Young stars of UAE are at crossroads on path to top of women’s cricket

It was always going to be Sri Lanka. Six wins out of six in the Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier. A century for the peerless Chamari Athapaththu in the final.

And a place at the main event in Bangladesh with as little sweat expended as anyone could possibly manage in the heat of early summer in the UAE.

Only once were they seriously pushed, which was by the host nation in the semi-final in Abu Dhabi.

Eventually, class and experience won out then, too. The Sri Lankans shaded a win in the tournament’s decisive game, leaving the UAE with nothing to show for their endeavours.

It was not what they wanted. All they had their hearts set on was a place at the World Cup, and it felt so close. But at least they got widespread recognition, including from a great of the game.

“Only one team even came close [to beating Sri Lanka],” Sana Mir, the former Pakistan captain, said on commentary after Tuesday night’s final, in which Sri Lanka thrashed Scotland. “The UAE.”

It might have felt like little consolation for the home team. Judged by the number of tears shed after their 15-run loss on Sunday night, they were feeling like the world had ended, not just the World Cup.

But their performance in the qualifier – thumping wins against the Netherlands and Vanuatu, plus that classic duel with Sri Lanka – should be the springboard to greater things.

It was just the second time the UAE had appeared at a global qualifier. They look like a vastly improved side this time around compared to their debut two years ago.

They remain remarkably youthful. Their starting XI has an average age of 19 and a half. And yet they are in no way inexperienced. On average, each player has played 52 T20I matches for the UAE.

Youth. Talent. Consistency of selection. Everything points towards an extremely bright future for the national women’s team. And yet it is going to take careful management.

It might feel as though they have the world at their feet, and they do. But they are also at a crossroads.

Given the transience of life in the Gulf, it is tricky to forward plan with too much certainty. It is impossible to get too far ahead of yourself.

Think you’ve got a path to the top of the women’s game mapped out, with a thriving young team packed chock-full of teen prodigies? Then England go and swoop for your gun left-arm pace bowler, and suddenly things aren’t so certain.

Think you have found the vital piece of the jigsaw to fix the batting issues in the men’s side, and make them a consistent force to be reckoned with? Then the player you have marked out as the saviour goes and has a blinding PSL, gets wooed by Pakistan, and you are back where you started.

Factor in that six of the UAE women’s team are 18 or younger, and – annoyingly – academically gifted, too, and there are going to be hurdles to navigate.

Among them are players who aspire to be chartered accountants and lawyers. Occupations which need time to crack, and which ultimately provide more security and – for now at least in the women’s game – greater financial incentives than cricket.

If they go abroad to study, the Emirates Cricket Board need to find a way to keep them in the system.

The player with the fewest caps in the UAE women’s side is actually its second oldest player. Heena Hotchandani, a left-handed all-rounder of great substance, has played only 16 matches for the UAE, despite debuting six years ago.

Her lack of game time compared to the rest is not due to any questions over her ability. She would be among the first names on the team sheet.

Rather, it is down to the fact she went to India for higher education. That had its merit for her cricket. She says she became a better player because of the district cricket she played over there.

But if the national team lose a handful of players to further studies all at once, even briefly, it could slow the momentum the women’s game has created.

Their next shot at a World Cup is two years away. Given the hurt from Sunday, that might feel like a long time to wait.

But, according to their coach, Ahmed Raza, the future will be here before they know it. “We came very close and can be very proud of a lot of things we have done during this tournament,” he said.

“We showed a lot of character, being an Associate, non-ODI team, to compete the way we did.

“But having said that, there are a lot of areas where we need to improve to beat a Test-playing nation. We haven’t done that yet.

“I think it is important that they start believing they can actually make it to the World Cup.

“Honestly, the next time we meet together as a team at a training session, the next two-year journey starts from there. It is all about how you look it at it. We have to say, ‘It is only two years away now.’”