Veteran UAE fast bowler Junaid Siddique credited his strategy of mixing hard lengths with slower deliveries for his maiden five-wicket haul, helping UAE defeat Canada by five wickets at the Men’s T20 World Cup. Siddique’s 5-35 marked the best bowling figures by an associate nations player in the ongoing tournament, with UAE restricting Canada to 150/7 before successfully chasing the target.
Siddique, 33, shared that his plan was to focus on hard lengths and deliver slower balls consecutively. His early dismissals of Dilpreet Bajwa and Yuvraj Samra set the tone, and he later claimed three more crucial wickets, including that of half-centurion Harsh Thaker, wicketkeeper Shreyas Movva, and all-rounder Saad Bin Zafar.
After taking his fifth wicket, Siddique knelt in a sajda, marking a moment of personal redemption at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Despite UAE’s initial struggles in the tournament opener against New Zealand, Siddique’s heroics, along with Aryansh Sharma’s 74 not out and Sohaib Khan’s 51, guided UAE to victory with two balls to spare.
Siddique’s journey to international cricket showcases the unconventional paths many associate players navigate, with his move to the UAE in 2014 proving pivotal for his career growth. His focus remains on enjoying his bowling and contributing to the team’s success, as evidenced by his stellar performance at the T20 World Cup.
