So remote are the UAE’s chances of advancing to the next phase of the T20 World Cup, the ICC have already booked their flights back to Dubai.
The national team have one match left in Australia, on Thursday evening against Namibia.
Mathematically, they could still advance with a very heavy win. Realistically, they are playing for pride, and the opportunity to carve out a few more memories to pack with them for the 14-hour flight to Dubai.
They certainly have a few of those already. Even amid the wreckage of another listless defeat, at the hands of Sri Lanka on Tuesday, the national team had plenty of entries for the highlights reel.
Junaid Siddique, the fast-bowler-come-genuine-tailender, smashed a six over the Reg Hickie Stand, with its distinctive curved pylons which are designed to look like cats’ claws. (Kardinia Park is home to the Geelong Cats Australian Rules football team.)
The game was well since lost, and UAE were being humbled. And yet Siddique lapped up the moment, flexing his biceps towards his teammates in the dugout. At 109 metres, it will take some beating as the longest hit of the tournament.
Earlier, of course, had been surely the UAE’s finest moment ever in World Cups, when Karthik Meiyappan slipped a googlie past Dasun Shanaka to complete a hat-trick.
The 20-year-old leg-spinner represents a future that has already arrived for UAE. He is one of four players in the squad who represented the country in an Under 19 World Cup two years ago.
“It was surreal for all of us because the four of us have been playing cricket together for so long,” said Aryan Lakra, the captain of that U19 side, who made his T20 World Cup debut against Sri Lanka.
“If anyone does well, we all feel proud. A hat-trick in a World Cup against a Test-playing nation is a huge deal, and we couldn't be happier for him.
“We have been talking about it all night and we still cannot believe it. We are just so happy that a friend of ours, who we have seen grow through the ranks, who we have seen as a 14-year old, growing to be a 20-year old, getting a hat-trick in a World Cup. That's definitely a huge deal.”
Despite his own personal euphoria, Meiyappan acknowledged the side feel down after two under-par batting displays, against Sri Lanka and the Netherlands.
“Lately the batting hasn't clicked for us and that is something which we have to be concerned about,” Meiyappan said.
“Firstly, against the Netherlands, to put up 112, we could have done much better, I think. Even if we had 15, 20 runs on top of that, the bowlers would have had more of a cushion to play with.
“The fact that Netherlands were 47 for one after six overs, and it went down to the last two balls, a lot of credit goes to the bowlers in the game.
“[Against Sri Lanka] again, I think the batters could have obviously cashed in. A score of [153] on that wicket was quite chaseable with the dew coming in.”
Although UAE’s own chances of progressing have all but diminished, they can still affect the outcome of the group.
The Netherlands and Sri Lanka play in the first match of the day. A win for either will send them through.
If Sri Lanka win, Namibia can finish above Netherlands – who currently top the group - by beating UAE.
The same will happen if the Netherlands shock Sri Lanka. A Namibia win in the evening match would put them through.
“Namibia have been playing some good cricket, upsetting Sri Lanka, but at the end of the day it's the game of cricket,” Lakra said.
“The team which plays better cricket is going to win. We have played against Namibia so we know their batters and bowlers. It's all about coming up with a good plan and trying to execute it to its best.”
Netherlands bea Namibia
