Mohammad Amir is a man on a mission. Like most cricketers, he is looking to make up for lost time.
This period of 2020 should have been set aside for the T20 World Cup in Australia. But the coronavirus pandemic ruined that plan, and disrupted every sporting event. What the meant was cricketers spent a large section of the year waiting for assignments.
The stop-start nature of the calendar was tricky for another reason. Rustiness was bound to be a factor and cricketers had to play a fine balancing act to avoid injuries.
So you can imagine the pressure Amir must have been under bowling the Super Over in the first qualifier of the Pakistan Super League against Multan Sultans.
It was Amir's first match at the top level since the England T20 series in August. There were some domestic matches in the National T20 Cup in the lead up to the PSL playoffs, which had been rescheduled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but that was it.
And yet, Amir bowled one of the greatest super overs as he defended 14 runs against Multan batsmen Ravi Bopara and Rilee Rossouw; he did not concede a single boundary.
Some believe it to be one of the finest overs in limited overs cricket bowled by Amir. The left-arm fast bowler himself puts it right up there with his best efforts.
The 2017 Champions Trophy final against India where he dismissed Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli with the new ball, the 2016 Asia Cup where he breathed fire while defending just 83 against the Indians and his first over against Sri Lanka in the 2009 T20 World Cup final that saw the back of Tillakaratne Dilshan and set up the title win are his favourites. And now the Super Over in Karachi.
"It was one of my best overs," Amir told The National. "There are two or three overs or spells that I really liked. There was the Champions Trophy final. Then the Asia Cup match against India. Also the 2009 World Cup final over against Dilshan. They were my best spells and this was among them."
That one spectacular over sent Karachi to the final where they will face Lahore Qalandars on Tuesday.
Pulling off such a performance after being away from top level cricket for a long time was no mean feat. Amir said keeping his bowling muscles in shape in the domestic circuit helped.
"It was difficult. There was a break of almost six or seven months. Such a break for an athlete is very tough. If a fast bowler doesn't bowl for a week, he goes back [in his game]. But cricket started and I kept bowling in England. And then in Pakistan, I was playing the National T20 Cup. So I had a bit of momentum coming into the PSL. And regardless, I continued my training at home,” the 28-year-old said.
And being the senior bowler, who now plays white ball exclusively, Amir knew what he had to do to succeed in the Super Over – yorkers at the fifth stump and wider.
If a fast bowler doesn't bowl for a week, he goes back [in his game]
“As a senior player, the coach and captain ask you what your plan is. As a player, you should always discuss and look at different ideas. At the end of the day, a player backs his skills. So whenever there is pressure, I keep things simple and stick to my plans,” he explained.
It was an extra special result for Amir and the Karachi franchise. This was their first match since the tragic death of their coach and renowned commentator Dean Jones while on IPL duty.
Karachi and Multan players paid a special tribute to the late Aussie before a start of the qualifier and Amir said he hopes to win the title on Tuesday for the beloved coach.
“I always enjoyed working with Mickey Arthur. And then with Dean Jones. He was one of the best coaches in the world. The energy he brought to Karachi Kings is something we will always miss. That energy brought us this far.
"What I really liked about him was that he was always very positive. His knowledge was of a very high level. We will always miss him and if we win the final, it will be for Dean Jones.”
What may also motivate Amir is getting snubbed by the national selectors for the limited overs tour of New Zealand. For a specialist limited overs bowler like Amir, it must have been a tough pill to swallow. His Super Over exploits, however, have come at just the right time as a reminder of his talent.
“As a cricketer, if you are dropped, your thought is that 'I will perform when I get my next opportunity'. The Super Over was a pressure situation. Allah gave me the opportunity. This is what I can do. They [selectors] have their thinking. Only they can tell why I am not in their plans. But as a player, all I can do is perform.”
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
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THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
RESULT
Manchester United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Man United: Sanchez (24' ), Herrera (62')
Spurs: Alli (11')
