It wasn't a case of third time lucky for Umesh Valjee, but the Colindale ace was still proud of his team despite falling just short of leading England to victory at the Deaf ICC Championship.

Top-order batsman Valjee was part of the England team which travelled to Dubai in March for the 50-over competition.

It marked the first international series for England since their unbeaten tour to South Africa in 2013 and featured a new-look management team including head coach Phil Hudson and assistant coach Mark Nash.

And while their first of three round robin fixtures against South Africa was abandoned due to bad weather, England found their feet with back-to-back wins over Pakistan and India to book their place in last week’s final at the Sharjah International Cricket Ground.

Valjee impressed in the showpiece as he made 63 as almost a run-a-ball, but Pakistan enacted some revenge as they chased down England’s 226 with eight balls to spare to lift the trophy.

It was a familiar feeling for 47-year-old Valjee after he also lost in the showpiece in 1995 and a decade later, but he still believes the Three Lions can be proud of their achievements.

“I am gutted to lose the final but we lost to the better side on the day,” the Stanmore Cricket Club said.

“It is very disappointing for me especially because I have now lost all of the three Deaf World Cup finals I have played in.

“In the final our bowling and fielding was slightly below standard, but I am very proud to have made my third World Cup final and the team did really well to make it that far.”

With a new management structure in place, this was a good new beginning for England, something Valjee is keen to continue.

“Everything was almost new to most of our players who have never taken part in a deaf tournement before,” he added.

“This includes coaches Phil Hudson and Mark Nash who gained new experiences in deaf international cricket and will know what to expect in our next international tournament in the near future.

“One of my strengths as one of the experienced players in the team is to lead by example and to be able to influence younger players.

“As I have always said even since 1991, my aim is to win the Deaf Ashes and the Deaf World Cup – that's always been my targets before I retire.”

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