UAE coach Aaqib Javed has welcomed the chance to play an England XI in Abu Dhabi later this year, insisting his team can only improve by playing better opposition.

His side will host the England XI in a Twenty20 match at Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Monday, November 23 as part of the visitors’ tour, announced last week, where they also take on Pakistan in a Test, ODI and T20 series.

It will be the first game against a Test playing country since the World Cup for Javed’s men, who also played New Zealand and Pakistan ‘A’ sides last year.

“Every team has to start from somewhere,” said Javed.

“When I used to play for Pakistan (between 1989 and 1998), teams like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe at one point were really low but this is how you help the Associate teams.

“They must be given opportunities to play with full members so they can gain confidence and the only way you can get better is by playing better opposition.”

While he plans to name an experienced squad for that encounter, the 1992 World Cup winner hinted he could include two youngsters.

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“I would love to have a few youngsters in the squad because Twenty20 is a fast and powerful game,” he said.

“I will not include all young players in the squad as it’s very important to see experienced players test themselves. But adding one or two would be an advantage for any team because they will be sharp on their feet and they can bring in a lot of energy in to the team.

“It’s not about including all youngsters but giving them a chance and it’s a good way of moving forward.”

Former Under-19 players Chirag Suri and Rohit Singh have been tipped to represent the senior team and Javed, 42, feels the pair could feature against England XI.

“These two youngsters have been around for the last two years so they have a chance but it’s too early to mention any specific names,” he added.