Muhammad Waseem the star but UAE’s Asia Cup qualification was a team triumph

It felt obvious that Muhammad Waseem would be the man to drag UAE cricket out of its malaise and back to glory.

Even he had acknowledged as much. “It does feel that if I go early my team is under pressure,” Waseem said in the aftermath of the UAE’s series loss to Scotland last month. “In the coming tournaments, I have to handle this.”

That statement followed on straight after the national team had posted their lowest score in a full international match. They were dire.

It was their last match before they were to play against the likes of Oman and Nepal for Asia Cup qualification. Their prospects seemed hopeless back then.

Now, 37 days later, that same team are booked in for a trip to face India, Pakistan, and the rest of the continent’s top stars at the Asia Cup next year.

Yes, it was Waseem who provided the most indelible memory of the turnaround. His century in the final of the ACC Premier Cup on Sunday in Muscat felt inevitable, in truth.

The pitch was docile. The boundaries reachable. He had a couple of slices of luck. And he delivered, another ton on a ground he adores, to set up a comprehensive win against the host nation.

But was it all about him? Far from it. Waseem was able to thrive purely because everyone around him was pulling their weight. Everyone from one to 14.

Muhammad Waseem in T20 qualifier finals in Muscat:

Inns: 2
Hundreds: 2
Runs: 212
Average: 106
Strike rate: 174

Different gravy