'Don't take us lightly' - UAE coach Rajput not surprised by Associates' improved show

Lalchand Rajput's UAE team will be going home after their group-stage match against South Africa in Delhi irrespective of the result, but they are not returning empty-handed. They'll have at least one win to their name, having beaten Canada and have done their bit for the cause of Associate cricket.

"I'm not surprised with [how the] Associate teams [have performed] because we play among the associates. It's a big platform for the Associates to show off their talent. And I think they have done that," Rajput said at UAE's pre-match press conference on Tuesday. "If you look at overall cricket all over the world, the smaller teams are really coming up. It's a good thing that cricket is growing and that Associate countries have put their hands up and said: 'don't take us lightly'."

Arguably, others have said that slightly louder than the UAE. Nepal ran England close in their tournament opener and Netherlands, who were the only Associates at the last ODI World Cup, came within a dropped catch of beating Pakistan. USA had both India and Pakistan in precarious positions; Scotland had their moments against West Indies and, to a lesser extent, England; Italy registered their first win (albeit over another Associate, Nepal) and were competitive against England. But Canada, Namibia and Oman have not managed any wins between them.

As for UAE, they were completely outplayed by New Zealand in their first match, then had a closer than comfortable match against Canada, and a properly competitive fixture against Afghanistan. Their improvement over the course of the tournament is proof that the more frequently they play, the better they get at assessing game situations.

"The last two games, we really proved that we are a better team than what was expected after the first game," Rajput said. "Associate countries should play more matches. Until you play more matches, you will not know how to deal with those [close] situations. You can do a net-match-up but how do you come out of a tight situation like 80 for 5? Or how do you win in the last two overs? You don't get that until you're on the ground, until you feel it, that's why you want to play more matches."

Still, he could identify plenty of positives for UAE with the form of the new(ish) middle-order batter Sohaib Khan at the top of the list. With just five T20I caps and back-to-back fifties at the event, Sohaib has announced himself after being spotted on the UAE's domestic scene.

"We saw him in the local cricket and we called him for the camp. And then in the national camp, we played matches among ourselves, so he showed a lot of positive intent and really batted well. Before this, we took him to the [Asia Cup Rising Stars] where he got a 60-odd against India," Rajput said. "He is mentally strong and he plays fearless cricket. He backs his skill and the way he is battling is fantastic. It's a good platform for him to show what he can do. He just has to go higher now. He can't go down now."

UAE also have a bowler, Junaid Siddique, in the top-five wicket-takers - with seven wickets - and is one of the players in their squad who is involved in the ILT20. Siddique plays for Sharjah Warriorz, and his time there, according to Rajput, has helped his game. "The ILT20 has definitely helped the UAE players because they rub shoulders with top players. It gives them confidence because bowlers bowl to better batters and batters bat against better bowlers. I'm sure it will continue to help them grow."

With a league and some of the best facilities in the global game - they have the advantage of having access to the ICC Academy in Dubai - UAE have the building blocks for success. "Facilities are excellent there. We get the facilities to [train], play matches. And We don't complain about that because we get the best facilities. That's why the players also are very keen to perform better."

But he also knows what they need to improve and advocated more longer-form cricket to help develop skills over a period of time. "The only thing missing is that two-day format or three-day format. That's going to be helpful for the 50-over format," Rajput said. "We are trying to inculcate in our domestic cricket that at least play two-day games, so that the players come to learn how to play big innings. Even for the bowlers in a 50-over game, a bowler has to bowl ten overs, but he's only playing T20 and T10. And when you tell him to play 50-overs, and bowl ten overs, that's not the same as when he is used to bowling four overs."

UAE's next major task would be to concentrate on qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup. They are currently last on the eight-team World Cricket League 2 points table, 26 points behind leaders USA.