Sachin Tendulkar could not sleep for nearly a fortnight before the World Cup game in 2003. Inzamam-ul-Haq was so riled by a heckler in Toronto in 1997 that he went into the crowd to confront his tormentor. When Wasim Akram pulled out of the World Cup quarter-final in Bangalore in 1996, and Pakistan went on to lose, the more extreme fans accused him of treason.
The Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees may loathe each other, and there is certainly no love lost between Boca Juniors and River Plate in Buenos Aires. When Liverpool and Manchester United clash, it is to the soundtrack of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's Two Tribes. Barcelona against Real Madrid is simply referred to as el clásico.
But not one of these sporting rivalries comes close to the intensity that usually accompanies an India-Pakistan cricket match.
With strained diplomatic relations providing the backdrop, the more important games between the two have seen a couple of hundred million fans fret and fume, dance and cry.
As much as the players try to downplay it as "just another game", the man on the street sees each match as a test of national honour.
Defeat can result in players' houses being stoned, effigies being burned and scapegoats crucified by jingoistic media.
Tomorrow, while the rest of the world tunes in to football from South Africa, millions on either side of the Wagah border will have their eyes on Dambulla in Sri Lanka and the latest episode of the fierce rivalry.
The Asia Cup has never really established itself as a major event in the calendar, despite first having been staged as long ago as 1984. These days, with Twenty20 the flavour of choice, one-day cricket is fighting to stay relevant.
Matches in India and England, with the smaller stadiums, tend to be sold out, but other countries are struggling to draw crowds for the 50-over game. There are already fears that next year's World Cup, with four minnows playing at least six matches each, will enjoy only fitful support and the Asia Cup will give some hints as to what the organisers can expect.
Pakistan and India have played just once since 2007 - a Younus Khan-led side saw off the India challenge at Centurion last September - and both sides will be desperate to lay down a marker before the big event next spring.
Tendulkar's absence takes some of the sheen off the contest, but with the likes of Virender Sehwag and Shoaib Akhtar back in the fray, there is no shortage of game-changers on either side. Come tomorrow night, one side will celebrate and one will be in the depths of depression at losing to their fierce rivals.
These are five of the greatest matches between the great rivals.
A fortnight earlier, India had cruised to victory at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, in the World Championship of Cricket final. When Imran Khan scythed through the top order in Sharjah, a measure of retribution was looking on the cards. Mohammad Azharuddin (47) and Kapil Dev (30) apart, India had no answer to the great all-rounder (6-14) and Pakistan were left to score just 126 in 50 overs.
The India pacemen made the early inroads before Ravi Shastri and Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, the spinners, wrecked the middle order. With Kapil mopping things the tail, Pakistan were out for 87.
India batted solidly to reach 245, a big score in the days that preceded pinch-hitters. Pakistan's reply was faltering when Abdul Qadir produced a quickfire 34, but once he departed and the innings subsided, it was left to Javed Miandad to keep wafting at embers of hope. It came down to a dramatic final over where wickets fell, a run-out chance was squandered and four runs were needed off the last ball. Miandad was on 110 by then, and when Chetan Sharma's attempt at a yorker became a leg-side full toss, his bat helped it to the boundary for a result that would make Indians wince in pain for years afterwards.
Wasim Akram pulled out on the morning of the game, and Navjot Sidhu's 93 held India's innings together. The difference between a competitive total and an imposing one, though, was Ajay Jadeja, who plundered 45 from 25 balls, targeting the pace of Waqar Younis for special punishment. Pakistan started as though they would finish the game in 40 overs, but when adrenaline got the better of Aamer Sohail, the stand-in captain, the game turned. Venkatesh Prasad and Anil Kumble were the key players as Javed Miandad's 21-year-long World Cup odyssey ended with the bitter taste of defeat at the hands of their arch enemy.
Poor diplomatic relations had meant no cricket contact since 2000, and Centurion in South Africa resembled a corner of the subcontinent for the most eagerly awaited group match of the competition. Saeed Anwar's polished century took Pakistan to the sort of total that usually wins World Cup games, but once Tendulkar smashed Akhtar for 18 in the opening over, the momentum change was palpable. Shoaib did get his man, but by then, Tendulkar had 98 from 75 balls. Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh then sealed the deal with 26 balls to spare for the Indians.
India's first full tour of Pakistan in a generation could not have had a better start. Sehwag's audacious 79 and Dravid's 99 set Pakistan 350 to win.
Fabulous knocks from Yousuf Youhana (as he was then) and Inzamam meant Pakistan were right up with the asking rate until the final 10 overs. Inzamam's breathtaking 122 ended when he edged Murali Kartik behind and after a flurry of shots from Abdul Razzaq, it came down to the final ball, but Moin Khan was not able to clear the infield with his shot. The capacity crowd were on their feet regardless of the defeat.
sports@thenational.ae
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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.
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
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
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
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.0-litre%20six-cylinder%20turbo%20(BMW%20B58)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20340hp%20at%206%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20500Nm%20from%201%2C600-4%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20ZF%208-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E0-100kph%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.2sec%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20267kph%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh462%2C189%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWarranty%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2030-month%2F48%2C000k%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Apple's%20Lockdown%20Mode%20at%20a%20glance
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Europe's top EV producers
- Norway (63% of cars registered in 2021)
- Iceland (33%)
- Netherlands (20%)
- Sweden (19%)
- Austria (14%)
- Germany (14%)
- Denmark (13%)
- Switzerland (13%)
- United Kingdom (12%)
- Luxembourg (10%)
Source: VCOe
Representing%20UAE%20overseas
%3Cp%3E%0DIf%20Catherine%20Richards%20debuts%20for%20Wales%20in%20the%20Six%20Nations%2C%20she%20will%20be%20the%20latest%20to%20have%20made%20it%20from%20the%20UAE%20to%20the%20top%20tier%20of%20the%20international%20game%20in%20the%20oval%20ball%20codes.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESeren%20Gough-Walters%20(Wales%20rugby%20league)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EBorn%20in%20Dubai%2C%20raised%20in%20Sharjah%2C%20and%20once%20an%20immigration%20officer%20at%20the%20British%20Embassy%20in%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20she%20debuted%20for%20Wales%20in%20rugby%20league%20in%202021.%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESophie%20Shams%20(England%20sevens)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EWith%20an%20Emirati%20father%20and%20English%20mother%2C%20Shams%20excelled%20at%20rugby%20at%20school%20in%20Dubai%2C%20and%20went%20on%20to%20represent%20England%20on%20the%20sevens%20circuit.%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFiona%20Reidy%20(Ireland)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMade%20her%20Test%20rugby%20bow%20for%20Ireland%20against%20England%20in%202015%2C%20having%20played%20for%20four%20years%20in%20the%20capital%20with%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Harlequins%20previously.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
AS%20WE%20EXIST
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Kaoutar%20Harchi%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%20Other%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20176%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAvailable%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Racecard
6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 1 (PA) $55,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
6.35pm: Oud Metha Stakes Rated Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m
7.10pm: Jumeirah Classic Listed (TB) $150,000 (Turf) 1,600m
7.45pm: Firebreak Stakes Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 2 (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,900m
8.55pm: Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,900m
9.30pm: Balanchine Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI