- The UAE cricket team qualified for the 2025 Asia Cup, a tournament they will be participating in after nine long years, following a 55-run win over Oman in the ACC Men’s Premier Cup final on Sunday. Their victory was backed by stupendous performances from skipper Muhammad Waseem as well as young batter Alishan Sharafu before pacer Junaid Siddique, in the company of Aayan Afzal Khan, led the bowling attack to help UAE win the final comfortably.
- Muhammad Waseem scored a blistering 56-ball-century and was well supported by his opening partner Alishan Sharafu who contributed 34 to their opening stand of 94 runs. After putting up 204 on the board, Junaid Siddique picked up three wickets for 38 runs in his four overs while Aayan Afzal Khan finished with figures of two for 29 to restrict Oman to 149-9 in their 20 overs, as they went on to avenge their defeat to Oman earlier in the tournament.
- The 21-year-old Alishan Sharafu, who ended up as the highest run getter of the tournament with 278 runs in six innings, continued his fine form from the DP World ILT20 earlier this year where he played an important role in Sharjah Warriors’ qualification into the play-offs. Striking at 163.52, with a top score of 90* in UAE’s first game against Kuwait, Sharafu made full use of his opportunity with the UAE senior team to leave a mark at the international level during the ACC Premier Cup and help his team seal a spot in the 2025 Asia Cup. “This was a fantastic team effort and I am happy I could contribute with the bat. I was carrying a lot of confidence from my stint in the DP World ILT20 where I batted against some of the best bowlers in world cricket. I think for many of us in the team, this exposure was instrumental and we have been doing well under our new coach Lalchand Rajput,” stated Sharafu.
- Captain of the UAE team, Muhammad Waseem ended the ACC Premier Cup just nine runs behind his opening partner, leading his team by example. It hasn’t been too long since Waseem lit up the DP World ILT20 2024, where he set the tone at the top for his team, the MI Emirates, who won the championship. The powerful 30-year-old opener has made a habit of taking the attack to the opposition in the Finals of tournaments. A 24-ball-43 in the DP World ILT20 Final against Dubai Capitals earlier this year and now a century while steering his team to a huge total in the ACC Premier Cup Final proved that Waseem is a big-match player. “It feels incredible to make the Asia Cup. This is the first time in nearly a decade that UAE will be playing this prestigious tournament and the team is ecstatic,” expressed Waseem.
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