It is nearly 18 months since the UAE cricket team was first rocked by a corruption controversy.
On Wednesday, Qadeer Ahmed was suspended from cricket for five years for breaching the sport's anti-corruption rules.
It follows eight-year bans handed out to Mohammed Naveed and Shaiman Anwar last month, for conspiring to fix aspects of matches at the 2019 T20 World Cup Qualifier.
Here is how the saga has unfolded.
Tuesday, October 1, 2019
A meeting takes place between Naveed, Shaiman and Deepak Agarwal, an Indian businessman, on a beach in Ajman in the evening. The players subsequently claim they thought this meeting was to be about playing in the Abu Dhabi T10 league later in the year.
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
According to evidence at the hearing into the case, the meeting was actually to discuss potential fixes in the T20 World Cup Qualifier. The report refers to a WhatsApp conversation on this day which involved doing “work” (fixes), with sums of Dh100,000, Dh500,000 and Dh1 million mentioned.
Sunday, October 6, 2019
The ICC’s anti-corruption unit (ACU) are contacted by Agarwal, who “alleged he had received an approach to engage in corrupt conduct in relation to the” Qualifier, according to the tribunal report. He is interviewed extensively by the ACU two days later.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Officers from the ICC’s anti-corruption operation enter the players and match officials area during the UAE’s practice match against Namibia at the ICC Academy. After the game, Naveed, Shaiman, and the seam bowler Qadeer Ahmed are led away for questioning.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
The Emirates Cricket Board confirm Ahmed Raza has replaced Naveed as the UAE captain, and that the fast bowler has been withdrawn from the squad for the Qualifier – but no reasons are given as to why.
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Naveed, Shaiman and Qadeer are charged by ICC with multiple breaches of cricket's anti-corruption code. Naveed tells The National: "It is my mistake, and I feel guilty. My family is let down, my friends are let down. Everybody is let down."
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Qadeer, whose case is separate to that of Shaiman and Naveed, admits failing to report "a wrong approach". But he adds: "Financially, after playing four years of international cricket, me and my family are still in the same position, living in a rented house. I have not been involved in any illegal activity."
Monday, October 21, 2019
UAE beat Hong Kong by eight wickets in the Qualifier in Abu Dhabi. But shortly after victory is sealed, it is announced opening batsman Ashfaq Ahmed has been provisionally suspended by the ECB, as part of the ICC investigation.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
UAE lose to Jersey in the Qualifier. It is then revealed wicketkeeper Ghulam Shabber is absent without leave, having failed to show for a team meeting a day earlier, or board the bus to the ground. Instead, he had flown to Pakistan with no explanation.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Shabber tells The National that he is willing to comply with the ICC's corruption probe from his home in Pakistan, but that he will not play cricket again. "I have left cricket behind, and want to move on with my life with my family," he says.
Wednesday, October 30, 2019
The national team's hopes of making it to the T20 World Cup in Australia (which is later postponed because of the coronavirus) end, as they are beaten by Scotland in the last-chance eliminator in Dubai. An hour later, the ECB confirm Shabber has been suspended for "absconding" and is part of the corruption investigation.
Sunday, September 13, 2020
Ashfaq and Amir Hayat, a fast bowler who was not part of the UAE squad for the T20 Qualifier, are formally charged by the ICC for a variety of corruption offences, and suspended from cricket indefinitely. The charges include "seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept any bribe or other reward" to "influence improperly" aspects of international matches.
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
Ashfaq insists he has "done nothing wrong". "I cannot imagine compromising everything I have earned to do something like this," he says. "I cannot do this to the UAE, which has given me so much, including transforming an ordinary cricketer to an international one."
Tuesday, January 26, 2021
An independent tribunal find Naveed and Shaiman guilty of two charges, including “being party to an agreement or effort to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly” matches at the 2019 T20 World Cup Qualifier.
Within the 46-page report, it is said “their behaviour was wholly inconsistent with that of persons repelled by a corrupt approach; and wholly consistent with that of persons who either instigated such an approach or were willing recipients of one.”
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
Naveed and Shaiman are banned from all cricket for eight years. "That they both chose to engage with this corrupt activity was a cynical betrayal of their positions, their teammates, and all supporters of UAE cricket," said Alex Marshall, the ICC's head of integrity.
Wednesday, March 17, 2021
Raza says he wants cricket to move on following the corruption controversy. "I take a lot of pride in wearing UAE on my chest, and would always want our team to be in the news for the right reasons," the captain said. "For me personally there is zero tolerance in this matter."
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Naveed registers an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. "Now my life is finished, and I will not accept it," Naveed says. "I will fight however I can."
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
Qadeer is banned from the sport for five years, after acknowledging his guilt. “I never took a single dirham and I never bowled any illegal ball in my career,” Qadeer says. “But, I am sorry and gutted that, as per the ACU rules, I was wrong on different occasions.”
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The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
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Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
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Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
The specs
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Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
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6.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown – Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Ottoman, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
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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.”
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Results
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3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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