Mohammad Naveed

Mohammad Naveed was once remembered for being the catalyst of one of UAE's most famous victories, denying Zimbabwe a place in the 2019 World Cup with a brilliant yorker-laced death bowling spell to secure a three-run win in Harare. But 18 months later, those happy memories were virtually erased after his career effectively ended in disgrace due to his involvement in a corruption scandal.

As a budding cricketer, Naveed used to make six-hour round trips from Fujairah to Dubai to attend training sessions after having migrated from Pakistan in 2006. A raw fast bowler, he had pace, but little technique or accuracy, and worked hard to force his way into the national side.

His first tour with the UAE side was to the Netherlands for the World Cricket League in 2012. By 2015, he was taking the new ball in the World Cup in Australia. In a nod to his somewhat offbeat personality, he stated that one of his biggest ambitions during the World Cup was to hit Dale Steyn for six. And he achieved it, to bring a silver lining to a 146-run loss to South Africa during a campaign in which UAE finished winless.

With UAE at risk of losing their ODI status, at 2018 WCL Division Two, Naveed produced a vintage death spell full of yorkers honed in his tape-ball days to claim 3 for 8 in 6.5 overs while defending 159 against Oman. A win two days later against hosts Namibia meant UAE could breathe a sigh of relief, securing one of two spots at the World Cup Qualifier a month later in Zimbabwe where he would have one of the finest moments of his career.

Naveed was named UAE captain in January 2019 after Rohan Mustafa was sacked for a social media outburst during a tour of Pakistan. But his tenure was marred by underwhelming results - losses at home to Nepal and USA before being swept in an ODI series in Zimbabwe. His only triumph in charge came in a three-match sweep of a depleted Netherlands side in Amstelveen in August 2019.

Two days before UAE's first match of the 2019 T20 World Cup Qualifier, Naveed was suspended along with Shaiman Anwar and Qadeer Ahmed, and slapped with several anti-corruption charges over allegations that they were trying to corrupt games during the Qualifier as well as the UAE T10 League to be held later that year.

Naveed was eventually found guilty of multiple corruption charges and banned for eight years. According to evidence presented by the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit, Naveed had negotiated a fee of approximately US$272,000 if he was able to fix results or sessions in three of UAE's matches during the 2019 T20 World Cup Qualifier.

At the time that he was suspended and eventually banned, he was the country's highest wicket-taker in ODIs and T20Is.