UAE 'have an equal chance' of defeating Sri Lanka in T20 World Cup

National team draw strength from close game against Netherlands and shock results in opening round when they face South Asian side on Tuesday

The UAE's Junaid Siddique celebrates taking a catch to dismiss Netherlands' Colin Ackermann during the Twenty20 World Cup at Kardinia Park, in Geelong, on October 16, 2022. AFP

UAE's CP Rizwan fields against the Netherlands. AP

UAE's Zahoor Khan celebrates taking the wicket of Netherlands' Tim Pringle. AP

UAE's Junaid Siddique celebrates bowling out Netherlands' Roelof van der Merwe. AP

UAE players celebrate the wicket of Netherlands' Colin Ackermann. AFP

CP Rizwan celebrates catching out Netherlands' Bas de Leede. AP

Junaid Siddique celebrates the wicket of Netherlands' Max O'Dowd. AFP

UAE's Basil Hameed celebrates taking the wicket of Netherlands' Vikramjit Singh during their T20 World Cup match in Geelong on October 16, 2022. AP

Muhammad Waseem was the top scorer for the UAE with 41 in the Twenty20 World Cup match against the Netherlands at Kardinia Park in Geelong on October 16, 2022. AFP

UAE's Muhammad Waseem bats against the Netherlands. AFP

UAE's Muhammad Waseem his two sixes and one four. AFP

UAE's Vriitya Aravind bats made 18. AP

UAE's Vriitya Aravind slides under the leg of Netherlands' Roelof van der Merwe to avoid a run out. AP

Netherlands' Tim Pringle bowls UAE's Kashif Daud. AP

UAE opener Chirag Suri made 12. AFP

Netherlands' Roelof van der Merwe and Scott Edwards celebrate the wicket of UAE's Chirag Suri. AFP

So the UAE must beat the Asia Cup champions, and then hope it doesn’t rain on Thursday - as they will have to beat Namibia that day too - if they are to remain in the T20 World Cup.

A tall order, for sure. But they have not come this far to give it all up without a fight, ahead of their second preliminary-round match, against Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

That much was obvious by the way Junaid Siddique raged against the inevitable when all seemed lost in their opening game against the Netherlands.

After posting a paltry 111-8 from their 20 overs, UAE were out of it. The bowlers did not get the memo, though. Sixteen-year-old spinner Aayan Khan took 1-15 from his three overs. Zahoor Ahmed went for just 11 from four.

And Junaid took two in one over which might easily have been three, which he believes would have won the game for the UAE. One chance went begging, though, and the game escaped.

“We knew that teams can collapse at any time,” Junaid said.

“It is a funny game. T20 is always a funny game. If we took that catch we were in the game. Definitely, we were in the game.

“The whole world is seeing you play, so there are different vibes that are happening. I had more energy to win for my team.”

Robin Singh, the UAE coach, said the testing batting conditions in Geelong mean everyone has the belief they can beat anyone.

On drop-in pitches in the centre of a field which was hosting Australia Rules football until recently, most batters struggled on the opening day.

Sri Lanka, fresh from winning the Asia Cup in Dubai, were shot out for 108 as they lost by 55 runs to Namibia in the first game of the tournament.

“Sri Lanka are a top side,” Singh said. “They play a brand of cricket that is suited to this format. We've seen that in the Asia Cup. If you look at the last World Cup, they were a team that was growing in stature, and they proved that in the Asia Cup as well.

“These are conditions that sort of give everyone a chance in my opinion, and anyone can do well.

"You can have an exceptional day as a bowler or batsman on these tracks. I think you have an equal chance to beat them.

“We have to go into the game thinking we can win the game. There's no point in giving it to a Sri Lankan team that's a Test-playing nation. They are also in the same boat.”

It is unlikely Sri Lanka will have imagined themselves requiring a win to maintain their place in the competition, going into their second game against the UAE.

Chamika Karunaratne, their middle-order batter, said they need to do so by any means possible.

“We lost the match [against Namibia], and so right now, somehow we have to win,” Karunaratne said.

“No matter what, we have to win the next two matches. I think the boys all know that. We are definitely going to put more than 100 per cent in the next two matches.

“We are looking at the players that we have right now. Still all four teams are playing good cricket.

“Even the last match yesterday, UAE versus the Netherlands finished in the [second] last ball.

“We don't know what can happen, and because this game is always exciting and funny things [can happen].”

The UAE-Sri Lanka match is the late game on another double header in Geelong on Tuesday. Given the hefty winning margin in their opening game, Namibia could as good as seal progress to the next phase if they beat the Netherlands in the opening match of the day.