10 batters retired out as masterstroke helps UAE women's team avoid rain delay, seal huge win in T20 World Cup qualifier

Hindustan Times

10-05-2025

Known as the format for strategic innovations and unheard-of gameplans, T20 cricket regularly continues to throw up the strangest situations. The latest came in an Asia Region qualifier match for the Women's T20 World Cup 2026, where the UAE worked their way around an oncoming rain delay to ensure they had time in hand to secure a victory, by straight up handing opponents Qatar ten free wickets.
In a match played at the Terdthai Cricket Ground in Bangkok, UAE batted first and scored 192/0 in their first 16 overs, with captain Esha Oza scoring 113(55), supported by wicketkeeper Theertha Satish. However, with rain on the horizon in Bangkok, the team felt a sense of urgency regarding maximising the time they had to try and bowl out their opponents.
While playing with time in mind has been a tactic in Test matches since cricket's inception, it is rarely a feature of limited overs games. With declarations not a concept in T20 cricket, a slightly bizarre plan was cooked up by UAE coach Ahmed Raza: ten consecutive batters were retired out, as pairs of players sprinted onto the pitch, declared themselves retired out, and sprinted right back off to be replaced by the previous pair. A declaration in all but name after the team decided they had enough runs on the board.
UAE's maneuver meant their final scorecard read 192-10 after 16 overs, saving 4 overs and meaning 8 different batters finished the match with scorecards reading 0(0). Strangely, the eight ducks in this match are only the joint-second-most ducks in a single innings in women's T20 cricket.
UAE then had plenty of time to have a tilt at the Qatar batters, dismissing them all-out for 29 in 11.1 overs, nailing a 163-run victory and heading to the top of the group stage with 4 points.
Following the match, former men's team captain turned women's team coach Ahmed Raza defended the decision made by the team. '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,' Raza was quoted saying by The National.
'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,' continued Raza. 'Everything which happened was within the laws and was well communicated to the match ref and the reserve umpire.' Raza captained UAE to their first men's T20 World Cup appearance in 2022.
With a drizzle taking place during the Qatar innings, Raza's move proved crucial, especially with the knowledge that their previous match against Malaysia had been shortened to seven overs. UAE are aiming for a top spot finish in the group, which will send them to the Super 3, from which the top two will then progress to the Global Qualifiers. Here, eight worldwide teams will duke it out for a spot in the tournament proper, set to be held in England later in 2026.