What time do Asia Cup matches start?
The 14th Asia Cup will begin at Dubai International Stadium on Saturday, September 15, when Bangladesh play Sri Lanka. All matches start at 3.30pm UAE time.
India are the holders, having won the first Twenty20 version of the tournament in Dhaka in 2016, but their title defence will not be easy.
The event starts just three days after the scheduled end of their five Test series in England. Given the workload, captain Virat Kohli is skipping the tournament and having a rest instead.
India, who will be led by Rohit Sharma in Kohli's absence, begin their campaign against Hong Kong on Tuesday, September 18 in Dubai, then play rivals Pakistan at the same venue the very next day.
Hong Kong made it to the main event after beating UAE by two wickets in the final of the qualifying tournament in Malaysia.
Format
The six-team tournament will be split into two groups of three. The top two sides from each pool will advance to the Super Four stage. The two highest-placed sides will contest the final on September 28 in Dubai.
Unusually, the two sides that advance from each group will play each other again in the second round – which increases the prospect of India and Pakistan meeting more than once.
It was rumoured that broadcasters wanted the event to continue in the T20 format, as it was last time, in Bangladesh two years ago. That tournament was played in the lead up to the World T20 in India, so it made sense to play that form.
However, the organisers were keen to return to 50-over matches this time around, for broadly similar reasons. This competition will provide valuable, high-stakes preparation with a view to the 50-over World Cup in England next summer.
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Read more:
Asia Cup Qualifier: Hong Kong beat UAE to book Asia Cup place
Indian cricket fans in UAE left disappointed by Virat Kohli's absence from Asia Cup squad
India v Pakistan and other Asia Cup match tickets in UAE go on sale
Dubai's chance to host India-Pakistan cricket fixture was a long time coming
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Groups
A – India, Pakistan, Hong Kong
B – Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan
Venues
Dubai International Stadium
Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Fixtures
Group stage
Sat, Sep 15, Bangladesh v Sri Lanka, Dubai
Sun, Sep 16, Pakistan v Hong Kong, Dubai
Mon, Sep 17, Sri Lanka v Afghanistan, Abu Dhabi
Tue, Sep 18, India v Hong Kong, Dubai
Wed, Sep 19, India v Pakistan, Dubai
Thu, Sep 20, Bangladesh v Afghanistan, Abu Dhabi
(If India advance, tournament conditions stipulate they will play as A Qualifier 1. Therefore, all their matches are guaranteed to be in Dubai)
Super Four
Fri, Sep 21, A Qualifier 1 v B Qualifier 2, Dubai; A Qualifier 2 v B Qualifier 1, Abu Dhabi
Sun, Sep 23, A Qualifier 1 v A Qualifier 2, Dubai; B Qualifier 1 v B Qualifier 2, Abu Dhabi
Tue, Sep 25, A Qualifier 1 v B Qualifier 1, Dubai
Wed, Sep 26, A Qualifier 2 v B Qualifier 2, Abu Dhabi
Fri, Sep 28
Final, Dubai
Tickets
Tickets for Dubai matches start at Dh35, and for Abu Dhabi's games at Dh20. Visit https://dubai.platinumlist.net/asiacup for more information.
TV
All the matches will be shown live on OSN Cricket HD in the Middle East. Full listings are available at www.osn.com/sports
Radio
Coverage of the matches will be broadcast on 89.1 Radio 4 FM and Gold 101.3 FM
History
India are the most successful side in Asia Cup history, having won six of the 13 tournaments to date.
Sri Lanka are the next most successful, with five titles, while Pakistan have won twice.
It is the third time the tournament has been staged in UAE. The first one, in 1984, was played in Sharjah, where the newly-formed Asian Cricket Council, had their headquarters.
Hong Kong are playing for the third time, having also qualified in 2004 and 2008. Afghanistan are playing for the second time.
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Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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The stats: 2017 Jaguar XJ
Price, base / as tested Dh326,700 / Dh342,700
Engine 3.0L V6
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 340hp @ 6,000pm
Torque 450Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.1L / 100km
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
Company%C2%A0profile
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RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m
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5,30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
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6pm: The President’s Cup Listed (TB) Dh380,000 1,400m
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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Match info
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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
In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
Marathon results
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