Having been part of the UAE team set up for a number of years, Fahad Nawaz is taking his cricket journey in the country to the next level.
The 25-year-old all-rounder, who was up until recently part of the UAE team, is now leading the way at the newly founded Lexington Shotguns Cricket Club, helping pave the way for the next generation of cricketers.
In less than a year, the Shotguns have already triumphed in two of the 10 tournaments they have competed in.
The Lexington Shotgun academy in Dubai, backed by brothers Nadeem and Naqash Khan and set up a couple of months back, is currently conducting the T20 Nation’s League in Ajman free of charge for youth players who were shortlisted from around 600 who attended the trials.
Nawaz, who is captain of the Shotguns and oversees the academy as well as conducts tournaments for the youth, is proud of what he has achieved with the club and academy.
“Currently we are conducting the T20 Nations League across eight teams for players drawn from the trials we organised. Also in the pipeline is a two-day tournament, 70 overs per day,” Nawaz told The National.
“The Shotguns was founded just under a year ago and we have participated in ten tournaments, reached five finals and won two. We have plans to move on as a team and academy under corporate governance.”
Nawaz’s excitement for the project is fuelled by the desire to be a part of UAE cricket, having been a national team member up until recently.
Nawaz was even a member of the larger squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia but following the tournament, he drifted away and has not been considered since.
It was a difficult period for a youngster who had spent his teenage years chasing his cricketing dreams, even discontinuing his studies after year 11.
Born to Pakistani parents in the UAE, Nawaz began his cricket at the Young Talents Cricket Academy in 2012 and went on to represent the UAE U16 three years later.
The following year, he made it to the UAE U19 side. Nawaz was also selected for the senior national team in the same year.
With two ODIs, a T20I and four List A matches for the national team under his belt, Nawaz made it into the 2022 World Cup in Australia. Without any notable performances at the senior level, Nawaz was out of the mix soon.
Having dedicated his entire life to the sport, the setback marked the beginning of a rough period.
“It was like my whole life ended. I didn’t know what to do, even though my parents and siblings consoled, supported and encouraged me to continue with my cricket and not to lose faith in my abilities,” Nawaz said.
“I was in the national age group team and later in the senior national team for seven years. That was a long time and for a young kid I thought this was my life.
“When I lost my place in the national team, I felt like my whole world collapsed. It took me a while to pick myself up and get on with life. I even wanted to give up cricket.”
Nawaz also suffered a personal loss during this time as his older brother died in a motor accident at the age of 20.
“He was the one who took me to cricket,” he added. “Having seen my skills, he supported and encouraged me to pursue full time in the sport. Losing him was a very big blow. All these happened at the same time. It was very depressing.”
Nawaz went looking for employment and was selected by a leading insurance company. Despite that, he barely lasted 20 minutes on his first day on the job.
“I was in office at 8am on my desk. The staff had put up some decorations to welcome me but suddenly I felt this job wasn’t for me. I walked up to the manager’s office to say I was leaving.
“The manager and everyone else in the office were kind to me and tried to pursue and comfort me by saying that I’ll be all right after a while but I left after around 20 minutes.”
Nawaz went back to playing full time and started coaching part time at the academy where he began his cricket.
It was during coaching where he met Naqash, who grew up in the UAE before migrating to the USA and who is the driving force behind the Lexington Shotguns academy along with his brother Nadeem.
Lexington Shotguns Cricket Club was originally founded by Nadeem in Lexington, USA, three years ago.
Naqash wanted to get some cricket coaching and was introduced to Nawaz by team owner and well-known businessman Adil Mirza.
“We worked for over a month, and we became pretty close, and hearing my background, he started a conversation of establishing a team and an academy plus some development of youth cricketers,” Nawaz, who still harbours hope of playing for UAE again, said.
“It turned my life around and has provided me the environment that I always dreamt of. It’s the kind of job that I now have something to look forward to every day in the morning.”
For Nadeem, things could not have worked out better.
“Naqash and I loved to play cricket,” Nadeem said. “We were quite passionate and we had leagues at different levels but most of the time we didn’t make it to the playing XI.
“In one such game, we had eight players on the bench. That’s the time we all decided to form a club. We found a plot of land to convert into the cricket ground and the Lexington Shotguns were founded.”
Nadeem and Naqash own businesses in the UAE and it wasn’t difficult for them to establish a club and academy in the Emirates.
“I want to back Fahad up and let him do whatever he wants. He knows the market very well, he has the experience, we will share and we can do more and more better in the future,” Naqash said of his fledgling project.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
more from Janine di Giovanni
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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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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'Operation Mincemeat'
Director: John Madden
Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
THE BIO
Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai
Favourite Book: The Alchemist
Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna
Favourite cuisine: Italian food
Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Fernandes pen 2') Tottenham Hotspur 6 (Ndombele 4', Son 7' & 37' Kane (30' & pen 79, Aurier 51')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Company profile
Company name: Nestrom
Started: 2017
Co-founders: Yousef Wadi, Kanaan Manasrah and Shadi Shalabi
Based: Jordan
Sector: Technology
Initial investment: Close to $100,000
Investors: Propeller, 500 Startups, Wamda Capital, Agrimatico, Techstars and some angel investors
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Ford Mustang GT
Price, base / as tested: Dh204,750 / Dh241,500
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Gearbox: 10-speed automatic
Power: 460hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque: 569Nm @ 4,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.3L / 100km
