Are we all sufficiently sick of the term “new normal” yet?
Even before the first ball has been bowled in the return of international cricket season, it is grating.
Can we just get back to a little bit of just normal normal, please?
A Ben Stokes snarl. A Shannon Gabriel no ball. Joe Denly digging in. Mark Wood’s imaginary horse. The Decision Review System.
Perhaps not quite yet. After all, there will be plenty of intrigue when two members of cricket's old establishment meet again as its oldest format returns on Wednesday, under a variety of modified playing conditions.
These are a few of the things to look out for when England and West Indies break ground on biosecure international cricket.
No celebrations
Jim Laker celebrated taking 19 wickets in one Ashes Test by hitching up his trousers and walking off, giving into vanity only to doff his cap to the crowd.
Cricketers have become much more tactile in the time since, but will be forced back in time to a socially distant old normal for the time being.
A hat trick? A double century? All will have to be toasted with nothing more giddy than an elbow or foot bump, followed perhaps by three cheers and a rendition of For He's a Jolly Good Fellow.
Headbands
Given that barbers were, in fact, given the green light to return to business in the recent days in the UK, the players might actually turn up on Wednesday with some freshly shorn locks.
Or they might stick with what they have got used to in recent times.
Each of Stuart Broad, James Anderson and Chris Woakes, among others, have had their hair trussed up in headbands in the lead-up to the series.
Like being in Dubai
It is very possible the behind-closed-doors Test matches in the UK this summer might have more people at them than many of the open Test matches that have been in Dubai down the years.
England remains the one country where – under normal circumstances – Test matches are well attended.
So, while we in the UAE might be used to being able to hear ourselves think at Tests, the players themselves could end up feeling a little lonely.
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Players who will shape cricket on its return
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'Sanitised' swing
Using saliva to polish the ball, as has been widely documented, will be prohibited.
ICC medical guidelines, though, do state that it is highly unlikely that the virus can be transmitted through sweat.
So players can use that, “whilst recommending that enhanced hygiene measures are implemented on and around the playing field”.
That will include hand-sanitiser outlets around the field. Any value in a surreptitious rub of that on the shiny side to get the ball hooping?
Actual cricket
International cricket’s first post-Covid 19 series pits the fourth-ranked Test side, England, against West Indies, who are eighth. So not exactly box-office stuff, on the face of it.
There is plenty of reason for optimism, though. England felt like they turned a corner by winning in South Africa in the winter, while they also have a score to settle with their guests, after losing in the Caribbean last time out.
All-round battle
The world’s best allrounder is? Jason Holder, actually, according to the ICC Test rankings for players.
Stokes rarely needs any additional incentive to get him into the mood for competition, but the battle between the opposing captains in the first Test should provide a neat little subplot.
Pace aces
Batsmen might be the worse off for the lack of proper match practice since lockdown.
Never mind the quality of the bowling attacks they will be faced with this summer – what about the speed of them?
Mark Wood, Jofra Archer, Olly Stone, Kemar Roach, Gabriel, Alzarri Joseph, Oshane Thomas, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf and Mohammed Hasnain could all see game time this summer.
Pity the batsmen.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AUSTRALIA SQUADS
ODI squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
Twenty20 squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
SANCTIONED
- Kirill Shamalov, Russia's youngest billionaire and previously married to Putin's daughter Katarina
- Petr Fradkov, head of recently sanctioned Promsvyazbank and son of former head of Russian Foreign Intelligence, the FSB.
- Denis Bortnikov, Deputy President of Russia's largest bank VTB. He is the son of Alexander Bortnikov, head of the FSB which was responsible for the poisoning of political activist Alexey Navalny in August 2020 with banned chemical agent novichok.
- Yury Slyusar, director of United Aircraft Corporation, a major aircraft manufacturer for the Russian military.
- Elena Aleksandrovna Georgieva, chair of the board of Novikombank, a state-owned defence conglomerate.
UNSC Elections 2022-23
Seats open:
- Two for Africa Group
- One for Asia-Pacific Group (traditionally Arab state or Tunisia)
- One for Latin America and Caribbean Group
- One for Eastern Europe Group
Countries so far running:
Opening Rugby Championship fixtures: Games can be watched on OSN Sports
Saturday: Australia v New Zealand, Sydney, 1pm (UAE)
Sunday: South Africa v Argentina, Port Elizabeth, 11pm (UAE)
if you go
The flights
Flydubai offers three daily direct flights to Sarajevo and, from June, a daily flight from Thessaloniki from Dubai. A return flight costs from Dhs1,905 including taxes.
The trip
The Travel Scientists are the organisers of the Balkan Ride and several other rallies around the world. The 2018 running of this particular adventure will take place from August 3-11, once again starting in Sarajevo and ending a week later in Thessaloniki. If you’re driving your own vehicle, then entry start from €880 (Dhs 3,900) per person including all accommodation along the route. Contact the Travel Scientists if you wish to hire one of their vehicles.
Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate
It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.
The Indoor Cricket World Cup
When: September 16-23
Where: Insportz, Dubai
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
More coverage from the Future Forum
FIXTURES
All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Brackets denote aggregate score
Tuesday:
Roma (1) v Shakhtar Donetsk (2), 11.45pm
Manchester United (0) v Sevilla (0), 11.45pm
Wednesday:
Besiktas (0) v Bayern Munich (5), 9pm
Barcelona (1) v Chelsea (1), 11.45pm
Two-step truce
The UN-brokered ceasefire deal for Hodeidah will be implemented in two stages, with the first to be completed before the New Year begins, according to the Arab Coalition supporting the Yemeni government.
By midnight on December 31, the Houthi rebels will have to withdraw from the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa and Al Saqef, coalition officials told The National.
The second stage will be the complete withdrawal of all pro-government forces and rebels from Hodeidah city, to be completed by midnight on January 7.
The process is to be overseen by a Redeployment Co-ordination Committee (RCC) comprising UN monitors and representatives of the government and the rebels.
The agreement also calls the deployment of UN-supervised neutral forces in the city and the establishment of humanitarian corridors to ensure distribution of aid across the country.
THE APPRENTICE
Director: Ali Abbasi
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 3/5
'Spies in Disguise'
Director: Nick Bruno and Troy Quane
Stars: Will Smith, Tom Holland, Karen Gillan and Roshida Jones
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
