Asif Khan is determined to end the United Arab Emirates’ eight-year absence from the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. At the forthcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, the UAE hopes to secure only their third qualification in their history and their first since 2015.
They must navigate a division that includes Sri Lanka and Ireland before taking on the Super Six, in which the top two teams will earn a trip to India. Asif Khan was crucial to his team’s success at the April ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off, scoring 296 runs, including a century against the United States and 96 in a decisive victory over Namibia.
And the 33-year-old is buoyed by those performances, as well as the UAE’s run to the final of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup, prior to the start of play in Bulawayo.
Our preparations are proceeding smoothly. We anticipate forming successful combinations in the warm-up matches, as this will assist us in qualifying. My personal outlook is always optimistic. “My form is good, I intend to give the qualifier my all, and I am confident,” he stated.
“We are very pleased with our victory against Namibia in Namibia, and we gained confidence from it.” We played exceptionally well, and we will bring the same mentality to the qualifier. Our commitment is our primary factor. We performed well in Nepal and Namibia, so we are attempting to continue this form in the qualification. Our expectations are consistently optimistic, and we have faith in ourselves,” he added.
If the UAE are to navigate the Qualifier successfully, they will need their middle-order batsman, Asif Khan to replicate his performance in Windhoek.
Since his ODI debut in March 2022, Khan has averaged 40.28 with the bat for the country he relocated to in 2017. He had to wait five years for his international debut, but leading his team to its first appearance in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup since 2015 will make the delay worthwhile.
He reflected, “My journey has been extremely difficult.” “I played first-class cricket in Pakistan, played for Pakistan’s under-19 team against Australia’s under-19 team, and then relocated to the UAE to play cricket and coach children.
“It is difficult for me. I played domestic cricket in the United Arab Emirates and had to wait for the national team. I persevered in my efforts and performances until my aspirations came true and I was given the opportunity to play for the UAE as a result of my efforts and play. This is the ideal time for me to represent the UAE, and we are eager to demonstrate our abilities.”
Why they qualify?
The United Arab Emirates qualified for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier Playoff as one of six teams after finishing in the bottom four of League 2 of the 2019-2023 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Four victories out of five were sufficient to secure second place in the ranking and one of two spots in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier.
World Cup statistics
The United Arab Emirates will attempt to qualify for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup for the third time in their history, having previously qualified in 1996 and 2015.
Eight years ago, the UAE were narrowly defeated in their first two group games against Zimbabwe and Ireland before losing the remaining four.
One to observe
While Asif Khan will play a crucial role with the bat, the UAE will be hoping that Karthik Meiyappan’s impressive World Cup record with the ball continues.
The leg-spinner, who bowled fast as a child, took a hat-trick against Sri Lanka at last year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, and he also excelled in the Qualifier Play-Off.
When do they perform?
On June 19, the UAE will play Sri Lanka at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, and two days later, Oman.
Following that, they will face Scotland on June 23 and Ireland on June 27 to conclude the group stages.
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