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UAE Skipper Waseem Demands Smarter Bowling After NZ Thumping in T20 WC

United Arab Emirates captain Muhammad Waseem conceded his team was outplayed, particularly with the ball, after a heavy 10-wicket defeat by New Zealand. He stressed the need for smarter tactical execution from his bowlers on a helpful Chennai pitch. Despite the loss, Waseem highlighted positives like Alishan Sharafu's half-century and a strong second-wicket partnership. The skipper urged his team to move on quickly and focus on their upcoming crucial match against Canada.

Key Points: UAE Captain Waseem on Bowling Failure vs New Zealand

  • NZ wins by 10 wickets
  • Record 175-run opening stand
  • UAE batting partnerships noted
  • Focus shifts to Canada game
2 min read

T20 WC: We need to be smarter with our execution with the ball, says UAE skipper Waseem

UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem calls for smarter bowling execution after a 10-wicket loss to New Zealand, sparked by a record opening stand from Seifert & Allen.

"We need to be smarter with our execution with the ball. - Muhammad Waseem"

Chennai, Feb 10

The United Arab Emirates skipper Muhammad Waseem admitted his team fell short and emphasised the need to improve with the ball after New Zealand thrashed them by 10 wickets.

Tim Seifert and Finn Allen produced a world record opening partnership of 175 runs as New Zealand thrashed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by 10 wickets in a Group C match at the MA Chidamabaram Stadium in Chennai.

He acknowledged that a better bowling performance was crucial on a surface that provided plenty of assistance.

"As I told you earlier. We were short 15-20 runs. We need to step up as a bowling unit. Surface was very good. We need to be smarter with our execution with the ball. Which balls need to be bowled to which batter and when makes a lot of difference," he said.

The UAE will next play Canada on Friday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium as Waseem urged his team to be smarter in their execution and to quickly shift their focus to the upcoming clash with Canada.

"We will be looking forward to that Canada game coming up. We need to put this loss behind us and look forward."

Waseem then joined hands with Alishan Sharafu and led the UAE's batting with a notable second-wicket partnership. They put together 107 runs, which is now the second-highest second-wicket stand for the UAE in T20Is.

UAE finished the Power-play at 50/1, which is now their highest Power-play score in T20 World Cups. Their previous highs were 46/1 against Ireland in Sylhet in 2014, 31/2 versus Zimbabwe in Sylhet in 2014, and 31/0 against the Netherlands in Geelong in 2022. Rising to the occasion against a Test-playing nation, Sharafu scored a fantastic half-century with a six off his 39th delivery.

Kiwi captain Mitchell Santner provided the breakthrough with a moment of brilliance on the field. The dismissal happened thanks to excellent tag-fielding at the midwicket fence. Mark Chapman managed to keep the ball in play before passing it to Daryl Mitchell as Sharafu departed on 55.

He also highlighted the positives from Alishan Sharafu's talent, expressing confidence that the young player would keep performing well despite the setback. "Alishan is a very talented player. I spoke about him at the conference, and I said the same about him. Very talented."

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Captain Waseem is right. On a good batting surface, you have to be very smart with your bowling plans. Allen and Seifert just took them apart. The associate nations need more exposure to this level of cricket to learn these tactical nuances.
A
Aman W
Good to see the positives being highlighted. Sharafu looks like a real talent. But honestly, the bowling seemed a bit clueless against the Kiwi openers. They need a genuine wicket-taking option in the powerplay.
S
Sarah B
A world record partnership against you is harsh! But credit to UAE for their batting records - highest power-play score and that second-wicket stand. Shows the game is growing. All the best for the next match.
V
Vikram M
The captain's attitude is spot on. No excuses, just identified the area to improve. In T20, if your execution is off even by a small margin, top batters will punish you. Hope they learn quickly for the World Cup.
K
Karthik V
Watching from Chennai, the pitch was a belter. 175/0 in just 16 overs is brutal bowling. They need to find a couple of mystery spinners or a sharp pacer. Relying on just batting won't win you games against top sides.

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