The UAE cricket squad has made four changes before a home tri series against Pakistan and Afghanistan, beginning a schedule so crowded that recovery now means changing shirts in the minibus.
Muhammad Waseem leads the hosts in the tournament, which starts on 29 August and precedes an Asia Cup also staged in the UAE. A later World Cup qualifying campaign waits in the wings with a clipboard, asking whether anyone has seen the players.
The selectors have brought in Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq and Muhammad Jawadullah. Kaushik could make his international debut, while Siddique returns with substantial wicket taking experience. The team calendar has responded by opening a second calendar and making the noise of an appliance that knows its warranty has expired.
Rashid, Deputy Keeper of Tuesdays, has announced: ‘We have planned adequate rest. Every player receives eight minutes between the toss and the next tournament briefing, which is more than the physio originally requested.’
The schedule contains seven fixtures from 29 August to the final on 7 September. It gives the teams time to test combinations, tactics and whether one kit bag can remain zipped for an entire afternoon. The UAE faces both opponents twice before the final, allowing analysts to identify weaknesses at a speed normally associated with airport baggage.
Hosts gain useful competition against strong sides before the Asia Cup. This is the official sporting logic. The practical logic is that the same dressing room is being used so efficiently that the spare towels have been assigned their own selection committee.
Afghanistan’s tri series squad is largely similar to its Asia Cup selection, while Pakistan has said its lineup will serve for both competitions. The Bureau of Fresh Legs has therefore classified everybody under 35 as recently unpacked and everybody over 35 as a historic building.
The UAE’s four changes from its previous international outing count as squad evolution because natural selection has declined to work at tournament speed. The schedule has requested a substitute and been told to bowl through the pain.
The first series match is on Friday, when Afghanistan play Pakistan. The UAE begins on Saturday, giving the hosts one full day to locate their kit, their opponents and the precise tournament they are currently preparing for.
By the final, the only thing expected to require a rest day is the calendar, which will be carried off on a stretcher and immediately selected for the next tournament.
Real story: International Cricket Council.
