UAE captain Tauqir leaves no stone unturned after making surprise comeback

Emirati devoted to fitness programme as he comes out of wilderness to lead the squad for the showpiece event in Australia and New Zealand.

Mohammed Tauqir, as a spin bowler, played in four matches in the 15 games that UAE have played since September, taking four wickets. Antonie Robertson / The National

DUBAI // When Mohammed Tauqir was approached about making a comeback to cricket last year, he was out of practice and out of shape.

Two years without a game will do that to a player.

He got the call from Emirates Cricket Board selectors, who were keen to coax the Emirates’ most successful player out of his unofficial retirement.

They needed to have at least some indigenous representation in the World Cup squad and Tauqir was their best chance, despite his advancing years.

He was aware his former national team colleagues might be sceptical, though. The other players had done all the legwork, after all.

Anyone making a run for the team once the rest of them had done the hard bit and earned qualification was sure to be treated with suspicion.

Nearly two decades after making his debut for the national team, he had to prove himself all over again.

He devoted himself to the fitness programme laid out for the squad, which was harsher and more specific than anything he had done.

Six months later and 10 kilograms lighter, he had proved his commitment.

Peter Kelly, the rugby player who is the UAE’s strength and conditioning consultant, said Tauqir and Manjula Guruge, the seam bowler, had made the biggest improvement of anyone in the squad. They had needed to, though.

Tauqir’s fitness readings are a personal best, not just since he started monitoring it for cricket, but for his adult life. At the age of 42, he has never felt fitter.

“When I started back it was Ramadan and I had been travelling a lot, and I remember my weight was between 89 and 90kg,” Tauqir said.

“The other day I was weighed again, with Peter, and it was 79.5kg.

“As far as I can remember, I have never seen my weight below 80kg. This is the first time, and I was so excited to see that.”

Having been appointed captain for the World Cup, Tauqir might need to bring to bear the skills of his day job on a set of players who have been used to Khurram Khan’s leadership for so long.

The veteran spinner, who is a relationships manager for the National Bank of Abu Dhabi, might be fit, but he has not played much lately.

Since returning to the squad for the tour of West Australia in September, he has played just four of the side’s 15 matches.

He has taken three wickets in that time.

Aaqib Javed, the UAE coach, said the sudden captaincy alteration, one month before the World Cup campaign starts against Zimbabwe, is not an ­issue.

“As coach, I will try to do my best to convince everybody to move forward,” said Aaqib, who did not have an official vote in the selection of the 15-man squad for the World Cup.

“They have worked really hard for the past year. I still believe this team can do the things I said it could one month ago.”

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