INTERVIEW
Follow UsUAE may have lost to Sri Lanka in the semi-final stage of the Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier 2024, but the tournament gave a glimpse of what the future holds for them.
While two years ago, they could only eke out a win against Malaysia in the Asia Cup, they will be itching their hands this time around against the favourites India and Pakistan, starting July 19 (Friday). Over the last two years, UAE have transformed themselves in dramatic fashion, with them now good enough to not just take on but even beat the top sides.
The individual who has been integral to their rise is none other than their skipper, Esha Oza.
“Really looking forward to playing against bigger nations. Last time we got the opportunity to play at the Asia Cup for the very first time. That was the first time we played against India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and top sides in the Asian region and we learnt quite a bit from it,” Oza told Cricket.com in an exclusive chat.
“After those games, we have taken our game to the next level because those games helped us identify where we had to work on, how we had to work on those things. So, tournaments like these let us know what place we are standing at currently and what are the areas we need to work on. That's going to help us improve our game even further.”
Oza has been in top form with the bat lately. She is the leading WT20I run-getter this year, with 438 runs at an average of 54.75 and a strike rate of 121.32. In fact, since the start of 2023, only Hayley Matthews (1,013) has scored more runs than the UAE skipper (936) in WT20Is.
However, she has taken over the additional responsibility of leading her side as well. While leading the side can certainly be a burden on all-rounders, Oza sees the brighter side of things.
“Being an all-rounder gives you an advantage as captain because that way, you are able to influence the game with both bat and ball,” the 26-year-old said.
“I think you learn the ability to read the game through a batter's mind as well as a bowler's mind, which is pretty important because if you are able to read what the bowler is trying to do or if you read what the batter is trying to do, it will help you plan against the team much better. Captaincy is something I enjoy doing.
“It's [captaincy] not something I would say that puts pressure on me. There are times when, as a team, you are put under pressure, but those times it's all about just encouraging and motivating the team, doing the best you can do and leading by example. Captaincy is also making me stay in the game longer. I am much more focused than I was before. That's helping me contribute much better for the team as well, I feel.”
Oza is just one of two players who have scored three centuries in WT20Is. Over the last few years, she has worked on her power-hitting. Until 2021, her strike rate was far behind at 100.43. But since 2022, not only has her aggressive approach been on full display — evident by her improved SR of 117.59 — it also seeped into her consistency, shown by her average of 34.27.
The same was on full display at the T20 World Cup Qualifier at home earlier this year, where the Mumbai-born all-rounder smashed her runs at a strike rate of 142.10 – the best after Scotland’s Alisa Lister (143.66) among batters with at least 50 runs in the tournament.
Her conscious approach to improving her strike rate is a fair reflection of where women’s sport is heading, and Oza revealed that having more power hitters has now become a ‘necessity’.
“With the bat, the women's game is progressing, and scores are getting higher. We are seeing many more high-scoring games than we did before, and T20 cricket is picking up with many nations. So, hard-hitting becomes key,” she reckoned.
“It's something that's really required in that format now. So, I am really happy that I was able to perform the way I did in the Global Qualifiers. Scoring and hitting big against the higher-ranked sides gives you trust and belief that you can do it against even higher-ranked sides. It's something I have been working on over the past few years."
Oza made her debut for Mumbai in the 2019/20 Inter State Women’s T20 competition, where she scored 94 runs. In the 50-over format, however, her numbers were improved — 323 runs, averaging 21.53, with two fifties.
These stints, during which she rubbed shoulders with the likes of Jemimah Rodrigues, certainly helped her improve and grow as a cricketer.
“My stint in India did help me improve that, it helped me improve further. But even before I went there, it was something I was really trying to work on and implement in my games as well, still trying to better it. But I was happy I was able to do it in the Qualifier," she said.
The upcoming Asia Cup could very well be UAE's toughest test yet. It certainly would mark a full circle for the side, whose upward curve began in the same tournament just a couple of years ago. In 2022, we saw Thailand pip Pakistan and even make it to the semis. Will UAE’s campaign this year take a similar turn?
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