National One-Day Cup: We are glad to have met our match, says UBL coach

Rashid confident about team’s prospects ahead of semi-final clash with NBP

KARACHI: Boasting the second-best pool-stage performance in the National One-Day Cup, UBL are all set to take on NBP in the first semi-final of the domestic tournament at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Tuesday and newly-appointed coach Umer Rashid is glad to have finally met their match in NBP ahead of the encounter.

“These are the games you play for; a semi-final with a team of the same level,” Rashid told The Express Tribune. “It is a great chance for the boys to prove themselves because as a cricketer, you want to pit your skills against your equals.”

With five wins and one loss, UBL finished on top of Pool A — their record only bettered by Pool B toppers KRL who amassed maximum points from their seven games — while NBP also have the same number of wins as UBL but have lost a match more than their semi-final opponents.



NBP skipper Kamran Akmal and batsman Akbarur Rehman are the second and fourth-highest run scorers in the tournament with 513 and 444 runs, while UBL’s top scorer, Shan Masood, is ranked fifth in the top-scorers category.

NBP bowler Ziaul Haq is the top wicket-taker for his side with 14 wickets, while his UBL counterpart, Sadaf Mehdi, has 13 scalps in the tournament.



Despite being at a slight disadvantage in the batting and bowling statistics, Rashid is confident that his side will triumph.

“We have been playing some really good cricket and we hope to carry the form into Tuesday’s fixture,” he said. “The boys have performed splendidly throughout the tournament and have made selection a difficult task. I hope we keep our composure against NBP.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th,  2016.

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