Abu Dhabi: The excitement of heading off to cricket’s biggest extravaganza – the ICC World Cup — kept the UAE players warm on a cold morning at the UAE capital on Thursday.

The squad left for Napier, New Zealand, at 7am for a week’s training before heading to Australia ahead of their two warm-up matches against Afghanistan and Australia before the start of the mega event on February 14. The UAE’s first match is against Zimbabwe on February 19 and they also play Ireland, India, Pakistan, South Africa and the West Indies in Group B.

Skipper Mohammad Tauqir was first to arrive at the airport and, soon after, the entire team, dressed in red jackets and black tracksuit pants with the UAE logo prominently emblazoned on the front, joined him.

Their enthusiasm was palpable as they took plenty of selfies and groupies, followed by repeated baggage checks as they made a beeline to get their boarding passes. Eagerness was writ wide even on the face of vice-captain Khurram Khan, one of the most senior and experienced players in the party.

A beaming Khan was seen picking up a couple of brand new bats and engaging in some shadow practice, prompting a few curious travellers to enquire which sport the team was taking part in — a clear indication that cricket is still in its infancy in this country, where football holds fort amongst locals.

However, that will certainly change, the UAE team’s Emirati skipper Tauqir said — and the change will come from this World Cup, he insisted.

“I strongly believe that our participation in the World Cup will inspire many more Emiratis to take up the game and follow this game with some passion. I would like to see, down the line, in another few years, a team full of Emirati players,” said Tauqir.

“Things change when you watch your team play in such events and we are expecting some fans to be there to cheer us. So certainly there will be some UAE flags fluttering out there to keep us pumped up and the people back home excited,”

Batting coach Mudassar Nazar added some humour to the occasion by checking with the players if they had picked up their helmets and abdominal guards.

“The ball keeps swinging there in Australia and New Zealand, so I hope you guys have a helmet and guard in place,” he said, bursting into laughter and play-acting with his fingers as if he was bowling an in-swinger and an out-swinger.

Coach Aaqib Javed was the only person wearing a serious look, perhaps already pondering over the challenges that lay ahead of him and his team.

The former Pakistan speedster stressed the need to stay grounded and not get overawed by the occasion.

“Sometimes in excitement you get really carried away and this is something that we have to avoid. We have 17 days and the priority is to make sure that these boys understand they belong there and they shouldn’t feel they are one step ahead or one step behind,” said Javed, who signed off by saying: “The boys have been asked to respect the good ball but not to respect the bowler!”