UAE hero Aayan Khan: 'People say I am too small, but age is not really important'

Aayan Khan is 17 years old. He has played four one-day internationals, and a handful of T20Is.

And yet he has already done more than many players manage over the course of a whole career.

Eleven days after winning the DP World International League T20 final at Dubai International Stadium, the teenaged whizz-kid of UAE cricket was back there tasting success in ODI cricket.

Not just playing a part, either. Despite his youth, he dominated the vital Cricket World Cup League 2 meeting with Namibia, dragging his side to a breathless one-wicket win with all the poise of a 100-cap veteran.

The national team are vying with their visitors – plus Nepal – for the third and final automatic qualifying place for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe in June.

Namibia, with one match to play, currently hold third place and hold an eight-point advantage over UAE, who still have nine games to run in the seven-team competition. It would have been a four-point swing the other way, if it were not for Aayan.

The tourists had arrived in Dubai with their confidence frayed by four losses on tour in Nepal earlier in the month.

UAE exposed their frailties immediately by firing the Namibians out for a mere 91. Hazrat Bilal started the onslaught by taking 1-8 from his four overs with the new ball.

Those who followed Bilal rammed home the advantage he had created, with Zahoor Khan, Karthik Meiyappan and Aayan himself all taking three wickets each.

Aayan’s day was far from done, even though he must have expected he would not be required to pad up, given the meagre target UAE had to aim for.

UAE’s chase was fraught with problems, brought about by Namibia’s outstanding pair of left-arm quicks, Ruben Trumpelmann and Tangeni Lungameni, who took three and