The bus back from Muscat to Dubai must have been a morose place to be on Thursday morning.
Pondering the beauty of the Hajjar Mountains would almost certainly have given way to more gloomy thoughts for the players of the UAE national team.
Like, just how have we managed to pass up the chance to play at a major tournament in our own backyard for the third time in four years?
The Asia Cup has gone the same way it did back in 2018, and the way of the T20 World Cup of 2021.
When it starts at Dubai International Stadium on Saturday night, Wanindu Hasaranga and Rashid Khan will be there.
A day later, Babar Azam and Haris Rauf will be taking on Virat Kohli and all the other household names of the Indian Premier League.
The stars of the world game will shine brightly under the ring of fire floodlights. It is going to be a captivating show between now and the final on Sunday September 11.
But, yet again, the leading players of the host nation will be ghosts at their own feast.
Four years ago, it was Hong Kong who denied them a place in their home Asia Cup, on a stormy day in the final match of the qualifier in Malaysia.
A year later, UAE were the second highest ranked side in a tournament that offered five places to the next T20 World Cup.
As it turned out, that ended up being played in the Emirates two years later because of the effects of Covid. It passed off without the UAE, though, their hopes having been lanced by a corruption crisis that has since seen seven senior players banned.
This time around, UAE were the best-ranked side in the qualifying tournament, a full 11 places higher in the standings than the next best, Hong Kong.
But a team who had been purring the last time they had played a T20 tournament in Muscat now looked entirely fractured.
Their captain was changed on the day of the trip to the tournament. After a shock loss to Kuwait, the country’s two most capped players were then jettisoned from the side altogether.
Seeing Ahmed Raza and Rohan Mustafa – each ex-captains – sat in the dugout in high-viz bibs rather than out in the heat of battle was painful to watch.
They have been fixtures of the side for a decade, two players who have been UAE internationals as man and boy.
Classmates born three days apart, who were inspired to be international cricketers by watching games just a six-hit away from their school in Sharjah.
How fitting it would have been if they were heading back to their home town to feature in a major tournament.
Sharjah Cricket Stadium, after all, is back hosting a competition which it birthed, back in 1984.
The country’s oldest cricket venue will stage four fixtures in the competition, including Pakistan v Hong Kong – rather than UAE – on Friday September 2.
While the absence of the home team will be keenly felt, the return of the Asia Cup to Sharjah is rightly being celebrated.
Abdulrahman Bukhatir, who did so much to establish the sport in the Middle East as the founder of Sharjah Cricket Stadium, played a central role in starting the competition, too.
“The initiative begun in 1984 has paid off and I see it as one of my most satisfying achievements,” Bukhatir said last week.
Now Bukhatir’s son, Khalaf, is chief executive at the stadium. He is delighted to be welcoming back the Asia Cup.
“Life has really come full circle and we are so excited to be hosting the Asia Cup once again in 2022,” Khalaf said.
“Our stadium is globally renowned for breaking records, having the best fans and the most exciting finishes and I imagine this tournament will be no different.”
India and Pakistan train in Dubai
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The specs: 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera
Price, base: Dh1.2 million
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 725hp @ 6,500pm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.3L / 100km (estimate)
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.
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ABU DHABI T10: DAY TWO
Bangla Tigers v Deccan Gladiators (3.30pm)
Delhi Bulls v Karnataka Tuskers (5.45pm)
Northern Warriors v Qalandars (8.00pm)
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
THREE
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Results
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: Celtic Prince, David Liska (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer).
7.05pm: Conditions Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Commanding, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
7.40pm: Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Grand Argentier, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.15pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 2,200m
Winner: Arch Gold, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed Dh265,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Military Law, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
9.25pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Ibn Malik, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.
10pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
Take Me Apart
Kelela
(Warp)
Uefa Champions League last 16 draw
Juventus v Tottenham Hotspur
Basel v Manchester City
Sevilla v Manchester United
Porto v Liverpool
Real Madrid v Paris Saint-Germain
Shakhtar Donetsk v Roma
Chelsea v Barcelona
Bayern Munich v Besiktas
