There was much to cheer about the second season of the T10 League. There was a cast of highly-respected, exciting players involved, for starters.
The batsmen, more or less across the board, hit new levels of performance, the like of which were previously considered inconceivable.
On at least two occasions it was only the fact a run-chase had been completed, rather than the overs running out, that prevented batsmen reaching centuries. It is a tantalising landmark, but the batsmen this year showed it might be just about possible to score a century in a 10-over game.
The best bowlers found a way to stay relevant, too. There was a five-wicket haul, and, in the final, an off-spin bowler swung the game in his side’s favour with 2-11 off two overs. If an off-spinner can do it, then no-one else really has grounds for complaint.
And there were some players who emerged from the shadows of more famous peers to find a new level of celebrity.
Hardus Viljoen, a one-Test wonder for South Africa, was picked up as a replacement player by Northern Warriors in the lead up to the tournament. He ended it as its pre-eminent player, with 18 wickets from the 18 overs he bowled.
His colleague, Chris Green, was the spin-bowler who turned the final. Green has yet to play international cricket for Australia in any format.
And Nicholas Pooran, who has just five West Indies T20 International caps to his name, gave clear evidence he has a big future ahead of him, with a string of batting blitzkriegs.
All of which is the cricket. Which goes to show, T10 does just about allow enough scope for the sport to market itself.
A year earlier, T10 had made a splash on debut, but had at times appeared a gaudy vanity project – almost literally an advert rather than a sporting event.
This time around, there was less airtime for the celebrities flown in from the subcontinent. There were no sponsored dot-balls or boundaries.
The cricketers were generally left to be the entertainment. Smart move, given the likes of Mohammed Shahzad, Alex Hales, Rashid Khan, Hazratullah Zazai and Jonny Bairstow were members of the cast.
Shaji Ul Mulk, the chairman and founder of T10, seemed content in the aftermath of Season 2.
“T10 is unique in itself,” he said. “It more complements the other leagues than competes or ranks against them.
“Ideas are many, but proof of concept was achieved last year and consolidated this year.
“Here is the real achievement. Now the world is talking about what T10 is all about. The players love it.
“That is the real achievement as far as T10 is concerned. Yes, for us looking ahead, we would not be surprised if there is a T10 World Cup and a T10 Olympics.”
Grand plans, then, but at least the UAE-based league will stay as it is for the foreseeable. Ul Mulk said the event will remain an eight-team league, with a broadly similar, 12-day timespan next year, and will only be re-evaluated in “two to three years”.
The league is already starting to feel like an established part of the UAE sporting landscape, and its sponsors say they are committed to growing the format further.
“Although I am new to cricket, the enthusiasm and passion that I have seen among the crowd tells me that this game deserves fresh capital, resources and strong corporate support to grow and I am happy that our organisation has taken this as seriously,” Sami Al Refai, the director of Ghalia Group, said.
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Read more:
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Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
UAE SQUAD
Ahmed Raza (Captain), Rohan Mustafa, Jonathan Figy, CP Rizwan, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Usman, Basil Hameed, Zawar Farid, Vriitya Aravind (WK), Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Zahoor Khan, Darius D'Silva, Chirag Suri
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
What is an FTO Designation?
FTO designations impose immigration restrictions on members of the organisation simply by virtue of their membership and triggers a criminal prohibition on knowingly providing material support or resources to the designated organisation as well as asset freezes.
It is a crime for a person in the United States or subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to knowingly provide “material support or resources” to or receive military-type training from or on behalf of a designated FTO.
Representatives and members of a designated FTO, if they are aliens, are inadmissible to and, in certain circumstances removable from, the United States.
Except as authorised by the Secretary of the Treasury, any US financial institution that becomes aware that it has possession of or control over funds in which an FTO or its agent has an interest must retain possession of or control over the funds and report the funds to the Treasury Department.
Source: US Department of State
Company: Instabug
Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
Fighting with My Family
Director: Stephen Merchant
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Florence Pugh, Thomas Whilley, Tori Ellen Ross, Jack Lowden, Olivia Bernstone, Elroy Powell
Four stars
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
