Top coach needs a professional team

The Emirates Cricket Board has done the right thing by appointing former Pakistan Test star and renowned coach Aqib Javed as the new leader of the UAE. He is undoubtedly the most qualified among all the coaches that have guided the team so far. Now is the time for the ECB to usher in a new era of professionalism. The UAE's performances have always blown hot and cold. In international tournaments, particularly World Cup qualifers, they always seem to start with a lot of promise only to crash out in crucial matches. This is a clear indication that the team needs expert guidance on how to play under pressure and handle tough situations. Top coach needs a professional team: Over thewicket The Emirates Cricket Board has done the right thing by appointing former Pakistan Test star and renowned coach Aqib Javed as the new leader of the UAE. He is undoubtedly the most qualified among all the coaches that have guided the team so far. Now is the time for the ECB to usher in a new era of professionalism. The UAE's performances have always blown hot and cold. In international tournaments, particularly World Cup qualifers, they always seem to start with a lot of promise only to crash out in crucial matches. This is a clear indication that the team needs expert guidance on how to play under pressure and handle tough situations. In such crunch matches the differences between amateurs and professionals are highlighted. Time the players were rewarded Unfortunately, the UAE team is made up of amateurs. The ECB should now concentrate their efforts on transforming them into professionals by rewarding them for their services. If not, the investment being made in Javed will go to waste. He will find it difficult to find a permanent bunch of cricketers to guide and shape, given that almost the whole team's availability is subject to clearance from their employers. The ECB must now think along the lines of contracting players. The very fact that they still challenge professional teams proves they are worthy of investment. Modern cricket is a business today and if rewards are to be reaped, boards must invest in players as well as coaches. A well-implemented four-year action plan, with Javed at the helm, can elevate the UAE to the best among the non-Test playing nations.