Asia Cup T20 United Arab Emirates: Player Ratings

The United Arab Emirates defied the odds when they made it to the main draw of the Asia Cup T20 2016. They had a 100% record included an impressive win over Afghanistan. However, when the time came to face the big guns in the main draw, the Emiratis were well and truly thrashed out of sight. Although they were put to the sword by the much stronger full-member teams, there is a distinctive silver-lining and a lot to look forward to in the future.

Rohan Mustafa – 3.5/10

Rohan Mustafa impressed one and all when he made an impact with both bat and ball in the qualifiers. He, however, failed to carry the momentum into the main draw. He was dismissed for a first-ball duck against Sri Lanka and managed just 30 runs and 2 wickets in 4 matches of the Asia Cup T20.

Muhammad Khaleem – 2.5/10

Mohammad Khaleem’s horrendous run with the bat simply added misery to the UAE cause. He managed scores of 7 and 0 after which he was dropped for the subsequent matches.

Mohammad Shahzad – 3.5/10

Mohammad Shahzad proved to be one of the best batsmen in the UAE for the qualifier. Runs flowed from his bat and he was termed a player to watch out for in the future. However, matters took another turn as Shahzad was overwhelmed while facing the top class bowlers of Asia. He managed a frugal 18 runs in the four matches that he played.

Mohammad Usman – 3.5/10

The leading run scorer for the Emirates in the qualifier, big things were expected from Mohammad Usman in the main draw. Apart from a few below par performances, Usman showcased his ability to handle good bowling on a trying track. He scored an impressive 30 against a Bangladesh attack boasting of Mustafizur, Taskin Ahmed and Al-Amin Hossain.

Shaiman Anwar – 7/10

Shaiman Anwar was perhaps the best batsman for the UAE in the main draw. Despite batting woes in the first two matches, Anwar notched up masterly performances against Pakistan and India, scoring 46 and 43 respectively. He was also the highest run scorer for UAE in the tournament with 124 runs.

Swapnil Patil – 4/10

The wicketkeeper batsman impressed in the first match but began to lose his sublime touch in the following matches. The decision to make him open the batting proved to be a horrible blunder as he failed to impress with the bat. His glovework, however, was lauded by one and all.

Saqlain Haider – 2.5/10

Saqlain Haider was perhaps the worst batsman to turn out for the United Arab Emirates. He featured in just the first two matches, scoring just 3 runs combined. His batting frailties saw him being left out of the side in the subsequent matches.

Amjad Javed – 7/10

The charismatic UAE captain marshaled his troops with amazing control. With very few resources to work with, Javed managed to make life difficult for the Pakistanis and Sri Lankans. He also contributed with bat and ball. He ended the tournament as the highest wicket-taker for UAE with 8 wickets.

Mohammad Naveed – 7/10

Perhaps the most impressive bowler in the UAE bullpen, Naveed’s economy rate remained consistent right through the tournament. He impressed one and all when he successfully was able to clock speeds of 140 and above. He remains to be one of the few bowlers who have their gross economy rate below 6 an over.

Ahmed Raza – 2.5/10

As has been the case with most of the UAE players, Ahmed Raza failed to translate his qualifier exploits into the main draw. The 27-year-old went wicket-less right through the tournament, failing to make any impact.

Qadeer Ahmed – 3.5/10

Qadeer Ahmed featured in the first and last matches of the tournament. He went wicket-less in the first match against Sri Lanka. However, he picked up the wicket of Rohit Sharma in the final game as the Indians cruised to a 9-wicket win.

Fahad Tariq – 3.5/10

The 26-year-old self-proclaimed all-rounder failed to live up to his billing. Fahad Tariq featured in the final three matches, making little or no impact with both bat and ball.

Usman Mushtaq – 2.5/10

Usman Mushtaq was included in the squad in just the one match against Pakistan. He took 19 deliveries to compile the 9 runs he scored. Nothing much to talk and rate about.