Gulf Giants will get the defence of their DP World International League T20 title under way when they face Sharjah Warriors on Friday.
The venue for the big kick off for Season 2 of the UAE’s franchise competition is telling. Sharjah is the UAE’s oldest and arguably most atmospheric background.
In terms of attracting fans to the ground, Friday afternoon in Sharjah used to be regarded as as close to a sure thing as is possible.
While it might be inaccurate to suggest cricket is feverishly anticipating the ILT20’s restart, there are plenty of points of interest about what is set to follow over the next month or so.
Crowds
This list could start and end here. For all the positives there were about the first season, the standout memory was of the swaths of empty seats that provided the backdrop to the TV feed.
Improving that image is priority number one, and David White, the new tournament CEO, has been bullish that it can be done.
Rather than relying on big-name signings selling the tournament on their own, as felt the case last year, the organisers have been far more active in the local community ahead of Season 2.
The marketing has been appealingly old school in some ways: there have been ticket giveaways on radio shows, and there is a ginormous billboard that is unmissable from Hessa Street. There has been some techy stealth on widely followed Facebook groups, too.
Let’s hope the marketing team’s efforts bear fruit. But they will be reliant on some other teams for it to be lasting.
ILT20 2023 team of the tournament
Rivalries
The number of close matches in Season 1 could be counted on the fingers of one hand, and you would still have half left over.
The disparity in results, between newly-formed teams who were, by their nature, struggling for an identity, meant the atmosphere at games often felt flat.
White reckons that will be addressed when rivalries form and tribalism takes root. For that, the league needs time.
And at least they have made a start. Unlike in the Abu Dhabi T10, for instance, where the teams involved have changed perennially, all six teams remain the same in the ILT20, and are committed to establishing themselves.
Some more so than others, perhaps.
Are the IPL sides bothered?
Three of the teams in the competition are offshoots of Indian Premier League franchises. In the first season, none made the final, and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, in particular, were way off the pace.
Is the ILT20 just a vehicle through which they can extend control over players for the IPL season? Or do they actually cherish success in the UAE-based event?
Desert Vipers are now the only standalone side in the competition. Gulf Giants and Sharjah Warriors both have sister teams in the new Women’s Premier League in India.
Will that more singular focus have a bearing in terms of results on the field?
Can the Pakistanis move the dial?
As the lone franchise without Indian owners – they are owned by Avram Grant, the businessman from the United States – the Vipers have seemed free to cast their net wider than their rivals.
Meaning they have been able to hoover up top talent from Pakistan. Shaheen Afridi, the kingpin fast bowler, became the league’s biggest transfer coup to date when he was announced by the Vipers last year.
Shaheen was part of an initial trio signed from Pakistan that also included Shadab Khan and Azam Khan. And last week, Mohammed Amir became the fourth.
Pakistan had a decade, give or take, when the UAE was their de facto home. They were not always guaranteed big crowds by the end of that period.
But the fact they have been less frequent visitors to these shores in recent times could help with footfall through the gates.
But who will win?
Informing a prediction without much more to go on than one pilot edition is a fool’s errand.
But it does seem certain that last year’s champions, Gulf Giants, will be the team to beat again this time around. Based mainly on the fact their coach, Andy Flower, rarely misses.
Flower’s wealth of success in franchise tournaments around the world has been based in large part of his grasp of the importance of data analytics and number crunching.
Which is another reason to factor in Desert Vipers when it comes to the title race. Glazer recruited one of the founders of CricViz, the leading data analytics provider for the sport, to head up his team when it started.
Clearly it is a heavy influence on them. How else to explain the fact that they have seemingly signed every available left-arm fast bowler for the competition?
Those two were the finalists last year. From beyond them, there are a couple of sources of intrigue. David Warner’s arrival at Dubai Capitals could charge a side who were fitful in the first season.
And MI Emirates have Muhammad Waseem, the UAE captain, at the top of their batting line up. He became the first player in history to hit 100 sixes in the course of a calendar year of international cricket last season.
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ABU DHABI CARD
5pm: UAE Martyrs Cup (TB) Conditions; Dh90,000; 2,200m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap; Dh70,000; 1,400m
6pm: UAE Matyrs Trophy (PA) Maiden; Dh80,000; 1,600m
6.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Apprentice Championship (PA) Prestige; Dh100,000; 1,600m
7pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Ladies World Championship (PA) Prestige; Dh125,000; 1,600m
8pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (PA) Group 1; Dh5,000,000; 1,600m
Racecard
5.25pm: Etihad Museum – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m
6pm: Al Shindaga Museum – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (Dirt) 1,200m
6.35pm: Poet Al Oqaili – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m
7.10pm: Majlis Ghurfat Al Sheif – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,600m
7.45pm: Hatta – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m
8.20pm: Al Fahidi – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m
8.55pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m
9.30pm: Coins Museum – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
10.05pm: Al Quoz Creative – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blow a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
Keir Starmer failed to give her his backing as she cried but later said she would be in the job for 'a long time to come'.
A spokesman said her upset was due to a personal matter.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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Company%20profile
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Moonfall
Director: Rolan Emmerich
Stars: Patrick Wilson, Halle Berry
Rating: 3/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs: McLaren 600LT
Price, base: Dh914,000
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 600hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 620Nm @ 5,500rpm
Fuel economy 12.2.L / 100km
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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
More on animal trafficking
The five pillars of Islam
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
