Zayed Cricket Academy’s D’Souza and Figy called-up for UAE National Team against West Indies

ABU DHABI, 30th May, 2023 (WAM) — Seventeen-year-old Ethan D’Souza, a talented cricketer from Zayed Cricket Academy (ZCA), has been selected to represent the UAE senior men’s national team. The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) has chosen him as part of the 22-player squad for the upcoming series against the West Indies, starting on 4th June.

Ethan, who is a student at Abu Dhabi Indian School, has been in outstanding form and recently led Team Abu Dhabi to victory in the U19 ECB Inter-Emirates tournament. His impressive domestic performances earned him a place in a pre-selection senior team training camp, and now he has received a call-up to the national men’s team following his UAE U19 debut earlier this year. Ethan is eager to continue his learning journey in the senior cricket environment.

“My goal now is to focus on this series, win it, and learn from my team and opponents about playing 50-over cricket,” he expressed.

D’Souza expressed his heartfelt gratitude, saying, “I want to extend my sincere thanks to all my coaches at Zayed Cricket Academy. I have been a part of this academy since I was seven years old, and now I have achieved my initial goal. They have provided me with a platform to showcase my skills, and even though it has been a long journey, there is still much more ahead.”

Ethan is joined in the UAE squad by Jonathan Figy, another graduate of Zayed Cricket Academy. Jonathan, a stylish left-handed batter, recently returned from his studies in the UK and impressed with two half-centuries for Team Abu Dhabi in the recently concluded D50 tournament. Having been associated with ZCA from the age of eight to 19, their selection is a proud moment for everyone connected with the academy.

Mervyn Pereira, Manager of Zayed Cricket Academy, commented, “Ethan is one of the brightest teenage prospects in the UAE and has worked extremely hard on his fitness and all-round game in recent years. His call-up to the UAE squad is a proud moment for us at the academy and reflects the success of our clear pathway programme.”

Matt Boucher, CEO of Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub, which hosts ZCA, stated, “This talented duo has become academy legends. Their achievements are a testament to our excellent community-focused Zayed Cricket Academy product and our exceptional coaching staff.”

Both Ethan and Jonathan are hoping to make a strong impression during the West Indies series, as the UAE’s ICC World Cup Qualifying campaign begins in Zimbabwe later this month.

Full UAE player list for the three-match ODI series against West Indies:

Mohammad Waseem (c), Aayan Khan, Aditya Shetty, Ali Naseer, Ansh Tandon, Aryansh Sharma, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Ethan D’Souza, Fahad Nawaz, Jonathan Figgy, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Lovepreet Singh, Matiullah, Mohammed Faraazuddin, Muhammad Jawadullah, Rameez Shahzad, Rohan Mustafa, Sanchit Sharma, Vriitya Aravind, and Zahoor Khan.