A unique tactical move in which they opted to retire out all their batters helped the UAE to a massive 163-run over Qatar in Women’s T20 World Cup qualifying in Thailand.
After Esha Oza and Theertha Satish racked up 192 for the first wicket in 16 overs, coach Ahmed Raza opted to retire out both batters, as well as everyone else in the side.
The Asian regional tournament in Bangkok is the first step of the qualifying process for the World Cup in England in the summer of 2026.
The top two teams in the event will advance to the global qualifier early next year, and the UAE are targeting a place at that event.
Matches have already been rain effected. In their opening fixture, the UAE themselves won a game against Malaysia which was shortened to seven overs.
Knowing that they needed to bowl five overs of the Qatar innings for a match to be constituted, Raza invoked a new ruse to save time.
At that stage, there were storms in the vicinity of the ground. Declarations are not applicable in limited-over cricket, so Raza told each batter to get padded up.
They then took turns – in pairs – racing to the middle to stand at the batting crease, then return straight back without facing a ball. The UAE innings was effectively “declared” at that point.
The plan worked as they then bowled out Qatar for just 29 in 11.1 overs.
“It was an extraordinary day and I don’t want this series of events overshadowing the brilliant hundred Esha got,” Raza said.
“The opening partnership of 192 between Esha and Theertha was brilliant. In terms of the retiring out of players, by the end of the 13th or 14th over, we could hear thunder, see lightning and there was a heavy breeze.
“So we were pretty scared something was going to happen, and as soon as we boarded the bus after the game, there was a thunderstorm and the weather was really bad.
“Everything which happened was within the laws. In white-ball cricket, you cannot declare the innings, so the other way round is to retire all your players.
“I checked with the match ref, I checked with the reserve umpire, and once they were happy with me doing that, that is when we retired all the players at the end of the 16th over.”
The tactic was perhaps not enacted as efficiently as the team themselves would have liked. It caught both players and the umpires in the middle by surprise, leading to delay and debate on the field.
Tabarak Dar and N Janani, the two standing officials, conferred with Akbar Ali, the reserve umpire, and the match referee was also called to adjudicate.
Once it was deemed to be within the laws, the match continued, and the national team ran out convincing winners.
“We got through our first five overs quickly, because that is what you need to constitute a T20 game,” Raza said.
“It was drizzling throughout the innings but our bowlers managed to get all 10 wickets, which was great, and we got the two crucial points.
“Our actions were by no means to disrespect our opposition or cricket. Cricket runs in my blood, it is my passion, and is everything to me.
“Everything which happened was within the laws and was well communicated to the match ref and the reserve umpire.”
The unlikely scoreboard
Oza, the reigning ICC associate cricketer of the year, said she was “not exactly” aware of the plan when she was called from the batting crease, “but once we crossed the rope we got a better idea of what was happening”.
“It was a different day out on the field,” Oza, who made her fourth T20I century, said.
“With the kind of weather we are playing under, it is unpredictable. We were hearing the thunderstorms, and you never know.
“In these kinds of tournaments the result is all important so that was the tactical decision that was made.”
Aysha Mohammed, Qatar’s captain, accepted what had occurred with a laugh, saying her side had learnt a lot.
“There were a lot of things going on in the middle and we were confused as to what was happening,” she said.
“What can you say? We were not aware [of the retirements], we just saw the batters running in and we were like, ‘What is going on here?’
“It was the first time in my career I have experienced a scenario like that.”
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