The UAE have done their bit to book tickets to the 2015 World Cup in Australia, twice beating Namibia to move up to second place in the World Cricket League table. They still need a favour from Kenya, though, who face an Afghanistan team guided by former UAE coach Kabir Khan to guarantee their place. Paul Radley throws in some numbers:
2 Teams qualify automatically for the 2015 World Cup from the World Cricket League. Ireland are already guaranteed first place, while the UAE are currently in possession of the second berth. The national team could still be denied the prize, however, if Afghanistan beat Kenya in Sharjah twice this week, today and on Friday.
0.298 The UAE's overall run rate over the duration of the World Cricket League is actually 0.298 inferior to that of third-place Netherlands. However, the national team leapfrogged the Dutch into second place on Sunday because they have won one more game over the course of the championship.
10 It is around a decade now since Afghanistan first held trials in Kabul with a view to set up a national cricket team. Many of the leading players were just returning from exile in Pakistan, some of them going to their homeland for the first time, having been born in the refugee camps across the border.
17 It is 17 years since the UAE made its lone appearance at a World Cup. The UAE actually won the qualifying competition, beating host side Kenya in the final. Bangladesh were still not yet a Test nation, Ireland were also-rans in the competition, and Afghanistan did not even play cricket then.
20 Months since Kabir Khan, pictured, left his role as coach of UAE cricket to take up a similar position in Afghanistan. It was the second time the former Pakistan bowler had swapped his allegiance from UAE to Afghanistan. Now it is his new side who are standing between the UAE and a place at the World Cup.