Jonathan Figy out to put on a show as he bids for return to UAE national team

Jonathan Figy believes a “good performance” in the Emirates D50 will take him closer to a UAE national team return.

The left-handed opener has been among runs in the tournaments organised by the Abu Dhabi Cricket Council since his return from the UK after completing his degree in mathematics and statistics at Leeds University.

Figy, 21, is hopeful in replicating his performances in those tournaments going into the Emirates Cricket Board’s six-team Emirates D50 opener against Dubai at Ajman Malek Oval on Wednesday.

Figy remains the only UAE player to score a century, against Canada, in the U19 World Cup. He played two ODI’s against Scotland in the ICC World Cricket League 2 in Dubai in December 2019 and Namibia in the same competition in Oman in January 2020.

His cricket during his time at the Leeds University was interrupted following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and then the final year of his degree. He’s now taken a break from pursuing further studies to have another go at cricket.

“The cricket season in my first year at the university got cancelled and only half the season took place in the following year, and I concentrated on my studies in the final year of my degree,” Figy told The National.

“I had a three-year course in mathematics and statistics, and I thought might as well complete my degree and get back to cricket. I have decided to take a break without doing further studies for now, to give cricket another go. Let’s see how it goes.”

Figy has been back in Abu Dhabi for more than six months and is progressing well. “The Emirates D50 is an opportunity to get back to the national team. That’s my aspiration and I’m working hard for it,” he said.

“The first thing that I realised when I returned to Abu