Ahmed Raza removed from the captaincy of UAE's cricket team for the upcoming T20 World Cup and Asia Cup campaigns and made CP Rizwan the new captain. Raza will retain the captaincy for the ODI's.
In a shocking move, the UAE cricket board before their T20 World Cup and Asia Cup campaigns removed Ahmed Raza from captaincy. Emirates Cricket Board named CP Rizwan as a new Captain to lead the team ahead of the tournament.
The shocking announcement by The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) was made in a press release following the side’s Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series in Scotland and ahead of the Asia Cup Qualifier in Oman.
Raza will be keeping his ODI captaincy, although, the T20I reins have been given to batter CP Rizwan only three days before their match against Kuwait in Al-Amerat, and two months before the T20 World Cup campaign.
In the announcement, The Emirati board showed its desire to split white-ball roles.
“The committee believes, after extensive discussions, and following a detailed review of the side’s recent 50-over performance, by providing the respective Captain with a sole-format-focus it creates a strong leadership succession plan, and encourages a singular commitment to fine-tuning strategic on-field components of the game.
“UAE’s T20 game is in good standing and has exceptional depth. This strategy comes at the optimal time to assess what is best for this format moving into the (ICC T20) World Cup and beyond. UAE’s High-Performance unit believes this presents a solid opportunity to consider and open up all options – player make-up and Captaincy – to take the game forward.”
The ECB’s timing is interesting if taken into account such a jarring change with an important campaign at the doorstep. The shuffle is came so soon to these important matches, Rizwan, the man who has been trusted in the “succession plan,” is a year older than the man he is replacing, Raza.
Raza led the team in seemingly the most toughest times for his country’s cricketing history, with a fixing scandal in 2019 embarrassing the side.
Earlier, Raza and Emirati have enjoyed a prosperous 18 months. The senior team is in the mix for automatic qualification for the Cricket World Cup Qualifier next year on the 50-over side, and the T20I side was severe in the T20 World Cup qualification earlier in the year.
Raza has a remarkable record as T20I captain of the side, winning 18 of 27 matches in charge. Since his permanent appointment in 2019, Raza’s achievement rate was impressive at 68%.
Only weeks prior, Raza told ICC Cricket of his energy driving the excitement about leading the team in Australia for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
“Your only focus is about going to the World Cup or getting to the World Cup or getting to the world stage. I think as you mature as a player, as you mature as a person, then you want to dream bigger, think bigger.
“It’s not just about making it to the World Cup, it’s about making it to the Super 12s, making a few upsets there, making people talk about UAE cricket in the best possible way, which we all deserve and which this country deserves.
“Hopefully even when it comes to October, it won’t just be about my story. It will be about the emergence of cricket and where UAE cricket is right now, and hopefully, we reach that level.”
Rizwan comes into the role having played only seven T20Is, scoring only 100 runs on an average of simply 16.66.
UAE feature on the 2022 T20 World Cup opening day, as Netherlands meeting in the Geelong in Group A of the first round.
News Highlight | Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) Named CP Rizwan as the New Captain
- UAE’s Emirates Cricket Board on 19th August decided to name CP Rizwan as the new UAE T20 International captain.
- The middle-order batter takes the leadership from the left-arm spinner, Ahmed Raza, who will keep on leading the team in ODIs.
- Emirates Cricket Board announced the decision in a press release following the side’s Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series in Scotland and in front of the Asia Cup Qualifier in Oman.
- Rizwan’s most memorable task will be the Asia Cup Qualifier, which is set to run from August 20 to 24 in Al Amerat.
Here's the United Arab of Emirates Cricket Team Member For Asia Cup 2022:
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CP Rizwan (capt)
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Chirag Suri
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Muhammad Waseem
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Vriitya Aravind
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Ahmed Raza
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Basil Hameed
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Rohan Mustafa
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Kashif Daud
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Karthik Meiyappan
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Zahoor Khan
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Zawar Farid
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Alishan Sharafu
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Sabir Ali
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Aryan Lakra
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Sultan Ahmad
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Junaid Siddique
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Fahad Nawaz
Source: ANI