From being bowled out for nine in their first-ever international match in 2007 to making a hat-trick of Asia Cup appearances, the UAE women’s team have come a long way.
Along this journey, there have been several ups and downs, not to forget the heartbreak of narrowly missing out on a place in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
But what has never changed is the spirit of the team and the support of the family members of each player.
The UAE captain, Esha Oza, admitted that getting to play the Asia Cup in Dubai is a huge moment for them as it allows them to represent the country in front of their family, friends and coaches who first spotted their talent for cricket in school.
“I think, playing such a big tournament at home in front of our family and friends, it’s going to be an amazing experience,” Esha told the Khaleej Times in an interview.
“We know they will come and support us in each and every game, and yeah, it’s just going to be surreal playing at our home ground in front of all of them, and at such a big stage.
“So we’re all pretty excited to get going, and yeah, hopefully we give all the teams a good fight and we get to the next stage of this tournament and we have everyone backing us throughout.”
The majority of the players’ families have never watched them live in a top international tournament, with their first two Asia Cup appearances (2022 and 2024) coming in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
“We’ve never had all our family and friends come and watch us play live. Most of the time we’ve been playing in other countries, and a couple of parents have made it to those games there, but it’s never been a whole group,” Esha said.
“And here, I think just having all of them sit in the stands as a big bunch and all just supporting us, I think that’s going to be something that’s really going to motivate us to do even better.
“And yeah, we’re just really excited and yes, hopefully they will be proud of all of us of the way we play at the end of this tournament as well.”
A prolific batter, Esha, a former ICC Player of the Month award winner, is hoping to inspire more young girls in the UAE to play cricket.
“We know a lot of eyeballs will be on us during the tournament. So it’s a great way to get more girls within the UAE to pick up a bat and ball as well, because we’ll see many more little girls, boys, come support us, watch us, and hopefully we can inspire them to pick up a bat and ball in the future as well,” she said.
A good way to inspire youngsters, according to Esha, will be to deliver a strong performance in the Asia Cup.
“We know that we’re going to compete against a lot of high-ranked and top-ranked sides, and the best in the Asian region, but that’s somewhere we want to get as well. And if we don’t aim for that, we’re not going anywhere,” she said.
“A good finish would be us getting to the semifinals, I would say, a minimum, and that’s what we’re aiming for.
“So looking closely for a spot in the semifinals and then hopefully in the finals. I think that would be a beautiful message to young girls taking up cricket in the UAE that there is an opportunity for everyone. They can come to the stadium, watch idols live, create memories, and fall in love with the game.
“And then eventually wanting to go out, step on the field and represent your country itself.”
Source: Khaleej Times