UAE starts its Asia Cup 2025 campaign with a match against India tonight (September 10). “We have been working very hard for the past two to three months and can beat anyone in this format,” UAE’s Muhammad Waseem told ESPNCricinfo in an interview. The 31-year-old opener is the team’s captain and has emerged as a heavy potential player from the country since his debut in 2021. He has the record of hitting the second-most number of sixes in T20 internationals. Waseem, born in Pakistan, was shaped under an Indian mentor from Hyderabad.
Born in Pakistan‘s Mian Channu, Waseem initially went to the UAE during the Ramadan tournaments in search of both runs and livelihood. There, he was first noticed by Mudassir Ali, who owned a cricket team and was a commentator. While talking to Indian Express, Mudassir said, “Thrice he came on a visit visa and played in the local leagues. But he could not gain much attention. Then, a friend of mine informed me about him, and I went to have a look at a game in Ajman. He impressed me straightway, not with the way he batted, but his pick-up and throw from the deep. I took him to my club, Chargers.”
Ali gave him a job but later urged him to give up office work and commit fully to cricket. “I wanted him to focus full-time on cricket, because that was his future. He was so good that I wanted him to spend all his energy on cricket,” he told Express. Their bond turned into brotherhood and when Ali’s Chargers closed in 2019, he helped Waseem find another club.
Waseem’s breakthrough
His breakthrough came in the Emirates Cricket Board’s D-10 league in 2020, where his clean hitting came into the limelight. The following year, he marked his presence in Abu Dhabi T20 with his stunning knocks, including a 13-ball fifty that matched Chris Gayle’s tournament record. By 2021, he had completed ICC’s residency requirement, and he made his debut for the UAE and soon became the side’s most productive batter. From registering wins over Namibia in the 2022 T20 World Cup qualifiers to scoring against Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Scotland and New Zealand, Waseem has turned into the UAE’s batting pillar.
Muhammad Waseem as a captain of the UAE
He was appointed captain in 2023 and has since taken up the role with authority. He is in the second slot on the all-time T20I six-hitters list and has played a major role in giving UAE cricket a new identity. “We can absolutely inflict an upset on one of India or Pakistan. We could beat Oman and we’ll target one of these two and eye a run to the Super Four,” Waseem told ESPN.
He said in another interview with ANI that the UAE would not focus on one star player but has planned strategies for “6-7 batters” in the Indian lineup. Wassem underlined the importance of discipline and collective effort. Calling the UAE “our home”, Wassem pointed out that familiar conditions and the possible dew factor could assist his team against India’s spinners.