INTERVIEW
Follow UsBefore the start of the ACC Premier Cup 2024, Alishan Sharafu neither had a single score in excess of 35 for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in T20Is nor did he ever open for them.
All that changed in a span of 10 days. Opening the batting for UAE, Sharafu slammed three fifties in six innings and ended up as the highest run-getter with 278 runs at a strike rate of 163.52. His indomitable appetite to score runs helped UAE become the sixth team to qualify for the Asia Cup next year, pipping Oman in the final at Al Amerat on April 21 (Sunday).
While Sharafu batted only in the middle-order in his UAE career, he is no stranger to opening the innings. In fact, before the start of the tournament, the 21-year-old has opened 14 times in T20s and he has fared quite well, hitting 466 runs at 35.85 to go with a strike rate of 174.5 – further justifying UAE’s decision to have him up top.
Added to that, he opened with his skipper Muhammad Waseem, who last year scored 863 runs, the highest T20I runs scored in 2023.
“I feel it takes some pressure off our shoulders quite a bit because we bat in a similar way, so it helps us complement each other’s game. Even if we had a not-so-big over, we know that the big over could be coming provided we stay at the crease throughout the start of the innings,” Sharafu said in a chat with Cricket.com.
Sharafu, who represented Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR) in the International League T20 (ILT20), feels that rubbing shoulders with some of the top cricketers in the world and watching how they prepare also helped his game.
“Rubbing shoulders with some of the biggest names in the game, you just get to see and observe the kind of stuff they do and the kind of work they put in to be at the top of their game,” the Kerala-born batter said.
“That's what I have tried in the last couple of seasons - to see and pick up small things they inculcate in their game, and hopefully, I can mould that and incorporate it into my game as well."
While Sharafu has played a few cameos down the order, his power-hitting was at its peak in the ACC Premier Cup. He credits that to just being positive.
“Growing up, my first coach, with the brand of cricket we played was to be positive and to be aggressive. Taking a few chances in the powerplay is something that I have always done. I am trying and doing something similar for the UAE. I opened the batting for UAE in this series and it's something that I enjoy quite a bit,” Sharafu, who looks up to AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli and Ben Stokes, said.
Fielding is something Sharafu takes very seriously. Not only is he an excellent ground fielder, but he is also a brilliant catcher, often spotted in vital areas on the ground.
“Fielding is something I have always enjoyed as a kid. I'd always have a ball in my hand, just chuck it up in the air and try and take catches. Fielding is something I genuinely enjoy giving time to other than batting. So, yeah, fielding is something that I'm keen on working on,” Sharafu said.
Qualification for the Asia Cup comes as a consolation of sorts, as they failed to make it to the T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies. Regardless, the UAE will be up against five other top teams from Asia – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh – against whom they will be thoroughly tested.
The Asia Cup qualification marks the beginning of a new era under Lalchand Rajput, who took over as head coach recently.
“Lalchand Rajput sir, I had an opportunity to work with him in one of the T10s that happened a couple of years back. So, that was my first interaction with him,” Sharafu, who led UAE in the Under-19 World Cup in 2022, said.
“When he came down over here, it wasn't new. We have chatted with each other before. He was super supportive. He just made it clear what was expected, and he pushed me out of my comfort zone at times. He just wants to extract the best out of us as players. It's been good so far, and hopefully, it goes a long way.”
UAE have taken pride in giving their young guns a long rope. The likes of Aayan Khan, Aryan Lakra, Tanish Suri, Ali Nasser, and others have shown in the last year or so that they have what it takes to shine at the highest level. Sharafu, too, belongs in the same league and has already shown glimpses of it. UAE have unlocked yet another gem that could potentially serve them for a decade and beyond.
