[Editors: High Performance Manager and National Development coach Richard McInnes
filed a brief report on the first OD between the Bangladesh A team and the UAE
national team. BD-A won by 8 wickets.]
UAE won the toss and batted first.
Sharif picked up two wickets in his first spell, but Shafaq bowled superbly
at the other end, consistently beating the bat but failed to get a wicket. Rajib
replace Sharif, and bowled well picking up two wickets, including a great delivery
that beat the batsmen and took the top of off stump.
Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmud Ullah Riyad then bowled some tight overs of off
spin, with Sakib picking up two wickets and missing a third with a catch being
spilt.
Sharif then returned and cleaned up the tail to finish with 6 for 24, delivering
some great yorkers to remove the lower order.
Bangladesh commenced the chase and steadily reeled in the runs. Shamsu Rahman
was caught behind for 10 before Nafees Ahmed and Tushar Imran put on 78 before
Nafees Ahmed was run out after a mix up for 55. Tushar and Roqibal Hassan finished
the job with Tushar finishing 52 not out.
The UAE team is their main team who are heading to Malaysia on Feb 8 to play
their final of the ICC intercontinental cup against Malaysia. UAE are still
regarded as the leading associate country in Asia. Their form tonight was a
little disappointing, but hopefully they will put up a good fight tomorrow.
The purpose of the tour is two fold:
- First, as a test member country now, there is an obligation as part of the
ACC fast track program to assist the associate countries to develop.
- Second, it serves as a warm up/practice series before we head to Zimbabwe.
I think we should all think very carefully, before we start saying tours such
as this are a waste of time. Keep in mind that in reality we are closer in the
standard to the leading associate countries then we are to the leading test
nations. Don't become complacent or aloof because we have won a series against
a severely weakened Zimbabwe team. We have made some progress, but there is
still a long way to go. Any opportunity we get to play in other countries in
different conditions, using different match plans, providing opportunities to
learn is very much still needed.
Also keep in mind that this team contains 4 members of our next U19 squad as
well as some recently graduated U19's so many of them are still very young and
learning.
The author is the High Performance Manager and National Development coach who
is also a distinguished member of banglacricket forum and goes by the nick "observer".