Given the amount of time they spend on the field and the odd hours they keep, the country’s leading cricketers must frequently feel in need of a lie down during Ramadan.
No wonder, then, the pre-eminent team in the country during the Holy Month have been a team sponsored by a company whose raison d’etre is to improve sleep.
Future Mattress won the 32nd Sharjah Ramadan Cup final when they beat MGM Cricket Club by 12 runs late on Friday night.
After a - presumably long and restful - sleep, they will bid to do the same again on Saturday night. The two sides meet again in the final of another Ramadan tournament in neighbouring Dubai.
Although the name might be a new one, the team itself have a long history of success in UAE cricket. Future Mattress is so named to promote the latest enterprise of Adil Mirza, who is one of the great benefactors of domestic cricket in the UAE.
Their playing personnel are some of the most recognisable in the game in the country. Not least Rohan Mustafa, who stole the show in the final.
The UAE national team allrounder had already played a starring role in his side’s semi-final win.
In the final, he hit 96 not out from a total of 170-5, then took 3-20 with the ball.
“It was a great day,” Mustafa said. “After the innings in the semi-final, when I got to the ground I felt like I was starting the same innings again.
“The pitch was not that easy to score on, it was difficult to hit sixes, but Aryan [Lakra, who scored 25] stayed with me.
“We’re national team players, so we should be fit. We were taking singles and doubles, and by the end I was seeing the ball like a football and was able to score.”
With four balls left in the innings, Mustafa required 18 to reach a century. He hit the next three balls for four, but was left just short of the milestone when he clubbed the last ball for two rather than six.
“The ball I got on the last ball was a good ball to hit for six, but by that point I was very tired,” Mustafa said.
“I wasn’t looking for the hundred, I was just looking for the maximum runs we could get on the board.”
Although the limited travel caused by the pandemic meant fewer stars have been imported from abroad for Ramadan cricket this year, Mustafa insists the competition has still been strong.
“Ramadan is the best time to have lots of tournaments,” he said.
“After fasting, the players really enjoy getting together to play cricket. We have a very good unity and that helps us.
“All the teams get good players out to play during Ramadan. The teams are all very strong, and that helps us a lot.”
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
World Cup warm up matches
May 24 Pakistan v Afghanistan, Bristol; Sri Lanka v South Africa, Cardiff
May 25 England v Australia, Southampton; India v New Zealand, The Oval
May 26 South Africa v West Indies, Bristol; Pakistan v Bangladesh, Cardiff
May 27 Australia v Sri Lanka, Southampton; England v Afghanistan, The Oval
May 28 West Indies v New Zealand, Bristol; Bangladesh v India, Cardiff
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
