The UAE will have a tough task on hand in the T20 Asia Cup cricket qualifiers to be held in Bangladesh this week according to the coach Aqib Javed.

"Not only us it would be a tough call for every team in the qualifying round" he told Khaleej Times on Monday after the Emirates Cricket Board announced the UAE team for the event to be held from February 19-22. The UAE Hong Kong Oman and Afghanistan will battle for a place in the main draw of the Asian Cup T20 tournament. The former Pakistan pacer conceded that Afghanistan were the strong contenders.

However he pointed out that T20 format was such that no team can take the other lightly. "When we played Ireland on Sunday we had them reeling at 100 for 8 but they managed 30 runs in last two overs and our batsmen failed in a losing cause."

Aqib stressed that the UAE team had a decent batting. "We have strong batsmen in captain Amjad Javed Swapnil Patil Shaiman Anwar and Ahmed Raza and hopefully they will click in the four-nation qualifer" he said optimistically.

On team's recent poor show he reckons that there was a big gap between the club cricket in the UAE and international level. He advocated sustained international exposure for the UAE players.

The UAE first take on fancied Afghanistan on Friday followed by a game on Sunday against Hong Kong the third and final game against Oman will be played Monday.

The winner of the Qualifier will compete in the five-nation Asia Cup T20 tournament which commences on February 24 and features India Pakistan Sri Lanka and hosts Bangladesh.

In their warm up game against Ireland on Sunday chasing 135 for victory the UAE were skittled out for 100. The two sides will play against in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday before they travel to Bangladesh on Friday.