Uae

[NUFAN]

For some reason I cant get excited by this team compared to the other associates.

Just seeing if there is any player creating some buzz that should be followed. Are there are UAEpians on this site?

 

[_Ed_]

Agreed - I was a bit disappointed to see them qualify ahead of the likes of PNG. Man it would have been fun to see them make it to a World Cup.

But I wish UAE luck.

 

[Riggins]

They should just combine the uae and the pakis.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Khurram Khan is Ashwell's favourite player.

 

[Athlai]

Yeah it's basically the Khurram Khan show.

 

[Spikey]

They should just combine the uae and the pakis.

Racist

 

[Daemon]

For some reason I cant get excited by this team compared to the other associates.

Just seeing if there is any player creating some buzz that should be followed. Are there are UAEpians on this site?

lol, united arab emiratepians?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Are there any actual UAEniks in their squad or is it entirely ex-pat subcontinentals?

 

[Xuhaib]

Are there any actual UAEniks in their squad or is it entirely ex-pat subcontinentals?

mostly expats. Locals cbf about the game.

 

[Daemon]

Hate it when people look down on some of the expat teams. So it's ok for Rankin and Nannes to jump ship to improve their careers but when a bunch of guys who have to juggle full time jobs with cricket represent the country they are working in then suddenly it's just not right. Of course it's great if the locals are more involved but expats seriously help to grow the game in places where cricket would have never ever been played without them. Is that not more important than which side of an arbitrary line you were born in?

 

[BoyBrumby]

TBF Nannes is actually Australian; only qualified for the Netherlands through his parents.

I don't look down on expat teams as such (I'm English, ffs; Morgan & Ballance make throwing stones from my glasshouse hypocritical), but having a team made exclusively of non-natives does make a bit of a mockery of the idea of national sides.

With cricket's flexible rules on eligibility, if a cash rich but talent poor country was so minded we could conceivably end up with a situation like the Qatar handball team, which is manned more or less exclusively by expats flying flags of convenience for the cheddar. They were runners-up in the recent world cup.

 

[eroticfishcake]

UAE has 80% expat population,you expect the side to be full of Emiratis?

 

[Daemon]

TBF Nannes is actually Australian; only qualified for the Netherlands through his parents.

I don't look down on expat teams as such (I'm English, ffs; Morgan & Ballance make throwing stones from my glasshouse hypocritical), but having a team made exclusively of non-natives does make a bit of a mockery of the idea of national sides.

With cricket's flexible rules on eligibility, if a cash rich but talent poor country was so minded we could conceivably end up with a situation like the Qatar handball team, which is manned more or less exclusively by expats flying flags of convenience for the cheddar. They were runners-up in the recent world cup.

He only turned up for Netherlands because he felt he didn't have a shot at the Australian team I think? He then played for Australia 3 months after he played for Netherlands in the WT20 which makes a greater mockery of the system.

My post wasn't aimed at you ftr

That handball situation does sound like a bit of a farce. I really think the eligibility rules need to be tightened up, but if you're working overseas for a good number of years then I don't see why it should be looked down upon when you turn up for your adopted country.

 

[BoyBrumby]

He only turned up for Netherlands because he felt he didn't have a shot at the Australian team I think? He then played for Australia 3 months after he played for England in the WT20 which makes a greater mockery of the system.

My post wasn't aimed at you ftr

That handball situation does sound like a bit of a farce. I really think the eligibility rules need to be tightened up, but if you're working overseas for a good number of years then I don't see why it should be looked down upon when you turn up for your adopted country.

I think he was having a bob each way; he knew he could represent his parents' country without it adversely affecting his eligibility for his homeland.

It does seem a bit unfair that players can turn out for associates and then represent a test nation literally the next game whereas playing for a test country means they have to wait four years to don an associate countries colours again.

The trouble is if it was an even two way street the chances are the Irish players who're good enough to play CC cricket would refuse to play for Ireland on the chance of a test cap for England.

Good luck to the UAE but I feel a little sorry for the associates who missed out like Bermuda and the Netherlands who do use a fair proportion of home grown players. Although the Dutch seem to be going down the dual nationals route more and more themselves.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Bermuda are in Division Four. Their cricket has fallen off a cliff since the glory days of Dwayne Leverock.

 

[Daemon]

Nepal has both local interest and the talent. Everyone talk about Afghanistan but they've improved a lot as well. Were in div 5 as recently as 2010. Div 2 now.

 

[NUFAN]

Khurram Khan is Ashwell's favourite player.

didn't realise the UAEghan star was 42 years old.

 

[Prince EWS]

Hate it when people look down on some of the expat teams. So it's ok for Rankin and Nannes to jump ship to improve their careers but when a bunch of guys who have to juggle full time jobs with cricket represent the country they are working in then suddenly it's just not right. Of course it's great if the locals are more involved but expats seriously help to grow the game in places where cricket would have never ever been played without them. Is that not more important than which side of an arbitrary line you were born in?

He only turned up for Netherlands because he felt he didn't have a shot at the Australian team I think? He then played for Australia 3 months after he played for Netherlands in the WT20 which makes a greater mockery of the system.

My post wasn't aimed at you ftr

That handball situation does sound like a bit of a farce. I really think the eligibility rules need to be tightened up, but if you're working overseas for a good number of years then I don't see why it should be looked down upon when you turn up for your adopted country.

I've got no gripe with players who move for non-cricketing reasons and then end up representing their adopted country down the line at all. I do think players who actually move for cricket playing international cricket for their new sides takes away some of the point of national sides though.

I definitely get the whole 'arbitrary lines on a map' argument, but the whole international cricket setup is basically built upon arbitrary lines on a map. If we're going to call that out as being pretty pointless -- and I appreciate the philosophy -- then we pretty much have to do away with the national cricket sides altogether, or at the very least get rid of qualification rules. I think that'd detract a lot from the game for a lot of people.

 

[morgieb]

didn't realise the UAEghan star was 42 years old.

He isn't. He's 43.

Yet he's in the Top 5 Associate players in the world.

 

[cnerd123]

UAE has 80% expat population,you expect the side to be full of Emiratis?

Yea this.

I lived in UAE for 14 years FWIW. Lots of politics and biased in team selection from what I hear. It why our squad is so old and unfit and unremarkable.

But the main reason would be the immigration laws. You cannot live in UAE unless you are working/studying. You cannot be be naturalised or gain citizenship as a local over time. So pretty much every expat in UAE has a fulltime career on the side and cricket is basically a hobby. The best, most talented youngsters will leave UAE to study Uni elsewhere, and may never return.

Contrast this to the Hong Kong team, where everyone has gained citizenship, and thus dont need to be employed full-time by a major company to stay here. The schools/unis here are really good too. The players can do odd jobs and spend more time playing cricket and contributing to the cricket community. So the HK team has more young talent, more depth, and are generally more professional.