Insight

Bright future for UAE Women’s captain as national role model, would spur local interest – Radley

Among the many talking points discussed in the latest weekly podcast, Paul Radley, Sports writer at The National, opened up about the UAE women’s team and the potential of captain, Humaira Tasneem, to be a role model to women across the Emirates.

While discussing the involvement of Hijabi women in UAE cricket, Radley explained the UAE have a brilliant opportunity to grow the game within the local population through captain Humaira Tasneem, currently the only Hijabi player in the team:

She’s a fantastic role model, excellent player, off-spinner, batter as well.

She really needs to be pulled out as this visible face of UAE women’s cricket because that would just go to show that should not at all be a hinderance.

Radley went on to discuss how this would be valuable for UAE cricket:

She’s a brilliant, brilliant role model as well. She speaks brilliantly. She’s an excellent player and they can put her out there as this leader for cricket here and that would be really beneficial for the game.

Regarding efforts to grow the game throughout the whole local population, Radley compared the potential for cricket in the region with rugby union; a sport which has made strides around the region in recent years. Radley explained since the formation of the UAE Rugby Federation in 2009, the team has had success particularly with recruiting, and retaining, local women in the sport.

Radley continued with an anecdote of a local female rugby training session. The women were following the men’s training session whilst following the rules from their phone to learn the game. ‘If they can do that with rugby, why can’t they do that with cricket?’

With the UAE’s position as a leading Associate member, as well as its reputation as an important global figure, Humaira Tasneem could inspire many young women outside, as well as within the Emirates. The plaudits for her performances and composure with the pressure of captaincy are testament to her ability and character. With the correct exposure, Tasneem’s presence as captain of the national team could provide a goal for many women across the region.

You’re reading Emerging Cricket — brought to you by a passionate group of volunteers with a vision for cricket to be a truly global sport, and a mission to inspire passion to grow the game.

Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, please subscribe for regular updates, and follow EC on TwitterFacebookLinkedIn and YouTube.

Don’t know where to start? Check out our features listcountry profiles, and subscribe to our podcast.

Support us from US$2 a month — and get exclusive benefits, by becoming an EC Patron.

Kieran Holly

View Comments

  • Really want to know about the status and popularity of cricket amongst the native population of countries like Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Bahrain, Malaysia and Singapore! As there are not much prominent news available, it's my humble request to make such articles on that topic! Just love these precised articles of you guys☺

Recent Posts

Five county-contracted players in Dutch squad for Windhoek

A strong Dutch men’s squad, including five county-contracted players, will travel to Windhoek next week…

3 days ago

KNCB Board moves to avert another crisis

The bitter internal divisions that all too frequently afflict the Dutch governing body (KNCB) claimed another…

6 days ago

2025 MLC Domestic Draft review, Part 1: USAC and Minor League stars shine

Major League Cricket's third domestic player draft saw some return heroes, Minor League standouts, and…

7 days ago

Sharafu, Ayaan and Rohid shine in ILT20 but playing opportunities remain limited for UAE cricketers

"If you look at what we're doing in the UAE, we are investing heavily into…

3 weeks ago

EC Roundup – 09 February 2025 – Pathway events resume

Welcome to this week’s Emerging Cricket Roundup, condensing all the major news into one easy-to-digest…

3 weeks ago

EC Roundup – 02 February 2025 – Nigeria’s successful U19 World Cup and some reflections on the event

Welcome to this week’s Emerging Cricket Roundup, condensing all the major news into one easy-to-digest…

1 month ago