There may be a huge gulf between the two teams, but the UAE captain Mohammad Tauqir believes his men will not be intimidated by India when they meet here on Saturday.
“We know they are big stars, but we will take this game just like the previous two games,” he said. “We will not be intimidated by their names or their status.”
Tauqir has played once before against India, in Dambulla in 2004 when he dismissed V.V.S. Laxman. “That game was a long time ago,” the 43-year-old said. “All the boys are looking forward to this game. We want to put up a good show against India.”
Tauqir denied that losing the previous two games narrowly had demoralised the team. “The Zimbabwe game was close. The Ireland game was even closer, so we are getting closer to the win. We know we’re playing well. We need to cross the finish line now. Mentally everybody is very, very calm. We’re not getting emotional because of the situation. We’re taking it easy and sticking to our basics.”
