UAE cricketer Rameez Shahzad reinvents himself after returning from five-year hiatus

DUBAI: Rameez Shahzad was one of the early products of the UAE’s home-grown talent, the mid-level batsman reinventing himself after returning to the national team after a five-year hiatus.

The mid-level batsman, who started his career as an Over-50 Expert, will look to be more aggressive as he prepares for Zimbabwe’s World Cup qualifiers later this month. The 35-year-old will have to be at his best for the three international games against West Indies starting on Sunday before taking on the task.

“A lot of franchise leagues starting around the world have increased the scoring rate. In those days, 220 would be a 50-match winning target, and in T20s, 150 would be a competitive target. These days, with the usual Backing the batsman’s wicket, you have to be very aggressive and my game is a little bit different now and I have to be a little more aggressive now. I have to improve as the game develops,” Shahzad said. He made his UAE debut in 2016 against Scotland in Edinburgh.

It won’t be easy for Shahzad, who is far away in Europe, when he returns to the UAE this year, but one of the harsh realities he faces is the number of youngsters in the squad, which he sees as a refreshing change.

“We put a lot of hard yards and I’m glad the management put their trust in me, even though I wasn’t there at the time. The good news is I saw a lot of young faces in the team, and the average age of the UAE team at that time was in their 30s. , young players like Aayan Khan and Ali Naser have brought the age bar down significantly,” added Shahzad, whose father Shahzad Altaf represented the UAE against South Africa in the 1996 World Cup in Rawalpindi.

“In those days we had players from Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India who would go on to represent the UAE, but if you see, the kids are now going through our own setup, which is really nice to see and the academy is Do their job. The ECB Under-16 and Under-19 leagues are also a good platform.”

The batsman is looking forward to the World Cup qualifiers, which he sees as the UAE’s best chance to cement their elite status.

“I am very happy that we retained our ODI status and qualified for the qualifiers, we are happy to face Sri Lanka, we have a really good squad. Our aim is to become a full member, that is very clear. To face Sri Lanka And a country like Ireland is just a way forward. It’s a great opportunity to start our journey and get into the World Cup,” said Shahzad, who believes the UAE D50 tournament gives UAE players a chance to get into the right mindset ahead of the crucial qualifiers.

“Round 50 is the most important match for us, we have to play. About three or four years ago, it was all about T20, and over 50 offers a completely different platform. You need to understand technique, temperament And how to spin the ball and so on. It’s great that the D50 is up and it gives us the opportunity to gain valuable experience,” he concluded.