Muhammad Waseem Steps Down as UAE Men's ODI Captain

Muhammad Waseem, the 30-year-old top-order batter, has stepped down as UAE men's ODI captain after leading the team in 26 matches between 2023 and 2024. The decision was announced by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) in a statement, which also confirmed that Waseem will continue to play ODI cricket.

Waseem took over the ODI captaincy from CP Rizwan during the 2019-2023 ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 for UAE's match against Nepal in March 2023. Under his leadership, UAE won seven ODIs and lost 19, with Waseem being the standout performer in the matches they won. He averaged 64.28 in those seven games, hitting his only century in the format (119 vs Papua New Guinea) and three half-centuries.

However, in the 19 matches that UAE lost under Waseem's captaincy, his average dropped to 21.10, closer to his career number of 25.44. This may have contributed to his decision to step down, especially considering that UAE are currently bottom of the eight-team table in the 2024-2027 edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 after playing seven games and winning only one.

Waseem's resignation comes after UAE's recent loss to Namibia by eight wickets in their last game of the World Cup League 2, where they folded for 190. Despite stepping down as captain, Waseem remains a regular member of UAE's T20I team and played a key role in their victory in the tri-series in Namibia earlier this month, where he top-scored with 159 runs in four innings.

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