Back in 2016, when the Pakistan Super League was launched amid an excited hubbub at the Dubai International Stadium, social distancing was – happily – not yet a thing.
A day before the new T20 tournament for Pakistan started, the ground’s cavernous press conference room was packed to the rafters.
The six captains elbowed each other as they jostled for room on the dais, and good-naturedly declared their side was definitely going to be the inaugural champions.
Fans wearing multi-coloured wigs and team merchandise found their way into what was ostensibly an event exclusively for the press.
The organisers proudly announced the tournament was open for business, and showed off lavish trophies, which had been minted by Swarovski.
Among the many jewel-encrusted awards was an ornate wicket-keeping glove, set aside for the tournament’s leading gloveman.
Times and circumstances are different now. That much is obvious.
Opposition players no longer even shake hands at the end of games, but wave to each other from afar, perhaps with some magnanimous applause for each other.
Players have had to conduct interviews speaking to a voice emanating from the Spidercam. If a press conference does happen, it is via Zoom. And Swarovski do not make the trinkets any more.
But the powers that be might want to reconsider that last fact, and at least come up with one special award. Ideally, they might consider making a crystal-laden model of a lawn-mower, or perhaps a heavy-roller, for this season’s man of the tournament.
Sure, Hazratullah Zazai and Usman Khawaja have batted like princes. Fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani has announced himself as a new star of Pakistan cricket with his wickets and winning smile.
Mohammed Rizwan has been a captaincy kingpin. Wahab Riaz has continued to personify the spirit of his team. Babar Azam has been Babar Azam.
But the man of the tournament has not been a player. In fact, he would be totally unrecognisable to all fans.
Mohan Singh, the head groundsman at Abu Dhabi Cricket, and his team have worked marvels to make this tournament a success. The fact scoring has been so good, and matches so competitive, is a testament to each of them.
Take Tuesday night's final eliminator match, won by Peshawar Zalmi against Islamabad United.
In the 80th match of an 81-match uber-season at the Zayed Cricket stadium, the side batting second chased 175 to win with more than three overs to spare.
That load of matches has been alternated between the seven strips on the wicket block which allow for TV broadcasts. That makes for an average of more than 11 matches per pitch over the course of a season which started in September.
And yet scoring has not been impaired at any stage. Since the PSL relocated to Abu Dhabi – at about two weeks' notice – just two innings failed to breach the 100-run mark in the 38 that have been played so far.
Even those spoke more of the batting malaise of two sides – Lahore Qalandars and Quetta Gladiators – who did not reach the knockout stage of the tournament rather than adverse pitch conditions.
All of which is happy enough news for the PSL and its supporters. But it bodes well, too, for even more significant times later this year.
The IPL is due back in September. That could well be followed by the T20 World Cup, which would be the biggest international event yet staged in cricket in this country.
With huge events like that comes greater scrutiny, so standards will have to be high. When it comes to matches in Abu Dhabi, the PSL has proved that that can be taken as a given.
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge – Rally schedule:
Saturday: Super Special Spectator Stage – Yas Marina Circuit – start 3.30pm.
Sunday: Yas Marina Circuit Stage 1 (276.01km)
Monday: Nissan Stage 2 (287.92km)
Tuesday: Al Ain Water Stage 3 (281.38km)
Wednesday: ADNOC Stage 4 (244.49km)
Thursday: Abu Dhabi Aviation Stage 5 (218.57km) Finish: Yas Marina Circuit – 4.30pm.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2
Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')
Barcelona 0
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THE LOWDOWN
Photograph
Rating: 4/5
Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies
Director: Ritesh Batra
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz
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Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
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.
The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
SHAITTAN
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Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Cashew%0D%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202020%0D%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Ibtissam%20Ouassif%20and%20Ammar%20Afif%0D%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%0D%3Cbr%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%2410m%0D%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Mashreq%2C%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
MANDOOB
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Credits
Produced by: Colour Yellow Productions and Eros Now
Director: Mudassar Aziz
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jassi Gill, Piyush Mishra, Diana Penty, Aparshakti Khurrana
Star rating: 2.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Rain Management
Year started: 2017
Based: Bahrain
Employees: 100-120
Amount raised: $2.5m from BitMex Ventures and Blockwater. Another $6m raised from MEVP, Coinbase, Vision Ventures, CMT, Jimco and DIFC Fintech Fund
Feeding the thousands for iftar
Six industrial scale vats of 500litres each are used to cook the kanji or broth
Each vat contains kanji or porridge to feed 1,000 people
The rice porridge is poured into a 500ml plastic box
350 plastic tubs are placed in one container trolley
Each aluminium container trolley weighing 300kg is unloaded by a small crane fitted on a truck
