5 Cricketing nations that could make Asia Cup more competitive

2. The United Arab Emirates (UAE)

The United Arab Emirates have been active in international cricket since 1994. In April 1994, they got a chance to play their maiden ODI match against India in Sharjah. In 1996, the UAE made their World Cup debut in 1996 in India. In the competition, they failed to perform against any quality team but got the better of the Dutch side in their group.

Following Bangladesh’s promotion as an ICC full member, the UAE strived to be the top team among the associate Asian teams. In 2004, they debuted in the Asia Cup as well. In the competition, they were in Group B along with India and the hosts, Sri Lanka. Against both the heavyweights, they couldn’t create an impact but their participation in the marquee Asian tournament worked as a confidence booster.

In 2008, Pakistan hosted the Asia Cup and this time again, the UAE succeeded in qualifying for the competition. The associate team again failed to do wonders as they faced unsuccess against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and got ruled out of the competition. Following the 2008 Asia Cup, the UAE never got a chance to participate in the cricketing event held among Asian sides. In the next edition of the tournament, the ACC should think about increasing the number of teams in the continental tournament so that the experienced side such as the UAE could also get a chance to compete with top-notch Asian teams.