help them achieve that. But the new captain will also have to pull his weight with assertive performances and provide an able leadership.
The last time UAE played in a World Cup, 19 years ago, they won against Netherlands and lost the remaining four games against Pakistan, England, South Africa and New Zealand. The onus is now on Tauqir and Co to better that.
