UAE cricket is nurturing a generation of young players who are learning the value of resilience and ambition on and off the field. Two such players—Aliasger Shams and Mustafa Hassanali from the Dawoodi Bohra community in the UAE—are leaving their mark by showcasing both talent and tenacity that makes one shine at the highest levels.

The talisman from Sharjah

Aliasger Shams from Sharjah is a left-arm spinner whose cricketing journey began in 2016. He was inspired by his grandfather, a cricket enthusiast who once played competitive cricket in India. He started off with the long runup of a fast bowler and spent six years chasing wickets without much success. That’s when a coach suggested him to pivot from fast bowling to spin.

“I wasn’t performing well, not getting into big teams or tournaments. My coach told me left-arm orthodox spin would give me an edge because it’s rare here. That advice changed everything,” Aliasger recalls.

His first tournament as a spinner—the Under-16 Inter-Emirate—was tough, but in the final, he picked up four wickets against Dubai to earn Man of the Match and a UAE camp call-up. Unfortunately for him, he did not make the final squad.

“That was a heartbreak. After not being selected, I was motivated by only one thought: I had to prove myself,” he said.

Aliasger bounced back by dominating Inter-Academy tournaments, finishing as highest wicket-taker. His consistent performances soon earned him a place in the national camp.

His international debut came in October 2021 against Bangladesh Under-19, where he claimed a five-wicket haul in a three-day game. “It was a dream debut against a Test-playing nation,” he says.

Since then, Aliasger has been a fixture in the UAE Under-19 side—playing against Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India in tri-series and tournaments like the Sharjah Cup and ICC World Cup Qualifiers. 

Balancing studies, long commutes, and intensive training, Aliasger relied on his family’s support. “If it wasn’t for my family, I wouldn’t be here. They sacrificed a lot for me,” he reflects.

Looking towards the horizon, the young left-armer remains focused on the long game: building a career in UAE cricket and earning glory for his country.

A keeper’s focus

While Aliasger’s journey is about reinvention, Mustafa Hassanali’s is about early promise nurtured into discipline.

Born in Kolkata and raised in Dubai, Mustafa first picked up a bat at age three. His father, an avid cricketer, recognised his spark early. 

“From around three years old, I saw it in him. The way he held the bat without anyone teaching him—it was natural,” recalls his father, who runs a hardware and electrical shop in Deira.

After that, Mustafa began training regularly at an academy under his coach Vishal Mahadik, who remains an influential figure in his development. Initially a bowler, Mustafa transitioned to wicket-keeping during the COVID-19 lockdown on his coach, Ejaz Ahmed’s suggestion. 

“I started wicket-keeping then, practicing on my own. After the academy reopened, I trained two to three hours daily. With dedication and focus, it worked out,” he explains.

His hard work earned him a call to the UAE Under-16 squad followed by his first overseas tour in Nairobi, Kenya, which turned out to be a successful outing for him.

For Mustafa, wicket-keeping is as much about mental fitness as physical. “If you lose focus even for one ball, it can be a disaster for your team.” That concentration spills into his batting as well, usually in the middle order where the role is all about anchoring an innings. 

“There have been a few matches where the game looked completely gone, and there was no way to win. In those moments, you actually feel less pressure because you’re not thinking about winning—you play freely,” he said.

He recalls a scenario on an England tour where the UAE needed 60 runs in five overs. “The game looked beyond winning, so I just played freely. In the last over, we needed 12 runs—and believe it or not, we won. It was amazing.”

Role models like MS Dhoni, former Indian cricketer, inspire him, but his biggest support system remains his family. 

“My dad has been at every match, always guiding me. For any sport, family support is essential,” Mustafa says. 

His father’s words reflect that: “Alhamdulillah, he’s in the UAE team because of his wicket-keeping. It even improved his batting because keeping behind the wickets requires immense concentration and that improves his focus when batting.”

Mustafa has also had celebrity moments—meeting Imran Tahir, Courtney Walsh, and Mohammed Azharuddin—but like Aliasger, he is in it not for the glamour but the honour of representing his nation as he puts it, “My ultimate goal is to play for the UAE senior team.”

Two paths, one dream

Both boy’s journeys converge on the same ambition—to wear UAE colours at the highest level.

As the UAE continues to develop its cricketing structure, young Dawoodi Bohra players like Aliasger Shams and Mustafa Hassanali symbolise the promise of a generation determined to make their mark on the international stage.