Graeme Cremer said it feels like a fairy tale after earning a recall to the Zimbabwe national team following seven years living in Dubai.
The 39-year-old leg-spinner essentially retired from the sport in 2018, when his family relocated to the UAE with his wife Merna’s work as a captain for Emirates airline.
As they settled into life in the city with their two young sons, Cremer took various coaching roles, and only played matches seldomly himself.
Most recently, he had been heading up the girls’ development programme at Legends Academy, which is based at The Sevens, Dubai.
During the school holidays this summer, he headed back to Zimbabwe and started playing club cricket again.
After a conversation with his former Zimbabwe teammate Brendan Taylor, he decided to try to earn a return to the national set up.
That came to fruition this week when he was named in their 15-man squad for three T20Is against Afghanistan in Harare.
“Brendan was coming back from his three-year ban [for anti-corruption offences], and he was saying, ‘We have two or three years left, max,’” Cremer said.
“I had been watching a lot, and I still have that fire in my belly. They had moved on from me because it was so long me being away.
“I was quite surprised [how encouraging Zimbabwe Cricket were towards him], but I also knew they were actively trying to get senior guys back in because there is so much inexperience in the team. It was worth me asking the question.”
Cremer will continue to share his time between Zimbabwe and Dubai, and he acknowledges he never thought this chance would come for him again.
“When we moved to Dubai, the plan was to do what I am doing now [set up base in the UAE, but commute to Zimbabwe for cricket],” Cremer said.
“But the kids were so young. When we got to Dubai, we realised straight away that we couldn’t have their mother flying all over the world, and their dad away all the time as well.
“Now they are a lot older, it was easier to make this decision. When I [called time on his playing career] I thought I would never play at a high level again, that is for sure.”
Cremer said he felt rusty at first but was glad to get 13 45-over matches in club cricket under his belt, giving him nine overs to bowl per game.
“It allowed me to get back and feel for myself that I could actually do it,” Cremer said.
“There are still a lot of familiar faces involved, but also some brand-new guys who I hadn’t seen before. The guys have been very respectful, and it has been amazing how I’ve been welcomed back into the system.
“Obviously, I was captain before and played for a long time, but when it comes to one on one me bowling to them, there has definitely been that attitude of, ‘I’ll show you.’”
Zimbabwe have qualified for the T20 World Cup, which will be played in India and Sri Lanka in February. Playing in that is a goal for Cremer, as well as the one-day international version which follows a year later.
“Initially it is nice to be back in the squad and I can’t wait for my opportunity to play,” he said.
“The biggest target after that is the T20 World Cup in February, then, if all goes well, the 50-over World Cup in Zim, South Africa and Namibia in 2027.
“That would be a fairy-tale ending if it were to happen. But, to be honest, I haven’t put a limit on it. If the body feels fine and I am bowling well enough, I wouldn’t put a timeframe on it.”
Cremer has played 19 Test matches, 96 ODIs, and 29 T20Is for Zimbabwe, but none since 2018.
Coincidentally, the last time he played internationally was against the UAE. It was a significant fixture: the UAE shocked the home team in the game at a packed out Harare Sports Club, and so prevented them from qualifying for the 2019 World Cup.
Life then took Cremer and his family to Dubai. By chance, in his early days living in the city, he even helped out coaching the UAE ahead of a series against his homeland.
He maintained contact with the then UAE coach, Dougie Brown. He later became the head coach of Legends Academy – which was then the Rajasthan Royals Academy – which was Brown’s new venture after leaving the UAE job.
“We thank him for everything he has done for us, and it is amazing to see him back in the international fold,” Brown said.
“He spoke to me a couple of months ago about trying to do this, knowing it would have a knock on effect for our academy, and that we would need someone to replace him.
“But I am delighted for him. With the World Cup being in India and Sri Lanka, and him being a leg-spinner, it will definitely help him.
“He was world-class when he was playing, and there is no reason to assume he won’t be world-class again now. You are a long-time retired, and there is no right time to give up. The fact he is 39 now means nothing.”
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Five personal finance podcasts from The National
To help you get started, tune into these Pocketful of Dirham episodes
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Should you buy or rent a home in the UAE?
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Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
The five pillars of Islam
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Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
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Tamkeen's offering
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
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Infiniti QX80 specs
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Read more about the coronavirus
The five pillars of Islam
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium, Malayisa
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia on October 10
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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 bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Calls
Directed by: Fede Alvarez
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Karen Gillian, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
4/5
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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BMW M5 specs
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Power: 727hp
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 2
Rashford 28', Martial 72'
Watford 1
Doucoure 90'
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2.5 / 5 stars
GIANT REVIEW
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Director: Athale
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MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
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