▁being ▁promoted ▁to ▁I CC ▁full ▁membership , ▁the ▁U AE ▁began ▁to ▁establish ▁themselves ▁as ▁the ▁top ▁associate ▁side ▁in ▁Asia , ▁though ▁they ▁often ▁fell ▁short ▁against ▁the ▁top ▁associ ates ▁in ▁Europe ▁and ▁North ▁America , ▁a ▁position ▁that ▁remains ▁to ▁this ▁day . ▁They ▁won ▁the ▁A CC ▁Tro phy ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁be ating ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁and ▁Nep al ▁in ▁the ▁respective ▁final s , ▁but ▁finished ▁fifth ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁I CC ▁Tro phy ▁in ▁Canada . ▁ ▁U AE ▁hosted ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁I CC ▁Six ▁Nations ▁Challenge ▁and ▁finished ▁fifth , ▁level ▁on ▁points ▁with ▁four ▁other ▁teams . ▁The ▁year ▁was ▁a ▁busy ▁one ▁for ▁the ▁U AE ▁cr ick eters ▁as ▁they ▁played ▁the ▁first ▁Inter cont inental ▁Cup ▁match ▁against ▁Nep al , ▁with ▁Ali ▁As ad ▁taking ▁nine ▁w ick ets ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁inn ings . ▁They ▁beat ▁Malays ia ▁later ▁in ▁the ▁tournament ▁but ▁lost ▁to ▁Canada ▁in ▁the ▁semi - final s . ▁They ▁also ▁won ▁the ▁A CC ▁Tro phy ▁again , ▁be ating ▁O man ▁in ▁the ▁final . ▁They ▁returned ▁to ▁O DI ▁cr icket , ▁losing ▁to ▁India ▁and ▁Sri ▁L anka ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁round ▁of ▁the ▁Asia ▁Cup , ▁and ▁finished ▁fourth ▁in ▁the ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁Six es , ▁be ating ▁India ▁and ▁South ▁Africa ▁on ▁the ▁way . ▁ ▁They ▁reached ▁the ▁semi -