1.10 AM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:56 06:10 12:26 15:53 18:37 19:52
29 March 2024

UAE on brink of automatic qualification to ICC Cricket World Cup 2015

UAE players appeal for the wicket of Raymond van Schoor of Namibia during the second ODI at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday. (courtesy ICC)

Published
By Staff

UAE kept alive its hopes of direct qualification to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 with back-to-back victories against Namibia in the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League (WCL) Championship.

The hosts defeated Namibia by 135 runs in the second 50-over match at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday to tighten its grip on second place, bolstering its chances of qualifying alongside Ireland to the ICC’s flagship 50-over event.

Coming into its final match of the Championship, third-placed UAE was one of three teams still in contention for the crucial second spot, and the side needed victory in the second do-or-die match against Namibia to remain in the race, while also eliminating the Netherlands.

The UAE’s Shaiman Anwar again led with the bat, with a knock of 57 making him the highest run-getter of the tournament (625 runs from 14 innings) and helping his side to a total of 215 all out. 

Twenty-four year old Rohan Mustafa contributed with 39, while Namibia’s Christoffel Viljoen claimed four wickets to become the highest wicket-taker of the tournament, with 23 victims from 14 innings. 

In response, Namibia lost some early wickets and never recovered, with Mustafa following up his performance with the bat to claim three wickets for eight runs to help dismiss Namibia for 80 runs in 32 overs. 

The win sees the UAE leapfrog Netherlands into second position, with the same number of points (18) but ahead on the number of matches won (nine), thereby knocking the Netherlands out of contention for the second and final automatic qualification spot.

Afghanistan, currently ranked fourth, is the only team that can now overtake the UAE when it faces Kenya in the final matches of the WCL Championship on October 2 and 4 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. 

Afghanistan is three points behind both the UAE and the Netherlands (15 points), and must win both ODIs to pick up maximum points and seize second spot from the UAE.

UAE coach and former Pakistan fast bowler Aqib Javed was delighted that his team performed under pressure to seize hold of second place. 

“Winning and moving to second place was what we always wanted before the Namibia matches. To win all the matches, challenge the other teams - I’m very happy. Now we have to see what happens when Afghanistan plays Kenya.  Everything went according to plan for us today.”

Aqib was particularly pleased with his squad’s batting performances. 

“As usual, Shamin Anwar has done really well and today he becomes the highest run-getter. I’m glad the Khurram Kahn is the highest run-getter in the ICC Intercontinental Cup and Shaiman is in the WCL Championship. I think that we have some good batsmen for the UAE and today Rohan Mustafa, the youngster, was brilliant. I think his improvement in the last six to eight months is amazing. I think he will be a key player for the UAE in the coming years.”

Despite the importance of the upcoming clashes between Afghanistan and Kenya, Aqib doesn’t think he’ll come to the stadium to watch. 

“I’m not a good spectator!”

While the top two sides from the Pepsi ICC WCL Championship will qualify automatically for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, the bottom six teams will receive a second chance to advance at next year’s ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand, when they will lock horns with Hong Kong, Nepal, Papua New Guinea and Uganda for the final two spots in the ICC’s flagship 50-over tournament.

The upcoming matches between Afghanistan and Kenya will be streamed live at www.icc-cricket.com and on the official ICC YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/CricketICC.

Scores in brief

UAE defeated Namibia by 135 runs: UAE 215 all out in 50 overs (Shaiman Awar 57, Rohan Mustafa 39, Saqib Ali 29; Christoffel Viljoen 4-40) Namibia  80 all out in 31.3 overs (Xander Pitchers 29, Jean Pierre Kotze 12; Rohan Mustafa 3-8, Khurram Khan 2-6, Nasir Aziz 2-9, Shadeep Silva 2-19)