Retaining ODI status is important for UAE: Brown

Bengaluru, March 3: The UAE coach Dougie Brown, who played 25 ODIs and two T20Is for England from 1997 to 2007, said retaining the ODI status is the top priority of his side during the World Cup 2019 Qualifiers, beginning in Zimbabwe on Sunday (March 4).

"Obviously, we come here as a lower-ranked side and it would be wrong of us to just say that we are going to qualify for the World Cup. There are four Test nations here, they are probably, and quite rightly, thinking they have World Cup qualification very much in their hands," said Brown.

"But for us, retaining the ODI status is very important. In order to do that, we have to qualify for the Super Six. That said, there is a little bit of dream and all of us believe we might qualify for the World Cup," he said.

The UAE will face PNG on Sunday at the Harare Sports Club and will then take on the Windies at the Old Hararians on Tuesday.

Brown refused to predict the finalists, saying the warm-ups have shown that any team can beat any team.

"Obviously at this stage, a lot of cricket has to be played and we have to play exceptionally well, but we have seen so far in the warm-up games, everybody can beat everybody in this tournament. But, retaining the ODI status is very much forefront of the thought, but who's to say we can't qualify for the World Cup," he said.