The national team continue to rage against adversity, after picking up a second valuable win in their quest for qualification for the T20 World Cup, on the same day as losing yet another player to suspension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ashfaq Ahmed became the fourth UAE player to be banned pending an ICC investigation into corruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mohammed Naveed, Shaiman Anwar and Qadeer Ahmed were formally charged with a variety of breaches of cricket\u2019s anti-corruption code on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ashfaq had been conspicuous by his absence from the starting line up as UAE comfortably beat Hong Kong on Monday to maintain their bid for a place in the T20 World Cup in Australia last year.
A little over an hour after the national team set the seal on their eight-wicket win at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, it was announced the opener had also been thrown out of the squad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFurther to the ongoing investigations led by the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit, Emirates Cricket Board has today provisionally suspended Ashfaq Ahmed with immediate effect,\u201d the ECB said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo formal charges have been laid against the player, and the board will wait for the conclusion of proceedings before making any further comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe board fully supports the ICC and the ICC anti-corruption unit in their efforts and denounces any activities of corruption.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UAE are not planning to call up a replacement for Ashfaq as yet. And, despite the gloom surrounding the game refusing to shift, the team are somehow managing to thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Until news broke of the latest corruption controversy, Monday had been an uplifting day after a time of such difficulty. Oddly, the corruption purge within UAE cricket has coincided with an upswing in support for the national team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the past, they have rarely attracted any level of support at home matches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whenever there have been sizeable crowds for matches involving the national team in this country, it has been when Nepal or Afghanistan have been the opposition, and the UAE have felt like the away side.
And yet the two wins in the space of three days \u2013 first against Ireland, then against Hong Kong this time \u2013 have been witnessed by relatively appreciable crowds in the capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After Chirag Suri anchored the win over Hong Kong, scores of schoolchildren flocked to the barrier at the front of the main stand, and chanted: \u201cUAE! UAE! Suri! Suri!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The batsman, who was unbeaten on 44 as the win was sealed with 29 balls to spare, signed autographs, and posed for selfies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey are schoolkids, and we are the guys they should be looking up to,\u201d Ahmed Raza, the UAE captain, said. \u201cWe have to be role models for them. As players, it is an amazing feeling to play in front of a decent crowd.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It feels significant that, during this time of turmoil for the game, the players who have carried the burden and shone the brightest all grew up here with each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raza and Rohan Mustafa, who were both outstanding again with the ball as Hong Kong were limited to 116-7 from their 20 overs, went to school together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And Raza, Rameez Shahzad, and Suri all attended the same academy when they were young.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rameez was named player of the match after scoring 54 from 37 balls. He shared in a stand worth 93 with Suri.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite being seven years Suri\u2019s senior, the duo know each other\u2019s game well, as Suri spent his formative years at the academy of Rameez\u2019s father, Shahzad Altaf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think it is a strength of our team,\u201d Rameez, 31, said of the close bond between himself, Raza, Mustafa and Suri.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have been playing together for the past 20 years. We understand each other\u2019s mentality, so while batting with Suri, Rony [Mustafa], or Ahmed, running between the wickets becomes easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI always know his plan, he knows my plan, and we understand each other\u2019s strengths and weaknesses. It does help.\u201d
The National<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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