The triumphant cricketers of the UAE Under 19 side might have been forgiven for feeling some back-to-school blues on Monday morning.
After all, they had just been on the most magical adventure imaginable. A month spent playing cricket with their closest mates, against the world’s best players in their age group, in a tropical paradise in the Caribbean.
And at the end of it all, they achieved something unique for a side from these shores: winning the U19 World Cup plate competition, with back-to-back victories against Test playing nations.
For Dhruv Parashar, 17, a return to normal life might have been especially dispiriting. After all, he had just taken four wickets against the mighty West Indies, before being named player of the match in the plate final against Ireland.
He was also fearful his schoolmates at Dubai English Speaking College might have forgotten who he was, given the time he has missed both for the tournament and the training camps ahead of the competition.
Not a bit of it, it turned out. His school were just as pleased to celebrate his achievement as he was.
“Today was my first day back at school and it was a really good welcome that I got from my classmates and all my teachers,” said Parashar, an off-spinning all-rounder and DESC A-level student, on Monday.
“An email had been sent out to all my teachers and the PE department about my achievement with some photos.
“It felt like a lot of people wanted to know more. They knew I had been representing UAE, but a lot of people came up to me and wanted to know what the experience was like.”
As a student of biology, business and PE at one of Dubai’s leading schools, Parashar is likely to have lots of avenues available to him in the future.
Given his experiences in cricket to date, not least over the past month, the ICC Academy product is aiming "to make the UAE senior team and play cricket as a professional”.
He is hoping that will include more World Cups, too. Whether they match up to the experiences he has savoured over the past month is yet to be seen.
“It was a really proud feeling being named man of the match, but the best thing about it is when it comes in a winning situation,” said Parashar, who was born in Pune, India, and came to UAE with his parents aged four.
“It means you have contributed to the team’s victory and that feels really nice. It was the first time UAE have won the plate category, and we are only the fourth Associate side to do it.
“It was my first World Cup. I didn’t have any expectations, I just wanted to go and play and give 100 per cent. It was a good outcome.
“Even though we didn’t have a full strength squad [after Covid cases during the closing stages of the competition], and we were missing three players who were a crucial part of the team, we weren’t thinking about that too much.
“We knew we all had a chance to make everyone back home proud if we played well. We just focused on that, and everyone played really, really well.”
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Sky Is Pink
Director: Shonali Bose
Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf
Three stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The five pillars of Islam
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
Racecard
5pm: Al Maha Stables – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: The President’s Cup – Group 1 (PA) Dh2,500,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: The President’s Cup – Listed (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 1,400m
RESULTS
6.30pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner Canvassed, Par Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m
Winner Dubai Future, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Mouheeb, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
8.15pm Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
9.50pm Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Topper Bill, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
9.25pm Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Man Of Promise, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
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'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness'
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg and Rachel McAdams
Rating: 3/5
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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
Babumoshai Bandookbaaz
Director: Kushan Nandy
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Bidita Bag, Jatin Goswami
Three stars
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
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