If IPL franchises did want to expand their recruitment drive beyond the Test nations, these players could make it.
Mohammed Shahzad (Afghanistan)
A combustible wicketkeeper who adores MS Dhoni – and does his best to mimic his batting style, particularly by way of his trademark helicopter shot.
Shahzad revels on the big stage, too. When Afghanistan played Pakistan for the first time in a one-day international at a packed Sharjah Cricket Stadium, he reverse swept Saeed Ajmal for six.
It was quite a come down for Ajmal, who was basking in the glow of a glorious Test series against England at the time.
He would bring plenty of extra eyeballs, too. Shahzad is a massive star in his native Afghanistan.
Paras Khadka (Nepal)
The wider international cricket community got its first glimpse of Nepal at the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh.
They will have liked what they saw.
Nepal beat Hong Kong and Afghanistan, and were in the game against Bangladesh, too.
Unsurprisingly for those who have followed the progress of the Himalayan side during their rise beyond the mainstream, Khadka was the central figure in their excellence.
He bowls seamers and off-spin, swallows catches, and can hit a long ball. He put one onto the roof of the main stand at Sharjah stadium in practice before the World T20.
Stephan Myburgh (Netherlands)
Nobody in the game – Test cartel or beyond – hits the ball harder than the left-handed Dutch opening batsman.
At the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, he hit 13 sixes and scored at a rate of 154.48 per 100 balls.
His initial pyrotechnics were the basis for the Netherlands’ otherworldly run chase against Ireland in the preliminary round, when they qualified after chasing 193 in less than 14 overs in Sylhet.
If their innings had continued to its permitted 20 over duration, they were on course for 279. Any IPL franchise would be grateful for six-appeal like that.
Paul Stirling (Ireland)
Probably hits the ball marginally less hard than Kevin O’Brien, his Ireland colleague, but there cannot be much in it.
Plus, seeing as he gets to open the innings, Stirling gets more opportunities to advertise his wares in the power-play overs against the hard new ball.
Clearly he still has his doubters, given that he is not even a limited-overs regular at his county side, Middlesex, in the UK.
But he has been noticed beyond the Test sphere, as evidenced by the fact he was recruited by Sylhet in the Bangladesh Premier League.
Irfan Ahmed (Hong Kong)
Fair to say he fluffed his lines on his first appearance on the big stage. The Pakistan-born opener went into Hong Kong’s World Twenty20 debut last month in good form.
He had been one of the standout performers in the qualifying event for the 50-over version earlier in the year when Hong Kong secured full one-day international status.
Bangladesh proved a chastening experience, though, as he made successive first-ball ducks in the first two matches.
He did play a cameo role in the shock win over Bangladesh, but his star remains well hidden, so he would be a bargain price.
pradley@thenational.ae
Follow our sports coverage on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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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
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
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Stage result
1. Pascal Ackermann (GER) Bora-Hansgrohe, in 3:29.09
2. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto-Soudal
3. Rudy Barbier (FRA) Israel Start-Up Nation
4. Dylan Groenewegen (NED) Jumbo-Visma
5. Luka Mezgec (SLO) Mitchelton-Scott
6. Alberto Dainese (ITA) Sunweb
7. Jakub Mareczko (ITA) CCC
8. Max Walscheid (GER) NTT
9. José Rojas (ESP) Movistar
10. Andrea Vendrame (ITA) Ag2r La Mondiale, all at same time
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
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
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
Specs
Engine: 2-litre
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 255hp
Torque: 273Nm
Price: Dh240,000
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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How Sputnik V works
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
Al Jazira's foreign quartet for 2017/18
Romarinho, Brazil
Lassana Diarra, France
Sardor Rashidov, Uzbekistan
Mbark Boussoufa, Morocco
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
