The united arab emirates national cricket team

The National Cricket Team for the United Arab Emirates is the team that represents the United Arab Emirates in international crickets. They are governed by the Board of Emirates Cricket (ECB). In 1989, it became an Affiliate Member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and in 1989, an Associate Member. In this article, we will get to know about the UAE Nationals Cricket team.

One of the new One Day International (ODI) teams, the UAE won the ACC trophy four years in a row from 2000 to 2006 and was the champion of the other three times tournaments in 1996, 1998, and 2008. In 1994, they won the ICC Trophy, participates in their first ODIs, and later at the 1996 World Cup. The UAE ended second behind Scotland in the 2014 World Cup Qualifier. It qualified for the World Cup 2015 and won ODI until 2018.

The UAE took the ICC World Twenty20 group stage in 2014. The squad qualified as hosts for the World Cup Qualifier 2019 of ICC T20. UAE will proceed to enter the 2019–22 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 with the disappearance of the World Cricket League (WCL).

History of UAE National Cricket Team

In 1892 the UK took over the Sheikdoms, and the British Army brought crickets into the United Arab Emirates, then called "trucial states" ("Trucial States"). The game expanded during World War II and was stationed in cities such as Ajman, Al Ain, and Dubai, as well as in Sharjah claimed the British Royal Air Force and those of the Commonwealth (which included the best-known cricketers and clubs from Australia and New Zealand). After the end of the fighting, the British and other foreigners used their tanks around the airbase of Sharjah.

The residents of Sharjah started playing Dubai in Dubai's nearby derbies. The oldest cricket council in the entire UAE is situated in Al Ain Garden. After an independent play in 1971, the popularity of the game diminished, but as South Asian people started to settle there, they decided to play cricket with them. Clubs and domestic tournaments began in the 1980s with the local Arab community trained in India and Pakistan.

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How was UAE National Cricket Team Formed?

The UAE played its first match against Pakistan International Airlines in Sharjah in February 1976. The average of the game was 345/5 out of 50, and the UAE was 88/4 out of 28 over the course of the rains.

Rich residents have started engaging in sports, and Sharjah has built a world-level cricket stadium. In 1984, when India, Pakistan, and Srilanka contested the Asia Cup, Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium hosted its first international match. Nearly 200 ODIs and four test matches were held at the venue, where test matches were held in Pakistan because of security issues.

The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) was founded in 1989 and obtained affiliate membership of the ICC the same year. They were easily upgraded to affiliate member status the next year. The Netherlands lost twice to the Netherlands. In 1990, the Netherlands again took action. These strong losses illustrated that effort was needed to succeed the UAE in the ICC Trophy of 1994, and that the ECB was following a divisive strategy.

ICC Trophy of 1994 

In the hope of establishing a good national side to the Kenya tournament, the ECB attracted a number of first-class players with experience in India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka to take up work in the country to fulfill residential needs to represent the UAE in the tournament.

With only one indigenous Arab in the form of Sultan Zarawani, captain of the team, the United Arab Emirates won the trophy, qualifying for the 1996 World Cup. The UAE fought Kenya in the final. In their frustration at what they and other commentators described as a squad of imported mercenaries, the Kenyan cricket players and cricket board were very outspoken.

Whereas the ICC was largely neutral on the issue, the eligibility conditions for all future ICC tournaments were strongly tightened.

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First ODI Played by the Team 

The UAE played their first ODIs in 1994 when they were hosting the Austral-Asia Cup against India and Pakistan. The last three rows were completed with Kenya, the Netherlands, and a tournament with the A-sides of India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka in 1995. They also ended in 1995. In the 1996 World Cup, they returned to ODI cricket, losing all matches, save the first-ever IDO against the Netherlands, between two ICC partners.

The UAE ran Bangladesh for the first ACC Trophy subsequently in 1996. During their 10th place in the 1997 ICC Trophy in Malaysia, the tightening eligibility rules prevented them from repeating themselves as regards 1994. Bangladesh beat them in the semi-finals of the 1998 ACC Trophy.

Final Words

Cricket is the most preferred game in UAE and is played on every corner of UAE's street. The UAE National Cricket Team is proud of the nation and has represented the nation at many big competitions and won it. It is indeed true that in the near future, the UAE National Cricket Team will be the future of cricket.

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