A little over three years ago, Mohammed Jawadullah left Pakistan to take up a job as an electrician at Al Ain Shooting Club.
Having played some tape-ball cricket back at home in the valley of Peshawar, he joined his staff team in the UAE's Garden City, to make friends and pass the time.
Fast-forward to now, and his teammates are of a rather different profile. For the past month, he shared a dressing room with T20 World Cup-winners such as Moeen Ali, Evin Lewis and Dawid Malan with Sharjah Warriors in the DP World International League T20. And he excelled, too.
It has been a remarkable rise in the game for a 22-year-old left-armer with a quirky, homespun technique, and who is now targeting a full international debut for the UAE.
“I hope so,” Jawadullah said of his prospects of a call up for his adopted nation. “I have played a couple of [friendly] matches against Afghanistan and Denmark.
“So I am close to a debut. Inshallah with my performances in ILT20, I can get the chance.”
After Sharjah exited the tournament on Monday night, Moeen, their captain, picked out his unheralded UAE-based seamer for a commendation.
“Jawadullah did really well for us, generally,” Moeen said. “He was the guy who made our team stronger, and also balanced our team because we were struggling for a fourth seamer.”
Words of praise like that, from a double-World Cup winner and global franchise tourist, are scarcely believable to Jawadullah, given his humble origins in the game.
“I have never been part of something big like this,” Jawadullah said. “I got to play with some of the big names and Moeen Ali has been my favourite.
“There was no formal or even informal start for me [in cricket] as such. I remember at around eight years old, I started with just slinging my arm over with stones in my village [near Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 70kms from Peshawar].
“Once we got the hang of it, my cousins and I moved to tennis-ball cricket. I never played hard-ball cricket until after I came to the UAE.”
Jawadullah’s bowling action provides a hint to his rudimentary start in the sport. He has a distinctive double hop to get into his delivery stride – an eccentricity which he might have lost had he had any sort of formal coaching at all.
“My bowling has been the same as I started in childhood,” he said.
“Back home in the village, no one said anything and I was also never conscious that something is off with my bowling.
“It is only in the past year that I have been made aware and I now realise it. I am unsure if it is too late to change now.
“I haven't based my game on anyone but my favourites have been Wasim Akram and Mohammed Amir from the recent lot due to them being fellow left-handers.”
His unorthodoxy could be a boon, too. Certainly, his Sharjah colleagues were appreciative of his methods, limiting themselves to tactical advice and encouragement, rather than technical alterations.
“[Mohammed] Nabi bhai kept giving me advice, like a brother, while bowling which was so comforting,” he said.
“The bowling coach [G Jayakumar] gave a good tip to bowl closer to the stumps at the point of delivery. He said it will help me swing the ball both ways.”
The biog
Name: James Mullan
Nationality: Irish
Family: Wife, Pom; and daughters Kate, 18, and Ciara, 13, who attend Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS)
Favourite book or author: “That’s a really difficult question. I’m a big fan of Donna Tartt, The Secret History. I’d recommend that, go and have a read of that.”
Dream: “It would be to continue to have fun and to work with really interesting people, which I have been very fortunate to do for a lot of my life. I just enjoy working with very smart, fun people.”
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Mobile phone packages comparison
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Sui Dhaaga: Made in India
Director: Sharat Katariya
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
3.5/5
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.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
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).
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
