Pakistan captain Babar Azam has backed Hasan Ali to stage a comeback soon, after the all-rounder was dropped from the team for the ODI tour of the Netherlands and the Asia Cup T20 tournament in the UAE later this month.
Hasan has been struggling in white-ball cricket for more than a few seasons. After a victorious campaign at the 2017 Champions Trophy in England, where he was player of the tournament, Ali has fallen down the pecking order. Since 2019, he has picked up 16 wickets in 18 ODIs and 27 scalps in 21 T20s. His worst moment came during the T20 World Cup in the UAE last year where he dropped Australia's Matthew Wade during the chase in the semi-final. The batsman then hit three successive sixes to secure a place in the final, which the Aussies won.
However, captain Azam said Hasan is a team player and will be backed to succeed.
“I know Hasan Ali is not in form, but it’s not like that he has to prove anything,” Azam said in Lahore on Thursday as Pakistan prepared to leave for the Netherlands.
“I support Hasan Ali because he’s a team man. Domestic cricket is coming up, he’ll play that and hopefully make a strong comeback.”
Ali's indifferent form forced selectors to include uncapped quick Naseem Shah in the white-ball format. With pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi injured, but still included the squad to be monitored, Pakistan's pace attack will be an inexperienced one. Haris Rauf and Shahnawaz Dahani are the other quicks in the team.
“We’re taking a couple of doctors on the way to take care of Shaheen,” Azam said. “We’re looking long term at his fitness and health. We want him to play a game against the Netherlands, provided he’s fit, and be ready for the Asia Cup.
“Our fast bowling bench strength is excellent. They’ve now got an opportunity to showcase their skills. This is how you expand your pool.”
There is inexperience in the batting department as well. Veteran Shoaib Malik was not considered for selection while Mohammad Hafeez has quit international cricket. Azam sees it a an opportunity for the next generation.
“When senior players leave the side, those replacing them need to focus,” Babar said. “Hafeez and Malik were huge players and we’ll miss them a lot.
“Players like Asif Ali, Khushdil Shah and Iftikhar need to fill their boots. We want to give them plenty of matches and confidence, and these players have performed. We’re also looking to utilise Shadab Khan’s batting, because batting depth is very useful in T20 cricket now.”
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERobert%20Lorenz%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Liam%20Neeson%2C%20Kerry%20Condon%2C%20Jack%20Gleeson%2C%20Ciaran%20Hinds%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What is safeguarding?
“Safeguarding, not just in sport, but in all walks of life, is making sure that policies are put in place that make sure your child is safe; when they attend a football club, a tennis club, that there are welfare officers at clubs who are qualified to a standard to make sure your child is safe in that environment,” Derek Bell explains.
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETuhoon%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EYear%20started%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFares%20Ghandour%2C%20Dr%20Naif%20Almutawa%2C%20Aymane%20Sennoussi%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERiyadh%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Ehealth%20care%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESize%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E15%20employees%2C%20%24250%2C000%20in%20revenue%0D%3Cbr%3EI%3Cstrong%3Envestment%20stage%3A%20s%3C%2Fstrong%3Eeed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EWamda%20Capital%2C%20Nuwa%20Capital%2C%20angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Beach Bum
Director: Harmony Korine
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg
Two stars
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
Players Selected for La Liga Trials
U18 Age Group
Name: Ahmed Salam (Malaga)
Position: Right Wing
Nationality: Jordanian
Name: Yahia Iraqi (Malaga)
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Nationality: Morocco
Name: Mohammed Bouherrafa (Almeria)
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Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
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Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
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- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
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