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COLOMBO // Just a week ago, few would have placed Pakistan among the World Cup favourites — but that was a week ago.
Since then, they have obliterated Kenya by 205 runs and then yesterday, showed off their title credentials by beating the co-hosts Sri Lanka by 11 runs.
That margin of victory looks slim but Pakistan were in control for most of the Sri Lankan innings and only a couple of late slogs and generously wayward bowling took Sri Lanka, themselves one of the favourites to win this year's World Cup, so relatively close.
With Shahid Afridi, their captain, enjoying a new lease of life in this tournament at the age of 30, Pakistan boast one of the most dangerously in-form men at the tournament.
He has yet to take-off with the bat because, generally, the Pakistan upper order have functioned but his wide, bewildering array of deliveries is making leg-spinner Afridi almost unplayable as a bowler on the evidence so far.
Against Kenya he took a World Cup career-best five wickets and followed up with four more against Kumar Sangakkara's far more accomplished Sri Lankan batsmen. That included his 300th victim in one-day cricket, fittingly Sangakkara on 49.
How he is relishing this opportunity in the form of the game that surely suits his mercurial talents and nature best.
"It's a great feeling performing like this," Afridi said after winning the man-of-the-match award, in which he became only the 11th player past that 300-wicket milestone in 50-over cricket.
"Three hundred wickets was my goal as an all-rounder. It's a big achievement in one-day cricket."
Some fans, as ever demanding perfection, have missed his explosive 'Boom-Boom' batting performances in these matches.
"I am missing that too," he said. "But my first priority is bowling. I want to focus on my bowling first and then batting.
"I think the way I am going and batting for just three overs or four overs, I try to play some big shots. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't."
The 1992 World Cup champions will meet Canada in Colombo on Thursday with the North American cricketing minnows likely to be more cannon fodder for Afridi.
However, the skipper promises there will be no complacency, not with their 2007 World Cup shock first-round exit at the hands of Ireland still so fresh in the memory.
"Every game is very important," he said. "Winning is a very good habit and in the next one or two games we will have one or two changes. We want to rest one or two guys. Otherwise we will play every game with all our strength."
Afridi knows there are several areas of their game still to polish if Pakistan, plagued by a corruption scandal before the World Cup, are to repeat their 1992 triumph in the business end of the tournament leading to the April 2 final.
Their fielding and catching against Sri Lanka was often distinctly ragged as catches were dropped and run out opportunities missed.
"That was not the way to field. I think we should improve more for upcoming games," said Afridi.
Nevertheless, Afridi, who was not always the first choice of the Pakistan cricket board to lead the team, is happy with the way senior players are generally taking responsibility in bowling and batting and the team spirit looks sky high.
Asked whether his side have now become one of the favourites to win this World Cup, Afridi has no doubt: "Definitely."
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
UAE v Zimbabwe A, 50 over series
Fixtures
Thursday, Nov 9 - 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
Saturday, Nov 11 – 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
Monday, Nov 13 – 2pm, Dubai International Stadium
Thursday, Nov 16 – 2pm, ICC Academy, Dubai
Saturday, Nov 18 – 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
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
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
VERSTAPPEN'S FIRSTS
Youngest F1 driver (17 years 3 days Japan 2014)
Youngest driver to start an F1 race (17 years 166 days – Australia 2015)
Youngest F1 driver to score points (17 years 180 days - Malaysia 2015)
Youngest driver to lead an F1 race (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest driver to set an F1 fastest lap (19 years 44 days – Brazil 2016)
Youngest on F1 podium finish (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest F1 winner (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest multiple F1 race winner (Mexico 2017/18)
Youngest F1 driver to win the same race (Mexico 2017/18)
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tottenham v Ajax, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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)
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
The Beach Bum
Director: Harmony Korine
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg
Two stars
