DAMBULLA, July 15: Bowlers from the United Arab Emirates have been offered $1,000 by their officials if they can dismiss India's star batsman Sachin Tendulkar in the Asia Cup here on Friday.
The UAE, along with other qualifiers Hong Kong, face the might of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Asia's premier limited-overs tournament. The opening day's other match involves Bangladesh and minnows Hong Kong at Colombo's Sinhalese Sports Club Ground.
The UAE, who have won the Asian Cricket Council Trophy for non-Test playing nations for three years in a row, qualified once for the World Cup held on the Indian sub-continent in 1996.
But Friday will be the biggest day in the lives of the young, inexperienced team from the Gulf emirates when they take on Indian superstars like Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag in the Group 'B' day/night fixture at the Rangiri International Stadium here.
"Of course I am overawed at the prospect of playing against the likes of Tendulkar," said UAE captain Khurram Khan. "I don't know how the match will go, I just hope I can enjoy the moment."
Khurram said an UAE official had promised $1,000 to the bowler who claimed the wicket of Tendulkar, one-day cricket's most successful batsman, before their departure from Dubai. "But I don't think anyone would want to take that wicket for money considerations alone," he said. "It would be a prize wicket like no other."
Officials told the team, comprising home grown talent along with young expatriates from India and Pakistan, to be inspired by Greece's success at football's Euro 2004.
"If Greece could do it, anyone can, we were told," Khurram said. "That's what sport is all about." Coach Abid Ali, a former Indian Test all-rounder, extolled his boys to give off their best on Friday.
"Winning and losing is part of the game," Abid said. "The players will learn more about cricket in one week than they have done so far. "It is easy for me to say the team should not be overawed by the occasion. They are bound to be nervous. But as long as they stick to the basics I will be happy."
On Saturday, the UAE will face Sri Lanka's star spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, Test cricket's joint record-holder along with Australian Shane Warne. Both UAE and Hong Kong are expected to bow out after the first round, leaving India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to contest the super league. -AFP
