SHARJAH // If England’s cricketers are struggling to acclimatise to the intense heat and humidity, they did not show it as they made an encouraging start to their UAE tour against Pakistan A.
Four England batsmen made half-centuries on another sweltering day of their opening tour match at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, including three from the champion county side Yorkshire.
Had the trio of Yorkshiremen been at home yesterday, they would have been exposed to overcast skies and highs of around 16°C.
It was the best part of 30°C hotter than that in Sharjah, but Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Adil Rashid – who will get his chance to prove his worth with the ball today – revelled in it.
All passed 50.
None were dismissed.
England captain Alastair Cook probably did not break sweat, either, as he made a half-century at the top of the order.
England finished the day on 286 for five.
Root said it was valuable practice ahead of the first Test, which starts in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
“It is good to get used to the slower outfield, not having much square to hit it into, and the heat, while facing lots of overs against spin,” Root said.
“On the back of an English summer, it is not something you are accustomed to.
“It is good to get that all on board and work on those things.”
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Given Pakistan’s senior side were simultaneously in one-day action in Zimbabwe yesterday, England might have been surprised by the strength of the second string they were up against in Sharjah.
Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq was in particular conspicuous by his presence while fielding at first slip for the morning session.
According to Fawad Alam, Misbah is unlikely to bat when Pakistan’s A team have their chance today, and was mainly there to inspire the emerging players.
“He told the boys that if we played well against them, there would be a chance for the Test match,” said Fawad, who will play a Test for the first time in six years if selected next week. “It was good motivation for the young boys.”
How much of the next generation of Pakistani players Misbah will see in person is debatable. The 41-year-old captain is likely to draw time on his career soon, possibly even at the conclusion of this series.
But if he was looking for pointers to the future here, he might have been impressed by Zafar Gohar, the 20-year-old all-rounder.
Bowling left-arm orthodox spin, Zafar picked up some prized victims in a fine day’s work, dismissing Cook, Ian Bell and Jos Buttler.
His career may barely have started yet, but Zafar is already exhibiting a clear appetite for playing against England.
It was his batting which turned the game when Pakistan’s under 19 side beat their English counterparts to reach the World Cup final in Dubai last year.
He knows the conditions in Sharjah well, too, having played as a paid professional in A division cricket here in recent times.
pradley@thenational.ae
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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
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- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
T20 SQUADS
Australia: Aaron Finch (c), Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Hussain Talat, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shinwari, Hassan Ali, Imad Wasim, Waqas Maqsood, Faheem Ashraf.
SPECS
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Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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Specs
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How the UAE gratuity payment is calculated now
Employees leaving an organisation are entitled to an end-of-service gratuity after completing at least one year of service.
The tenure is calculated on the number of days worked and does not include lengthy leave periods, such as a sabbatical. If you have worked for a company between one and five years, you are paid 21 days of pay based on your final basic salary. After five years, however, you are entitled to 30 days of pay. The total lump sum you receive is based on the duration of your employment.
1. For those who have worked between one and five years, on a basic salary of Dh10,000 (calculation based on 30 days):
a. Dh10,000 ÷ 30 = Dh333.33. Your daily wage is Dh333.33
b. Dh333.33 x 21 = Dh7,000. So 21 days salary equates to Dh7,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service. Multiply this figure for every year of service up to five years.
2. For those who have worked more than five years
c. 333.33 x 30 = Dh10,000. So 30 days’ salary is Dh10,000 in gratuity entitlement for each year of service.
Note: The maximum figure cannot exceed two years total salary figure.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
THE APPRENTICE
Director: Ali Abbasi
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 3/5
