It felt obvious that Muhammad Waseem would be the man to drag UAE cricket out of its malaise and back to glory.
Even he had acknowledged as much. “It does feel that if I go early my team is under pressure,” Waseem said in the aftermath of the UAE’s series loss to Scotland last month. “In the coming tournaments, I have to handle this.”
That statement followed on straight after the national team had posted their lowest score in a full international match. They were dire.
It was their last match before they were to play against the likes of Oman and Nepal for Asia Cup qualification. Their prospects seemed hopeless back then.
Now, 37 days later, that same team are booked in for a trip to face India, Pakistan, and the rest of the continent’s top stars at the Asia Cup next year.
Yes, it was Waseem who provided the most indelible memory of the turnaround. His century in the final of the ACC Premier Cup on Sunday in Muscat felt inevitable, in truth.
The pitch was docile. The boundaries reachable. He had a couple of slices of luck. And he delivered, another ton on a ground he adores, to set up a comprehensive win against the host nation.
But was it all about him? Far from it. Waseem was able to thrive purely because everyone around him was pulling their weight. Everyone from one to 14.
Only one player in the squad did not get a start at some point in the tournament. And yet, with the tiniest window of opportunity possible, even Rahul Bhatia managed to make an impression.
After the UAE posted an impressive but – given the facilities – not impregnable total of 204 in the final, Bhatia went out to field as 12th man at the start of Oman’s chase.
The UAE were aware they had a big total but that defending was not a given. They knew they needed to be tight at the start to ratchet up the scoreboard pressure. If Oman got a flier, the chase was achievable.
Bhatia, the back-up spinner, had not played a game or bowled a delivery in the tournament. He had had two weeks in Muscat as a glorified drinks carrier and net bowler.
And yet his contribution was still significant. As a leg-bye appeared to be speeding away for four off the second ball, he dived to his right from short fine leg with all the feline athleticism of peak Jonty Rhodes.
It was an impossible stop which saved a definite boundary, and further energised a UAE side who were already buzzing off the back of Waseem’s century.
Off the very next delivery, Junaid Siddique had Kashyap Prajapati caught at the wicket, and the UAE were in overdrive.
Bhatia was off the field and back into his hi-vis bib before the third over. Oman were seven for two by that point. His part in the drama had been imperceptible, yet vital.
It is a trite observation in the aftermath of victory, but the UAE did seem like a side transformed from that which was humbled by Scotland and Canada last month.
“I was new then, but we have really worked hard, and I think the fruits are coming now,” Lalchand Rajput, the UAE coach, said.
“We had a camp for 20 days before coming here. Our batting has started to click, we have bowled well. We have worked hard on our skill level.”
One feature of the new era is Rajput’s introduction of a medal, awarded at the end of each day’s play to the UAE’s outstanding fielder from the match.
“It is motivation for them to give their best on the field,” Rajput said. “So that every game everybody gives their best, and I think it worked.”
In fact, the UAE’s standards dropped in the final, their giddiness over impending victory manifesting itself in the form of four dropped catches.
Be that as it may, they did enough. Their standout across the 20 overs of their defence of 205 was again their new wicketkeeper, Syed Hyder Shah.
He was involved in five of the nine Oman dismissals, as he took three catches, a stumping, and assisted with a run out.
“We are strict about our fielding as it is one of most important aspects of modern cricket,” Shah said.
“All the coaching staff help us a lot with fielding, and now with a bit of motivation to do exceptionally well, Lalchand-sir came up with this idea to give a medal to the best fielder.
“It is for who put in the best effort, who is the most lively, and who takes the best catches. That encourages us all to do more in the field.”
Shah was himself on his first tour with the senior team. It said much about the fact he was starting to feel at ease with his surroundings that he danced a jig after completing the stumping that ended the resistance of Khalid Kail.
“It is a dream come true,” Shah said of winning his debut series with the UAE.
“It felt like a long time coming, then finally to be here and get over the line, it feels amazing.
“Ali[shan Sharafu, the young batter who was the leading run-scorer in the competition] and me are really close friends, and he's like a brother to me.
“He said to me that a few good catches or a stumping could take us over the line, so I need to be active.
“I had taken two catches, then when I took a stumping I went up to Alishan and said, ‘This is how I get it done.’ It is an inside thing between me and him from back in the day.”
Rajput said Sharafu’s haul of 278 runs in the competition was indicative of the fact the side is no longer reliant on Waseem.
“Cricket is a team game, not a one-man game,” Rajput said. “If you want a one-man game, go and play table tennis or lawn tennis.
“Yes, one guy can win you a game, so all the batters have to take the responsibility to be that guy to win the game.
“We spoke about consistency and I am really glad that Alishan has shown that throughout the tournament.”
Roll%20of%20Honour%2C%20men%E2%80%99s%20domestic%20rugby%20season
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%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3ELittle%20notes%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMy%20girls%20often%20find%20a%20letter%20from%20me%2C%20with%20a%20joke%2C%20task%20or%20some%20instructions%20for%20the%20afternoon%2C%20and%20saying%20what%20I%E2%80%99m%20excited%20for%20when%20I%20get%20home.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPhone%20call%20check-in%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMy%20kids%20know%20that%20at%203.30pm%20I%E2%80%99ll%20be%20free%20for%20a%20quick%20chat.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EHighs%20and%20lows%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EInstead%20of%20a%20%E2%80%9Chow%20was%20your%20day%3F%E2%80%9D%2C%20at%20dinner%20or%20at%20bathtime%20we%20share%20three%20highlights%3B%20one%20thing%20that%20didn%E2%80%99t%20go%20so%20well%3B%20and%20something%20we%E2%80%99re%20looking%20forward%20to.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%20start%2C%20you%20next%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EIn%20the%20morning%2C%20I%20often%20start%20a%20little%20Lego%20project%20or%20drawing%2C%20and%20ask%20them%20to%20work%20on%20it%20while%20I%E2%80%99m%20gone%2C%20then%20we%E2%80%99ll%20finish%20it%20together.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBedtime%20connection%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EWake%20up%20and%20sleep%20time%20are%20important%20moments.%20A%20snuggle%2C%20some%20proud%20words%2C%20listening%2C%20a%20story.%20I%20can%E2%80%99t%20be%20there%20every%20night%2C%20but%20I%20can%20start%20the%20day%20with%20them.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EUndivided%20attention%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPutting%20the%20phone%20away%20when%20I%20get%20home%20often%20means%20sitting%20in%20the%20car%20to%20send%20a%20last%20email%2C%20but%20leaving%20it%20out%20of%20sight%20between%20home%20time%20and%20bedtime%20means%20you%20can%20connect%20properly.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDemystify%2C%20don%E2%80%99t%20demonise%20your%20job%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHelp%20them%20understand%20what%20you%20do%2C%20where%20and%20why.%20Show%20them%20your%20workplace%20if%20you%20can%2C%20then%20it%E2%80%99s%20not%20so%20abstract%20when%20you%E2%80%99re%20away%20-%20they%E2%80%99ll%20picture%20you%20there.%20Invite%20them%20into%20your%20%E2%80%9Cother%E2%80%9D%20world%20so%20they%20know%20more%20about%20the%20different%20roles%20you%20have.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sweet%20Tooth
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
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%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3ECBDC%20real-value%20pilot%20held%20with%20three%20partner%20institutions%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPreparing%20buy%20now%2C%20pay%20later%20regulations%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPreparing%20for%20the%202023%20launch%20of%20the%20domestic%20card%20initiative%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPhase%20one%20of%20the%20Financial%20Infrastructure%20Transformation%20(FiT)%20completed%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
Cry Macho
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam
Rating:**
Uefa Nations League: How it Works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
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What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.
There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.
People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.
There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.
The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.
Race card
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) US$100,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
7.05pm: Meydan Classic Listed (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,600m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 2 (TB) $300,000 (T) 2,810m
9.25pm: Curlin Stakes Listed (TB) $175,000 (D) 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
10.35pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm: Shahm, 7.05pm: Well Of Wisdom, 7.40pm: Lucius Tiberius, 8.15pm: Captain Von Trapp, 8.50pm: Secret Advisor, 9.25pm: George Villiers, 10pm: American Graffiti, 10.35pm: On The Warpath
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
Five healthy carbs and how to eat them
Brown rice: consume an amount that fits in the palm of your hand
Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli: consume raw or at low temperatures, and don’t reheat
Oatmeal: look out for pure whole oat grains or kernels, which are locally grown and packaged; avoid those that have travelled from afar
Fruit: a medium bowl a day and no more, and never fruit juices
Lentils and lentil pasta: soak these well and cook them at a low temperature; refrain from eating highly processed pasta variants
Courtesy Roma Megchiani, functional nutritionist at Dubai’s 77 Veggie Boutique
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
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 2
(Martial 30', McTominay 90 6')
Manchester City 0
