ABU DHABI // Kabir Khan, the UAE coach, is confident his side have a good chance of winning the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Twenty20 qualifier in Nepal even if some of his players are a little bit ring rusty.
The top three sides from the 10-team Nepal qualifier will join Afghanistan, who has already qualified, in the 16-team ICC Twenty20 World Cup qualifier to be played in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah from March 13 to 24.
"Our priority of course is to first qualify to the next level of the qualifier, but winning this tournament is our objective," said Kabir, before boarding the plane from the Abu Dhabi International Airport yesterday.
"We are travelling with a very positive frame of mind to win all our matches at this level. If we want to do well in the ICC event which we host, it would be really good to return unbeaten from the ACC qualifier.
"The ACC qualifying tournament is an ideal platform for us to do well at the next level and winning it will give a massive lift for my players. And this will be our objective."
But the teams preparations have been hindered as they have not had full access to the stadiums in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah because of Pakistan's series against Sri Lanka.
"We trained less than we would have wanted to because of the unavailability of the grounds," he said. "We managed to play a four to five warm up games against local teams and spent some quality time together to mentally prepare the players."
Even so, the UAE are expected to clinch one of the three spots to play on their home turf in an event from that two sides will head to Sri Lanka for the T20 World Cup in June.
The UAE have been drawn in Group B with Nepal, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Bhutan, who they play on the opening day of the competition on Saturday, and a meeting with Afghanistan, the pre-tournament favourites and the side Kabir used to coach, seems likely at some stage of the tournament.
The UAE came within three wickets of upsetting Afghanistan in the four-day Intercontinental Cup match in Sharjah last month and followed that up with a 2-0 whitewash in the ODI series.
Kabir, however, is guarding against complacency. "We shouldn't get carried away from the success we had against Afghanistan. The T20 format is different and we can't take any team for granted. If we do, then we are in trouble."
Saqib Ali, the UAE all-rounder, is still recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered during a practice game against the West Indies in early October.
"He is a player I would like to have in the team in any format of the game but unfortunately he has still not recovered," Kabir said. "This team is a good combination of experience and young players, and I am happy of their progress."
apassela@thenational.ae
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
more from Janine di Giovanni
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
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
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
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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.
RESULTS
Lightweight (female)
Sara El Bakkali bt Anisha Kadka
Bantamweight
Mohammed Adil Al Debi bt Moaz Abdelgawad
Welterweight
Amir Boureslan bt Mahmoud Zanouny
Featherweight
Mohammed Al Katheeri bt Abrorbek Madaminbekov
Super featherweight
Ibrahem Bilal bt Emad Arafa
Middleweight
Ahmed Abdolaziz bt Imad Essassi
Bantamweight (female)
Ilham Bourakkadi bt Milena Martinou
Welterweight
Mohamed Mardi bt Noureddine El Agouti
Middleweight
Nabil Ouach bt Ymad Atrous
Welterweight
Nouredine Samir bt Marlon Ribeiro
Super welterweight
Brad Stanton bt Mohamed El Boukhari
TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
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