A debut series against the West Indies, potentially followed by a tour to Zimbabwe on which World Cup qualification depends, does not exactly represent an easy one off the mark for Lovepreet Singh.
The 20-year-old batter has been named in the UAE squad for the first time, and the assignments ahead could scarcely be more testing.
Three one-day internationals against the West Indies in Sharjah, starting on Sunday, as a prelude to the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe. And yet, rather than feeling daunted, the new recruit is counting his blessings.
“I am lucky to be playing my first series against such a big team,” Lovepreet said of the prospect of starting out in international cricket against the West Indies.
“If you can perform against big players, that is how we can make our name. We all want to play against Test nations.”
It stands to reason the youngster is just happy to be here, given the journey that has brought him to this point.
Having been born in Jalandhar in India, he first arrived in UAE aged three when his father came to work in Fujairah.
UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
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The family live in Al Dhaid, the oasis town in the Central Region which does have a grass cricket ground of its own, but is a long way from the major centres for the sport in Ajman, Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Lovepreet’s first steps in the game came via informal tape-ball matches in the street in Dhaid. He says that a future in cricket seemed remote back then.
“I’m not even lying – when I was young I was only a fielder,” he said.
“They would put me in and told me all I could do was field. When I started playing, I was not naturally that good. It took a lot of time for me, and I made a lot of changes in my technique.
“Starting out in tape-ball cricket, even if you are only a fielder, when you bat you just slog. Slowly, I made changes.”
He became obsessed by the sport and persuaded his father, Satnam, to let him join an academy. Initially, that meant a 45-minute trip to Sharjah.
Now it is a three-hour round trip to Goltay Cricket Academy, near the end of the runway of Dubai International Airport, a journey he makes most days.
“Cricket is something everyone grows up with in Indian families,” Lovepreet said.
“I grew up watching the game and at the age of 13 I really forced my dad to put me in an academy. Watching greats like Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni, you just want to play.
“I told him I wanted to pursue cricket, but transport was a really big issue because we lived in Dhaid, and dad had his business.
“But dad put up with me. He said, ‘OK, we will do it – but you have to pay it off. You have to work hard in your cricket.’ So this is all because of my dad.”
Lovepreet, who is set to become the first Sikh to play full international cricket for the UAE, has a memorable name – translating as “Lovelove” – and is also an eye-catching presence on the field. Often he wears a beanie hat above his 'patka', no matter the temperature.
Despite that, he has struggled to catch the attention of the national selectors in the recent past, while a number of his age-group peers have advanced seamlessly to the full national team.
“It is hard when your friends are being called up after U19s,” he said.
“Corona came, then I was sidelined, and there is a lot of talent in UAE. I never blamed anybody. It was all about me, and working out how I could come back better.
“I always look at the positives. I asked Shahzad [Altaf, his academy coach] how I could improve. We worked on my technique, then everything started clicking.”
He was the second highest run-scorer in a domestic 50-over competition in Ajman earlier this month, and impressed after being called into the national team’s training camp – hence his elevation to the squad.
He says finding out that he had been selected felt like a dream – literally, given he was sleeping at the time.
“My friend called and I said, ‘Please don’t lie. I’m in a very deep sleep here and have a match this evening’,” he said.
“I had only just joined the camp and thought it would take some time. I told my friend I was going to hang up and check for myself.
“When I found out it was real, the first person I called was my dad. This is our combined effort. I called my mum, then my sister, my relatives and my friends.
“Then, of course, Shahzad-sir to thank him.”
Lovepreet says he owes a debt of gratitude to Altaf for the concessions he has made to coach him.
“We really watch our expenses, and he knew that,” Lovepreet said.
“He helped me through that time. He said, ‘Just come and play cricket, there are no fees for you. You just have to work hard and make your family proud.’
“That was very important from me. In a middle [working] class family, you have to control your expenses. We were not on the wealthy side, but he said to come here and train.”
Altaf, who played for UAE at the 1996 World Cup as a seam bowler, said the best payback has been Lovepreet’s call up to the UAE side.
“Lovepreet is a very, very hardworking boy, and has been since I first saw him as a 16-year-old,” Altaf said.
“He has been playing here since then. We took him in our team and even when he didn’t perform he worked even harder.
“Now he has his chance in the UAE team and I am very happy for him. Our mission is always to help boys to play cricket who don’t have so many resources.
“They can come here and use our facilities without paying. Our door is open for everyone.”
Read more about the coronavirus
Abu%20Dhabi%E2%80%99s%20Racecard
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
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Bio:
Favourite Quote: Prophet Mohammad's quotes There is reward for kindness to every living thing and A good man treats women with honour
Favourite Hobby: Serving poor people
Favourite Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite food: Fish and vegetables
Favourite place to visit: London
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
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Investors: Founder's friends and Family
The specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
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On sale: now
'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
Director:Michael Lehmann
Stars:Kristen Bell
Rating: 1/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Bournemouth 0
Manchester United 2
Smalling (28'), Lukaku (70')
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (All UAE kick-off times)
Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (11.30pm)
Saturday
Union Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen (6.30pm)
FA Augsburg v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Werder Bremen (6.30pm)
SC Paderborn v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Monchengladbach (9.30pm)
Sunday
Cologne v Bayern Munich (6.30pm)
Mainz v FC Schalke (9pm)
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
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UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
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