Rohan Mustafa has urged franchises to have confidence in local players and give them more opportunities to showcase their talents.
It was mandatory to include three local players in a squad and two in the playing XI of each franchise team in this year's Abu Dhabi T10. Deccan Gladiators were crowned 2024 champions following an eight-wicket victory over Morrisville Samp Army in the final at Zayed Cricket Stadium on Monday.
Handed their opportunity, some have shone, with Shahid Bhutta, Rohid Khan and Ibrar Ahmad being the pick of them.
Bhutta, who played for Delhi Bulls, picked up 12 wickets and finished as the joint-second highest wicket-taker along with Afghan spinner Hamza Hotak and seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Khan, also playing for the Bulls, featured in 10 games and grabbed nine wickets with an economy rate of 11.94 and best figures of three for 16 against Chennai Brave Jaguars.
Ahmad, who played for champions Deccan Gladiators, bagged five wickets in seven games with an economy rate of 9.27.
He bowled a match-winning final over against Team Abu Dhabi in the league phase and took his best figures of two for 12 against defending champions New York Strikers.
The UAE stages two franchise tournaments each year, the Abu Dhabi T10 and the ILT20, which will start on January 11.
“I noticed in most teams the new local recruits don’t get the opportunities to play in their usual roles. If they're a batter, they don’t get to play in their batting position, and it’s the same when bowling,” said Mustafa, the Samp Army captain and former UAE national team skipper.
“I feel the teams should have a little bit of trust in them and give them the proper opportunities. There are local players who can play well and I think we should trust them.
“Obviously, the goal of every team is to win the title but at the same time the teams should provide the local players, particularly the youngsters, with the opportunities.
“When I say the opportunities, I mean to try them doing their actual roles rather than pushing them down the order and then using them as fielders for the entire game.”
Meanwhile, the Gladiators walked away with their third Abu Dhabi T10 title on Monday, having reached the final five times, including the past four years in succession.
Mustafa acknowledged the strength of the Gladiators side as “the best on paper” and the strongest squad.
“It was pretty good for us to reach the final and also we were the only side to have a win [in the league phase] over them in the competition,” he said.
“From what I have seen, there are a lot of good young talents in the UAE. Some played important roles for their teams and there were some who showed potential. They must be given responsibility and they can deliver.”
The Gladiators, owned by Indian businessman Gaurav Grover, were led by Nicholas Pooran and included long-time members Tom Kohler-Cadmore and David Wiese, with Jos Buttler joining them for the first time.
“We have been successful because we have kept the core players and built the team around them, and above all, we keep them happy throughout the competition,” the Gladiators coach Mushtaq Ahmed said.
“We have been preparing the squad for the last five years and we have kept the right balance without many changes. We have a fantastic set-up with those working behind the scenes. As a team, we are a family and we keep the family happy.
“For instance, Tom (Kohler-Cadmore) wanted to spend time on a golf course to stay away from the spotlight. I told him if that made him happy before the final, so be it. He then comes into the final and smashes a half century in the win.”
Electing to field first, the Gladiators got off to a good start with Maheesh Theekshana providing the early breakthrough with the first delivery of his second over when he dismissed Samp Army opener Sharjeel Khan, caught by Pooran, for five.
Faf du Plessis top scored with 34 off 23 balls before being caught by Buttler off Richard Gleeson. The only others to reach double figures for Samp were Andries Gous (21), Karim Janat (16) and Charith Asalanka (13).
Gleeson, the joint highest wicket-taker at ILT10 with 14 scalps, went for 15 in his first over but ended as the pick of the Gladiators attack, taking two for 16.
The Lancashire seamer returned for his second spell to grab two wickets for one run that left Samp Army 81 for five in eight overs, helping to restrict them to a total of 104 for seven.
Kohler-Cadmore led the Gladiators run chase by carting Mustafa for four boundaries in his first four deliveries and, with Pooran keeping company at the other end, the pair brought up the 50 in 16 deliveries.
Pooran departed to a brilliant diving catch by Mustafa at deep midwicket off seamer Isuru Udana for a 10-ball 28 that included three sixes and a four.
Kohler-Cadmore then took charge by hammering five fours and four for the maximum to remain undefeated on 56 off 21 deliveries, with Buttler (12 off 5) rounding it off with a six over deep midwicket to take their side over the line for the loss of two wickets and with 3.1 overs to spare.
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
Our legal advisor
Rasmi Ragy is a senior counsel at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Prosecutor in Egypt with more than 40 years experience across the GCC.
Education: Ain Shams University, Egypt, in 1978.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
FINAL SCORES
Fujairah 130 for 8 in 20 overs
(Sandy Sandeep 29, Hamdan Tahir 26 no, Umair Ali 2-15)
Sharjah 131 for 8 in 19.3 overs
(Kashif Daud 51, Umair Ali 20, Rohan Mustafa 2-17, Sabir Rao 2-26)
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
FIXTURES
Fixtures for Round 15 (all times UAE)
Friday
Inter Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
Saturday
Atalanta v Verona (6pm)
Udinese v Napoli (9pm)
Lazio v Juventus (11.45pm)
Sunday
Lecce v Genoa (3.30pm)
Sassuolo v Cagliari (6pm)
SPAL v Brescia (6pm)
Torino v Fiorentina (6pm)
Sampdoria v Parma (9pm)
Bologna v AC Milan (11.45pm)
Company Profile
Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
Total Clients: Over 50
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
- Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
RESULT
West Brom 2 Liverpool 2
West Brom: Livermore (79'), Rondón (88' )
Liverpool: Ings (4'), Salah (72')
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
Terminator: Dark Fate
Director: Tim Miller
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Mackenzie Davis
Rating: 3/5
Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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