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No Disrespect! UAE Coach Defends Retiring Entire Team Out In Women's T20 WC Qualifier

Sakshi Sharma

UAE Women (Source:@EmiratesCricket,x.com)UAE Women (Source:@EmiratesCricket,x.com)

In a never-seen-before tactical move in the history of T20 cricket, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) women’s team shocked everyone by retiring out their entire batting lineup during a group-stage clash against Qatar in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025. The incident occurred on May 10 and has since gone viral on social media. 

The UAE, after posting a mammoth total of 192 runs in just 16 overs, chose to retire out all their remaining batters, including two in-form players captain Esha Rohit Oza, who was unbeaten on 113 off 55 deliveries, and wicketkeeper Theertha Satish, on 77 off 42 balls. No other batter faced a ball as the rest of the lineup was officially recorded as "retired out for 0."

Why Did UAE Make This Tactical Decision?

The surprising decision was made amid a growing threat of rain and thunder during the game. UAE head coach Ahmed Raza later revealed that he proactively approached both the umpires and the match referee to clarify the rules before implementing the move.

"Whilst the innings was going on we started hearing thunder and slight drizzle started," Raza said as quoted by the ICC. I went to the umpires and checked whether we could declare but in white-ball cricket you can not declare. I then asked the match referee if I could retire my whole team out."


With the thunder and drizzle we just had to make sure the whole game was played because the weather has been around.  At the start of our bowling innings it was already drizzling and we were scared of the thunderstorm. There was not enough time. It was all done purely to get a result. By doing this I meant no disrespect to anyone involved, our opposition. Everything that happened was within the laws and was well communicated with the match referee. This extraordinary series of events should not overshadow our captain's hundred and our opening stand of 192 and our bowlers doing the remaining job." Raza further explained. 

Is This The First in International Cricket?

Retiring a batter out is a legal but rarely used tactic in cricket, usually reserved for injury concerns or strategic reshuffling in warm-up matches. However, to retire out an entire team especially with two set batters dominating the opposition is unprecedented at the international level. 

Dominant Win For UAE vs Qatar

The decision proved to be a masterstroke. The UAE bowlers decimated Qatar’s lineup, bundling them out for just 29 runs in just 11.1 overs. The comprehensive 163-run win not only grabbed headlines but also significantly boosted UAE’s net run rate, all but sealing their place in the Super Three stage of the Asia Qualifier.