Learning curve for UAE, says Manpreet Sidhu

JAIPUR: UAE were the last team to qualify for the ICC men’s T20 World Cup and they did make their mark before exiting in the group stage of the tournament. Making a comeback after missing the 2024 T20 edition of the tournament, the Muhammad Waseem-led outfit beat Canada by five wickets and almost upset higher ranked Afghanistan.UAE’s performance analyst coach Manpreet Sidhu seemed satisfied with his team’s T20 WC campaign. “Overall, it was a fruitful campaign for us. We did well but could have done better with a bit of luck. It was a learning curve for all the players. Competing against three Test-playing nations in the group stage was the most challenging experience for the team,” Manpreet told TOI on Tuesday. The former Madhya Pradesh junior cricketer has been with the UAE team since 2024.“Except for captain Muhammad Waseem, Alishan Sharafu and Junaid Siddiqui all the other 12 members were playing their maiden T20 WC. Most of them never played on such a big stage before. But the youngsters gave their hundred per cent. Beating Canada was the magic moment,” added Manpreet.The 42-year-old from Indore, who doubles up as a fielding coach whenever required, believes this T20 WC stint will do wonders. “My job is to provide the best inputs including the video footage of our players and the opposition teams.“Coordinating well with Lalchand Rajput (the head coach) is the key. As an ICC Associate team, cricket is limited in the UAE. We only get white-ball tournaments. Most of our players play in leagues across the globe and gain exposure,” Manpreet said.