CP Rizwan has urged the UAE’s players to bounce back and stage a final push in the Cricket World Cup League 2, after they were thrashed by last-placed Papua New Guinea on Tuesday.
The tourists outplayed the home side from start to finish as they secured a 131-run win at Dubai International Stadium.
Tony Ura and Sese Bau each made easy-paced half-centuries as PNG amassed 262 before being bowled out with five deliveries left unused.
Karthik Meiyappan took four wickets for the UAE, and Aryan Lakra took three to mark a fine return to the side, after being added to the side in place of former vice-captain Chirag Suri.
The national team were abysmal in the chase, though, as they subsided to a mere 131 all out, with Chad Soper taking 5-25.
The defeat means the UAE’s hopes of securing third place in the league look increasingly unlikely.
They need to win six of their remaining seven matches to leapfrog Namibia into the third automatic qualifying spot for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe in June.
They face on-song Nepal, who have won their past five matches, on Thursday, and Rizwan is hoping for a rapid turnaround.
“We have to address this, in particular the shortcomings of our batsmen,” said Rizwan, the UAE captain.
“For our bowlers also today, we missed our lengths. I felt we bowled too full for this wicket. We really have to work on that and learn from these mistakes.
“We don’t have much time. These are really important matches and the less mistakes we make, it will be crucial for us. I am sure that everyone is disappointed, every player.
“With the potential we have, we have to come back stronger, put everything aside, and focus on the task in hand in the coming matches.”
Rizwan urged his colleagues to remember the moments when they have thrived for the national team, as they bid to raise confidence ahead of the challenges that follow.
“Sometimes reminders help,” Rizwan said. “We need to go back to our best performances, take the good from that, and give ourselves the belief that we can do that again because we have done it in the past. It is a matter of doing it again and again.
“We need to take time, chat about our shortcomings, and come back strong in the crucial matches to follow.”
Soper said his side were proud of their performance as they clinched just their third win out of their 30 matches so far in the competition.
“It has been a journey for us as a team so to get that win is very, very important for us,” Soper said.
“The guys can’t hide their smiles when they are on top. When our batting clicks, we are a pretty dangerous side because I think our bowling side can unify and saves us in games.
“It was a big change of mindset overnight and I think to back it up in back-to-back games was really good, especially in different conditions.”
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Where to buy art books in the UAE
There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.
In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show.
In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.
In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.
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.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH STATS
Wolves 0
Aston Villa 1 (El Ghazi 90 4' pen)
Red cards: Joao Moutinho (Wolves); Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa)
Man of the match: Emi Martinez (Aston Villa)
SPAIN SQUAD
Goalkeepers Simon (Athletic Bilbao), De Gea (Manchester United), Sanchez (Brighton)
Defenders Gaya (Valencia), Alba (Barcelona), P Torres (Villarreal), Laporte (Manchester City), Garcia (Manchester City), D Llorente (Leeds), Azpilicueta (Chelsea)
Midfielders Busquets (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City), Pedri (Barcelona), Thiago (Liverpool), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Ruiz (Napoli), M Llorente (Atletico Madrid)
Forwards: Olmo (RB Leipzig), Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad), Morata (Juventus), Moreno (Villarreal), F Torres (Manchester City), Traore (Wolves), Sarabia (PSG)
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
UAE squad to face Ireland
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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