Between them, Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar, Ramiz Raja, Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram have been there, done that, and got the salwar kameez. Multiple times over.
Were Shastri not world cricket’s designated hype man (see the toss pre-India v Pakistan, which made Michael Buffer seem chill and had captains Rohit Sharma and Babar Azam in fits of giggles), it would be tempting to suggest it takes a fair bit to move them.
Obviously, Sunday’s T20 World Cup clash in New York was a big one. The fixture always does raise the pulses, especially a first competitive one in the city that never sleeps. But they have each seen it all before, and have a sufficient level of perspective. Maybe call it cynicism, at times.
But when each was behind the mic there was one thing which noticeably elevated the timbre of their commentary. It was the sight of Jasprit Bumrah with ball in hand.
With such an unlikely total (119) for India to defend at the undulating Nassau County ground, they would have had him bowling every over.
Gavaskar was the first to mention it. Eight balls had been bowled and Pakistan were 14 for no loss by the time he started to wonder where Bumrah was.
“He is your best bowler, and he is just standing at mid-on,” Gavaskar said, just before Mohammed Siraj bowled a peach to miss the outside edge of Mohammed Rizwan’s bat.
“He is the best bowler, an attacking option for you, and Pakistan rate him very high,” Raja responded. “You want a guy who can bowl that hard length. It is a pitch tailor made for Bumrah.”
They did not have to wait for long to get what they wanted. Bumrah was handed the ball for the third over, and the atmosphere of the game (until now, it had been all Pakistan) changed immediately.
Ball 1 (Third over): Length ball outside off, Rizwan drives for two with the outside half of the bat.
Ball 2: Same area, Rizwan defends for no run.
Ball 3: Wider of off on the same length, Rizwan attempts to release the pressure with a hoick to leg side, but gets a thick inside edge onto his pads for no run.
Ball 4: Straighter this time, zeroing in on leg stump, giving Rizwan more justification to hit to leg. He hits it hard but straight in the air to Shivam Dube at fine leg, he drops a simple chance. “It was a sitter,” says Raja. “No, no, no.” One run.
Ball 5: Back of a length, Babar guides it away without alarm to third man for a single.
Ball 6: Regulation fifth stump line outside off, Rizwan defends for no run on the off side.
(Bumrah: 1-0-4-0)
Rohit still looked unflustered, even though it was clear India needed a breakthrough asap. He kept Bumrah on to bowl the penultimate over of the Powerplay to try to make it happen.
Ball 7 (Fifth over): Rizwan manufactures an angle to work a back-of-a-length delivery just outside off into the onside for a single.
Ball 8: Comfortably played off the back foot by Babar but fielded at cover for no run.
Ball 9: Starting to look like they are finding his measure now, as Babar picks up a short-of-a-length delivery early, and chips it to wide mid-on for four.
Ball 10: Wicket. Babar flirts at a ball that is angling in just outside, and just rising just above off stump, and the edge is well taken at slip by Suryakumar Yadav. It is the breakthrough India need, and Pakistan are 26 for one.
Ball 11: Usman Khan, who would have been playing D10 cricket in Ajman rather than against Bumrah and Co in New York had he not accepted Pakistan’s invitation to play for them, plays and misses at his first ball outside off.
Ball 12: The crowd roar as Usman plays and misses at a beauty just outside off.
(Bumrah: 2-0-9-1)
It took till the 10th over for the commentators to start pondering when Rohit would attack with Bumrah again. “He is the strike bowler,” said Shastri, with Pakistan on 53 for one at the time, requiring 67 from 62 balls to win. “He has already bowled two and they will be thinking of when to bring him [back] in. India need to break this partnership.”
Steve Smith and Wasim Akram both agreed. Now was the time.
In fact, it was Axar Patel who was given the 11th, and he made a vital intervention, trapping Usman lbw. Hardik Pandya then accounted for Fakhar Zaman.
Now the door was ajar again, Bumrah re-entered the scene. “The main man is back,” said Ebony Rainford-Brent.
Ball 13 (15th over): Wicket. Just the force of Bumrah’s personality induces a rash hack across the line by Rizwan, and the set batter has his stumps demolished by a length ball that swings back slightly. “He is an amazing character, a genuine match-winner,” Waqar roars over the din of the crowd. Pakistan are 80 for four.
Ball 14: No run, as Bumrah gets the outside half of Shadab Khan’s bat.
Ball 15: An outside edge goes along the ground to slip. No run.
It is at this point that Win Predictor flashes up the chances for either side: India 16 per cent, Pakistan 84 percent. Maybe its Bumrah algorithm had not been inputted correctly. “I’d say [India] are more than 16,” Waqar said. “Bumrah still has an over and a half.”
Ball 16: A low full toss tailing into leg stump is miss-hit up to mid-on for a single by Shadab.
Ball 17: His first ball to a left-hander. Angled across Imad Wasim, who uses the arc of the delivery to get the ball past backward point for two.
Ball 18: Brings Imad forward and he blocks outside off for no run.
(Bumrah: 3-0-12-2)
India have one of the all-time great finishers with the bat – maybe the greatest – in Virat Kohli. Matches like this seem made for him. And yet when they bat first, and thus have to defend, it is Bumrah who is his bowling equivalent.
Their personas could scarcely be more contrasting. Bumrah is simultaneously an all-format great and the boy next door. A smiling assassin.
He was given the ball for the penultimate over, and told to finish them.
Ball 19 (19th over): An extraordinary 123kph slower ball, which starts short and wide of Imad’s leg stump and loops up to catch the outside edge of his bat. It trickles behind point and the batters take a single to take Pakistan to 100 for five.
Ball 20: Another slower, short ball, loops over the shoulder of Iftikhar Ahmed, who looks completely befuddled. No run.
Ball 21: A stock delivery on a good length outside off, which Iftikhar misses with a manic slog. No run.
Ball 22: His first big miss of the game, as he fires a full toss at the pads of Iftikhar, but again the batter misses. They get through for a leg bye but it was opportunity missed.
Ball 23: Imad backs away to a ball fired in at the top of off, clips it to extra cover and they take a single.
Ball 24: Overpitches for the second time in three balls, and again Iftikhar fails to punish him. This time Pakistan’s No 7 does get bat on it, but can only sky it to third man, where Arshdeep negotiates a potential collision with Yadav, and safely holds on.
(Bumrah 4-0-14-3)
It left Arshdeep with a cushion of 18 to defend off the last. Pakistan could only manage 10.
“I tried to keep it simple, as I thought the wicket did get better and the swing was less,” Bumrah said after closing out victory. “I tried to hit the seam, tried to be clear on what I wanted to do, and focused on the execution.”
Oh yes, of course. Why doesn’t everyone else just do that?
The biog
Born: near Sialkot, Pakistan, 1981
Profession: Driver
Family: wife, son (11), daughter (8)
Favourite drink: chai karak
Favourite place in Dubai: The neighbourhood of Khawaneej. “When I see the old houses over there, near the date palms, I can be reminded of my old times. If I don’t go down I cannot recall my old times.”
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
TICKETS
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
TOUR DE FRANCE INFO
Dates: July 1-23
Distance: 3,540km
Stages: 21
Number of teams: 22
Number of riders: 198
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Results
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) US$100,000 (Dirt) 2,000m, Winner Bandar, Fernando Jara (jockey), Majed Al Jahouri (trainer).
7.05pm Meydan Classic Listed (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,600m, Winner Well Of Wisdom, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
7.40pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m, Winner Star Safari, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
8.15pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner Moqarrar, Fabrice Veron, Erwan Charpy.
8.50pm Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 2 (TB) $300,000 (T) 2,810m, Winner Secret Advisor, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
9.25pm Curlin Stakes Listed (TB) $175,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner Parsimony, William Buick, Doug O’Neill.
10pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m, Winner Simsir, Ronan Whelan, Michael Halford.
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m, Winner Velorum, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
THREE
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if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Who are the Sacklers?
The Sackler family is a transatlantic dynasty that owns Purdue Pharma, which manufactures and markets OxyContin, one of the drugs at the centre of America's opioids crisis. The family is well known for their generous philanthropy towards the world's top cultural institutions, including Guggenheim Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate in Britain, Yale University and the Serpentine Gallery, to name a few. Two branches of the family control Purdue Pharma.
Isaac Sackler and Sophie Greenberg were Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York before the First World War. They had three sons. The first, Arthur, died before OxyContin was invented. The second, Mortimer, who died aged 93 in 2010, was a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. The third, Raymond, died aged 97 in 2017 and was also a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma.
It was Arthur, a psychiatrist and pharmaceutical marketeer, who started the family business dynasty. He and his brothers bought a small company called Purdue Frederick; among their first products were laxatives and prescription earwax remover.
Arthur's branch of the family has not been involved in Purdue for many years and his daughter, Elizabeth, has spoken out against it, saying the company's role in America's drugs crisis is "morally abhorrent".
The lawsuits that were brought by the attorneys general of New York and Massachussetts named eight Sacklers. This includes Kathe, Mortimer, Richard, Jonathan and Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, who are all the children of either Mortimer or Raymond. Then there's Theresa Sackler, who is Mortimer senior's widow; Beverly, Raymond's widow; and David Sackler, Raymond's grandson.
Members of the Sackler family are rarely seen in public.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
The years Ramadan fell in May
Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance: the specs
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 plus rear-mounted electric motor
Power: 843hp at N/A rpm
Torque: 1470Nm N/A rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.6L/100km
On sale: October to December
Price: From Dh875,000 (estimate)
Simran
Director Hansal Mehta
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Soham Shah, Esha Tiwari Pandey
Three stars
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Andor
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Quick facts on cancer
- Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular diseases
- About one in five men and one in six women will develop cancer in their lifetime
- By 2040, global cancer cases are on track to reach 30 million
- 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries
- This rate is expected to increase to 75 per cent by 2030
- At least one third of common cancers are preventable
- Genetic mutations play a role in 5 per cent to 10 per cent of cancers
- Up to 3.7 million lives could be saved annually by implementing the right health
strategies
- The total annual economic cost of cancer is $1.16 trillion
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