The fact the T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier is being played at the same time as the 50-over World Cup is a questionable scheduling choice.
When the global qualifier for the T20 showpiece was dispensed with, it was reasoned that the ICC would have more tournaments to promote via a regional qualification system.
Instead, a tournament with the biggest number of spectators both in person and via the broadcast is going up against ODI cricket’s biggest event.
At least cricket supporters in Kathmandu know where their priorities lie. Nepal’s group matches at Tribhuvan University in the Qualifier have attracted impressive crowds so far, despite the early starts on weekdays.
The online feed has been voraciously followed, too. The UAE’s matches, across Nepal’s capital city in Mulpani, have been played at the same time as the host nation’s games.
The majority of people present have simultaneously been tuned in to their smartphones, following the action from the other group.
At least the early starts have meant players have been able to tune in to the World Cup broadcast later in the day, once their own games have finished.
For Sayed Monib, that has meant revelling in the success of some former teammates and rivals.
A burly fast bowler, Monib once had designs on representing Afghanistan on the international stage.
He was part of the same cohort of emerging pace aces as Fazalhaq Farooqi, who has been a World Cup hero for Afghanistan in India.
The fierce competition for recognition in Afghanistan, as well as the chance to pursue his studies abroad, meant he left Kabul.
Instead, he has been carving out a career for himself playing for Kuwait, for whom he has taken 41 wickets in 30 T20 internationals.
Monib was born in Pakistan, where his family were Afghan refugees displaced by war, and moved back to his homeland as a teenager.
“I studied till eighth standard in Pakistan then moved to Afghanistan and I was in their pace bowling foundation with many of the star players from Afghanistan,” Monib said.
“I was alongside players like Fazalhaq Farooqi, but then moved to Kuwait for further education. When I got there, I continued playing cricket.”
Monib is studying for a master’s degree in Arabic in Kuwait. He is a distinctive presence on the field as he wears a prayer cap while he is playing.
“I have studied in an Afghan religious school and this is my way of showing respect for my religion,” he said.
He says he has been thrilled by the success of the national team he once aspired to play for.
Afghanistan have won three matches at the World Cup, with his former colleague Farooqi named player of the match for his four wickets in the success against Sri Lanka last time out.
“I played A-grade cricket in Afghanistan and was one of the top six fast bowlers,” Monib said.
“But because of an excess of competition for places among fast bowlers, I decided it was right for me to move to Kuwait.
“As an Afghan, I feel extremely proud to see my country winning matches at the World Cup. Anyone would be happy to see that for their country.”
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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 White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
We Weren’t Supposed to Survive But We Did
We weren’t supposed to survive but we did.
We weren’t supposed to remember but we did.
We weren’t supposed to write but we did.
We weren’t supposed to fight but we did.
We weren’t supposed to organise but we did.
We weren’t supposed to rap but we did.
We weren’t supposed to find allies but we did.
We weren’t supposed to grow communities but we did.
We weren’t supposed to return but WE ARE.
Amira Sakalla
The specs: 2018 Genesis G70
Price, base / as tested: Dh155,000 / Dh205,000
Engine: 3.3-litre, turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 370hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 510Nm @ 1,300rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.6L / 100km
Squads
Pakistan: Sarfaraz Ahmed (c), Babar Azam (vc), Abid Ali, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Hasnain, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz
Sri Lanka: Lahiru Thirimanne (c), Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Avishka Fernando, Oshada Fernando, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dasun Shanaka, Minod Bhanuka, Angelo Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Isuru Udana, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
