England’s summer so far has been respectable without being spectacular. Against top-quality opposition India and South Africa, England have shown enough promise to fuel the upward trajectory of their cricket.
The five-match Test series against India at home was one of the hardest-fought contests in recent times, lasting the full 25 days. A 2-2 series verdict was a fair result for both sides, who put their bodies on the line and came close to breaking point by the end of the Oval Test.
Last week, England completed an ODI and T20 series, again at home, against all-format heavyweights South Africa. A 2-1 series defeat in ODIs was followed by a drawn T20 series.
Most teams have pretty much given up on ODIs and take them seriously only around ICC 50-over tournaments. Tests and T20Is matches offer more intensity, at least by the top sides, all year round.
England are ranked third in the ICC rankings for Test and T20 teams. Against strong opposition, England held their own; winning at home is a more pressing need though.
The Proteas started the tour with wins in the first two ODIs, although the second match had a margin of just five runs.
But England hit back with great fury. In the third game in Southampton, England once again went past the 400-run mark – for the seventh time – before dispatching the Test champions and T20 World Cup finalists for just 72. It was a thrashing of embarrassing proportions. And also the largest defeat in ODI history.
England were at it again in the fourth match, smashing 304-2 in the second T20 against the Proteas; the first time a Test side had breached the 300-run mark against a fellow Full member team.
Bilateral white-ball series generally fly under the radar and are mainly testing grounds for new combinations and strategies. However, with ranking points important in all formats, there are no freebies. And England were not looking for any.
Why should they? After all, this summer marks the beginning of a new era for England – under the soon-to-be all-format captaincy of Harry Brook.
Brook is the man selected to take England’s cricket forward. The 26-year-old knew the challenge facing him this summer needed his undivided attention, which is why he pulled out of the IPL for the second year. That he faces a two-year ban from the franchise tournament seemed a price worth paying.
Brook was declared England’s player of the Test series against India, smashing a little under 500 runs. After The Hundred competition in the interim, Brook was hit and miss against the Proteas. And that is possibly why England were as well.
But as a collective, the pieces are falling into place for England with Brook at the pointy end of it.
Brook is already the T20 and ODI captain. Now Brendon McCullum has suggested that Brook is in the running for the vice-captain’s position in the Test side for the Ashes tour of Australia.
Incumbent Ollie Pope has yet to convince as a batter or leader and Brook is seen as a markedly better choice on both fronts.
Test captain and star all-rounder Ben Stokes is returning from a shoulder injury he sustained during the India series. And it seems highly unlikely that he will last all five Tests of a gruelling tour Down Under.
Which means Brook is, in the near future, set to take over as the all-format captain of the England team.
The Yorkshireman is part of an exciting bunch of young batters making their mark on the world game, alongside India’s Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra, South Africa’s Dewald Brevis, and Pakistan’s Saim Ayub.Brook looks likely to become the first all-format captain from that group.
This can only be good news for England, who had lost their way in the previous seasons owing to disjointed leadership and coaching structures. The fall after the 2022 T20 World Cup win was steep and across formats.
Soon, there will be one captain working with one coach. Since Brook is young, he has a good 10 years of quality cricket ahead of him. That’s plenty of time to get the team back on top.
And, if they continue on their current path, Brook should find himself in at least a few world championship finals.
Arctic Monkeys
Tranquillity Base Hotel Casino (Domino)
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
Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
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Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
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Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30: UAE v Nepal; Hong Kong v Singapore; Malaysia v Oman
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
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.
New schools in Dubai
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Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
The five types of long-term residential visas
Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:
Investors:
A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.
Entrepreneurs:
A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.
Specialists
Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.
Outstanding students:
A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university.
Retirees:
Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
World Sevens Series standing after Dubai
1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Fiji
5. Australia
6. Samoa
7. Kenya
8. Scotland
9. France
10. Spain
11. Argentina
12. Canada
13. Wales
14. Uganda
15. United States
16. Russia
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey
Directed by: Pete Doctor
Rating: 4 stars
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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
