Long ago cricket ceased to be a novelty to the region. Indeed it houses one of the game's most iconic venues in Sharjah, a place where legends were created and epic tales written, of precisely the kind sport lives off.
So Abu Dhabi's Zayed Cricket Stadium is not out of place; why should such an impressive venue not be found here after all?
Eventually the stadium must house a history as glittering as the Sharjah Cricket Stadium and entirely befitting of its architecture.
Two high-profile series this winter involving two of the world's best sides and one of its most fascinating might just begin the process.
Last Thursday night, during the final of the Ramadan night tournament - three words forming a sentence previously used only in Pakistan - matters afoot did not carry such import.
But they were significant for some nonetheless. Neither of the two sides - United Bank Limited (UBL) and Eurocon Alubond - are jokers; far from it, given the liberal sprinkling of Pakistani first-class cricketers - not an endangered species admittedly - and former internationals.
It is serious stuff, as Azeem Ghumman, recently an Under 19 Pakistan and Hyderabad captain, explains. "I actually left a league in England to come and play here. There were a couple of players from Hyderabad who played here last season and I saw the improvement in them through the season back home."
Ghumman, who finished the final with an unbeaten 22 to steer Eurocon to the title, is getting set for a domestic Twenty20 competition in Pakistan in September, a high-profile event in the country.
The standards here, he says, have been good enough to provide a useful warm-up for a big season. The financial incentives, he adds, have not been bad either.
Pakistan, of course, has a special affinity for the region. Top players have regularly made forays into the bustling club cricket scene.
"Lots of players come here from Pakistan, big names such as Mohammad Sami, Taufeeq Umar and Hasan Raza," said Shahnawaz Hakim, the veteran cricket coordinator for the Abu Dhabi Cricket Council.
Bilal Irshad, Mohammad Yousuf's nephew, has been here this season and was named man of the tournament after a prolific stint.
As in Pakistan, Ramadan is big for night cricket.
"There are always big tournaments here in Ramadan," said Hakeem. "We started doing this from 2004 and this is the second under this sponsor with 20 clubs participating."
The Ramadan schedule is heavy enough for Dilawar Mani, the Emirates Cricket Board chairman, to not worry unduly about a potentially heavy winter international workload.
"We have a Test on October 18 and then we have the fifth ODI [one-day international, against Sri Lanka] on November 21," he said. "But we have a bigger workload in Ramadan tournaments."
Other nationalities are here, too. Dilhara Lokuhettige, who has played eight ODIs for Sri Lanka, is now on his fifth visit to the Emirates club scene.
"It's a very good opportunity to just play for us," he says, soon after he has, true to type, muscled a few big boundaries for Eurocon. "The standard of play has improved, especially this time when the scene has really kicked off."
This season Lokuhettige convinced another former international, Mahela Udawatte, to take part. Udawatte has played nine ODIs for Sri Lanka and was, until not too long ago, considered a top-order replacement for Sanath Jayasuriya, though with greater elegance. He wasted a start in the final, but he had a good run.
No time in the middle is wasted as he readies for a bigger assignment. He is set to take part in Ruhuna Rhinos's Champions League campaign later in September in India.
"Actually the league here is good and tournaments in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are competitive ones with decent cricketers," he said. "It's been a very good experience especially as the Champions League is coming up. We have some experienced players in the Ruhuna side, like Sanath and Suraj Randiv, so we're hoping to do well over there this time."
The three leave soon, having won at least two club titles with Eurocon, to continue on their various paths.
It is not outlandish to think they will be back again, bit by bit adding to the story of the region's cricket.
osamiuddin@thenational.ae
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe
Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km
The cost of Covid testing around the world
Egypt
Dh514 for citizens; Dh865 for tourists
Information can be found through VFS Global.
Jordan
Dh212
Centres include the Speciality Hospital, which now offers drive-through testing.
Cambodia
Dh478
Travel tests are managed by the Ministry of Health and National Institute of Public Health.
Zanzibar
AED 295
Zanzibar Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, located within the Lumumba Secondary School compound.
Abu Dhabi
Dh85
Abu Dhabi’s Seha has test centres throughout the UAE.
UK
From Dh400
Heathrow Airport now offers drive through and clinic-based testing, starting from Dh400 and up to Dh500 for the PCR test.
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek independent legal advice.
MATCH INFO
Everton 2 Southampton 1
Everton: Walcott (15'), Richarlison (31' )
Southampton: Ings (54')
Man of the match: Theo Walcott (Everton)
In numbers
1,000 tonnes of waste collected daily:
- 800 tonnes converted into alternative fuel
- 150 tonnes to landfill
- 50 tonnes sold as scrap metal
800 tonnes of RDF replaces 500 tonnes of coal
Two conveyor lines treat more than 350,000 tonnes of waste per year
25 staff on site
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.
What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
List of officials:
Referees: Chris Broad, David Boon, Jeff Crowe, Andy Pycroft, Ranjan Madugalle and Richie Richardson.
Umpires: Aleem Dar, Kumara Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Ian Gould, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford, Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Sundaram Ravi, Paul Reiffel, Rod Tucker, Michael Gough, Joel Wilson and Paul Wilson.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
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Price: From Dh825,900
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Did you know?
Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.
Test series fixtures
(All matches start at 2pm UAE)
1st Test Lord's, London from Thursday to Monday
2nd Test Nottingham from July 14-18
3rd Test The Oval, London from July 27-31
4th Test Manchester from August 4-8
Top 5 concerns globally:
1. Unemployment
2. Spread of infectious diseases
3. Fiscal crises
4. Cyber attacks
5. Profound social instability
Top 5 concerns in the Mena region
1. Energy price shock
2. Fiscal crises
3. Spread of infectious diseases
4. Unmanageable inflation
5. Cyber attacks
Source: World Economic Foundation
UAE%20medallists%20at%20Asian%20Games%202023
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Honeymoonish
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The%C2%A0specs%20
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Results
2.30pm: Expo 2020 Dubai – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: Barakka, Ray Dawson (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
3.05pm: Now Or Never – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: One Idea, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
3.40pm: This Is Our Time – Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Perfect Balance, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
4.15pm: Visit Expo 2020 – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Kaheall, Richard Mullen, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.50pm: The World In One Place – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1.900m; Winner: Castlebar, Adrie de Vries, Helal Al Alawi
5.25pm: Vision – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Shanty Star, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly
6pm: Al Wasl Plaza – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Jadwal, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
Movie: Saheb, Biwi aur Gangster 3
Producer: JAR Films
Director: Tigmanshu Dhulia
Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Jimmy Sheirgill, Mahie Gill, Chitrangda Singh, Kabir Bedi
Rating: 3 star
