As UAE set the seal on their latest Cricket World Cup League 2 campaign with another comprehensive win over Nepal, Junaid Siddique knelt down and cursed his luck in mock aggravation.
He immediately bounced back to his feet with a broad smile, and went off to celebrate the 99-run success with his teammates.
The fast bowler had just been denied a first five-wicket haul in international cricket when Nepal’s final wicket fell. Even Basil Hameed, who took the last wicket, held his head in his hands in disappointment.
A fifth wicket in the innings would have been due reward for Siddique, whose returns have been excellent during the UAE’s intense run of matches over the past six weeks.
He took 4-23 against Nepal, to take his tally to 13 wickets in the eight matches UAE have had over the past two weeks in the World Cup League. No wonder his teammates were willing him on for one more.
“They just wanted the wickets to go against my name, but at the end of the day, the team won,” Siddique said.
“Personal records are nothing. The team ones are what matter and what we all care about.”
In the course of the last 44 days, UAE have played 19 matches across two formats. In that time they have clinched qualification for the T20 World Cup, and established themselves in second place in the qualifying league for the 50-over version.
Siddique has been a mainstay of the effort, establishing himself as the pace spearhead. Yet again, his fine performance against Nepal was in spite of what had felt like a below par return by the team’s batters.
The home team were defending 203, which was brought about by Rohan Mustafa's second successive half-century, on his 50th ODI appearance. Nepal’s batting malaise continued as they managed just 103, which is their lowest ODI score.
“There is always pressure on the bowlers when the batters have not done well,” Siddique said.
“It is my responsibility, as well as those of [fellow seamers] Kashif [Daud], Zahoor [Khan], and the others to do our job and make us win.
“We are excited about going [to the T20 World Cup] but we know the standard is going up so we can’t afford to stand still. We are trying to win every match, and day by day our standard is going higher. We are happy.”
Over the course of back-to-back tri-series, first against Oman and Namibia, and then against Nepal and Papua New Guinea, UAE won five out of eight matches.
“We are not entirely satisfied, because when we started this series of matches we wanted to win all our matches,” Ahmed Raza, the captain, said.
“Unfortunately we couldn’t make it, but I’m very happy to take six points from it.
“When you play at home you are expected to win, and our team was aiming to take full points. But playing 19 games in the space of two months takes its toll.”
Sandeep Lamichhane, Nepal’s captain, remains at a loss to explain the batting failings of his side. The meek effort of 103 this time around followed a similarly dire 120 when they had faced the same opposition last week.
“Every time we go back to the dressing room and the drawing board, we do talk about the match,” Lamichhane said.
“It is not happening for us right now. Hopefully, whatever mistakes we are making, we can correct them and improve results.
“If you are a professional cricketer, you have no choice. If you lost yesterday, today is another day for you to go and express yourself and improve. That is what my motto is.
“Everyone will be fine. We need to make the effort and push each other.”
MATCH INFO
CAF Champions League semi-finals first-leg fixtures
Tuesday:
Primeiro Agosto (ANG) v Esperance (TUN) (8pm UAE)
Al Ahly (EGY) v Entente Setif (ALG) (11PM)
Second legs:
October 23
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About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
List of alleged parties
May 12, 2020: PM and his wife Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at least 17 staff
May 20, 2020: They attend 'bring your own booze party'
Nov 27, 2020: PM gives speech at leaving party for his staff
Dec 10, 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
Dec 13, 2020: PM and his wife throw a party
Dec 14, 2020: London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff event at Conservative Party headquarters
Dec 15, 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
Dec 18, 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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.
Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
