India 'A' take on South Africa 'A' in the first of two four-day matches on Saturday. Chitrabhanu Kadalayil looks at five Indian batsmen looking to make an impression on selectors. At stake is a spot in the senior XI touring South Africa in December-January.
Ajinkya Rahane, 25 years old
Nineteen centuries, 22 fifties and 5,468 runs at an average of 60.75 show the Mumbai batsman is tried and tested in first-class cricket. He just has not got enough opportunities at the international level. But if he can play his natural, attacking game for India "A", he could be back with the senior squad.
Suresh Raina, 26
Ideal at No 6 with a wealth of international short-form experience, the left-hander is, however, weak against short-pitched bowling, plenty of which will come his way this month. If he can get past that hurdle and bat long hours, he can add to the total of 17 Tests in which he has appeared so far.
Rohit Sharma, 26
The best India batsman of his generation, Rahane's Mumbai teammate is predisposed to throwing his wicket away when set. What he needs to figure out, and quickly, is how to maintain his focus and bat long. If he does he will thrill crowds the world over. If he does not, Test cricket will be denied a genuine talent.
Dinesh Karthik, 28
Had it not been for MS Dhoni, Karthik would most certainly have been India's No 1 wicketkeeper-batsman. In fact, the Tamil Nadu player made his Test debut before the India captain did. Now he is vying to return as a specialist batsman. He has the technique and temperament but lacks consistency.
Ambati Rayudu, 27
Save for the decision to play for the rebel Indian Cricket League – a move that backfired on his career – there is every chance he would have held down a spot in India's order by now. A frighteningly gifted batsman, his batting looks better with every passing year since being given amnesty by the Indian board.
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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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
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Match info:
Portugal 1
Ronaldo (4')
Morocco 0
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