UAE job has been either a stepping stone or a pension fund in the past, but now Ahmed Raza is the perfect fit

There is nothing like the threat of losing a vast tranche of cash to focus the mind.

With one-day international status – and all the ICC funding it unlocks - in jeopardy, the UAE find themselves with a new coach.

Like usual.

For the second time in successive cycles, the national team have lost a seasoned Mumbaikar of some pedigree in the world of coaching, on the eve of a World Cup Qualifier Play-off.

Four years ago, Robin Singh was let go, with the side in turmoil as they headed to the make-or-break competition in Namibia.

Mudassar Nazar, the genial former Pakistan all-rounder who had seen pretty much everything cricket has to offer in his lengthy career as player and coach, stepped in to fill the breach.

Nazar’s No 2 in that time of crisis? Ahmed Raza.

The same Ahmed Raza who is now tasked with leading a similar rescue mission, in his first assignment as the men’s national team head coach.

He has taken over from Lalchand Rajput, who left the role this week after the UAE finished last in Cricket World Cup League Two, which leaves them having to play for ODI survival.

Ahmed Raza coaches the Braves at Lord's - in pictures

The timing of the appointment is more a hospital pass than a gentle, one-off-the-mark. The next six weeks urgently need to go right for UAE cricket.

And the issue of succeeding at the eight-team tournament in Kathmandu, which starts on December 4, is clouded by the fact it coincides with the ILT20.

Many of the 15 players who are selected for the tour will have to forgo substantial sums of money. Muhammad Waseem, for example, has the life-changing sum of $210,000 awaiting him if he plays the full ILT20 season.

Keeping players happy is challenging enough at the best of times for a coach, let alone when there is such a divisive issue hanging over them.

Show caption: UAE cricketers Mohammed Rohid, Muhammad Waseem, Aayan Khan, …

But if Raza can navigate the fiery baptism, there is every reason to believe he can be transformative for the game here.

His appointment is unique in the history of permanent UAE head coaches.

Stretching back to the first appointee, Madan Lal in 1994, everyone has been recruited from the ranks of Test-playing countries (allowing for the fact Scotland’s Dougie Brown played for England).

Often, those coming in have regarded it as a stepping stone. And there is nothing wrong with that.

The likes of Chandika Hathurusinghe and Aaqib Javed excelled in a role they regarded as a first step on a journey to greater things.

Hathurusinghe eyed a future in a Test-playing country, and later did a broadly successful stint with Bangladesh.

He knew to get there, he had to excel with the UAE. The team thrived during his brief spell as a result.

The same went for Aaqib. In four years in Dubai, the former Pakistan pace bowler oversaw appearances at World Cups in ODI, T20, and U19 cricket, as well as the Asia Cup.

His body of work in the UAE set him up for roles with Lahore Qalandars, and subsequently the Pakistan national team.

There is nothing wrong with it being regarded as a stepping stone. Each of Hathurusinghe and Aaqib left the side in a far better place than when they found it, and had to work hard to do so. The same cannot be said for the past two incumbents

There is nothing wrong with it being regarded as a stepping stone. Each of Hathurusinghe and Aaqib left the side in a far better place than when they found it, and had to work hard to do so.

The same cannot be said for the past two incumbents. The side needed plenty of TLC from Nazar during his interim spell in charge after the ill-starred reign of Singh.

Three wasted years then became six when Rajput also proved the wrong fit.

Both Singh and Rajput had fine careers in India as players. They have also had highlights in coaching, too, although not in the unique environment of Associate cricket more broadly, and the UAE specifically.

But did each think UAE cricket should be grateful to have someone coaching their team just because they held such standing back in India? That is not how it works.

Singh was in his late fifties when he was appointed. Rajput, in his early sixties.

It would be ageist to suggest the UAE job is a young man’s job. But there is evidence to suggest it best suits someone at the start of their career, looking to impress, rather than someone who can say, “Well, look at my CV – it must be your fault, not mine,” when things go wrong.

Raza is a different case entirely. Despite the obstacles facing him, having grown up outside of a Test nation, it feels almost as if the UAE job was his birthright, something he was always destined to do.

He was born in Sharjah. He debuted for the senior national team aged 17. He captained the team to T20 World Cup qualification.

He moved straight into the coaching set-up after retiring and did such a striking job in charge of the women’s team that he managed to attract global headlines. That is no mean feat.

He said, when he left the women’s role earlier this year that it would feel weird no longer being associated with an organisation that had been integral to his life for 21 years.

It turns out his conscious uncoupling from UAE cricket lasted less than five months. Now he is back, tasked with turning around the ailing fortunes of the men’s team.

Nobody understands the unique pressures of the game here as well as Raza. “I fully understand what it means to represent the UAE at the highest level,” he said in the announcement confirming his appointment.

And maybe that counts for the most. He might lack experience. He might not be a name from India or Pakistan or Sri Lanka. But he bleeds UAE cricket.