DUBAI //Pakistan's supporters wielded fluffy animals and homemade placards celebrating the revival of their nation's "cornered tigers" in the stands at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium last night.
The current vintage may still have much to do to repeat the feats of the players that Imran Khan famously inspired to success in the 1992 World Cup final with a speech invoking the spirit of trapped animals.
They subsided to a two-run defeat to South Africa in Sports City last night, but following on so quickly from their against-all-odds win two nights earlier, nobody should be in doubt: this team knows how to fight.
Once again all had appeared lost. They hit back and, though they eventually fell just short and thus fell 2-1 behind in the series, Pakistan are now a credible force again in international cricket.
At his current rate of progress, Hashim Amla should overtake his teammate, AB de Villiers, at the top of the rankings for one-day international batsmen as soon as the results of this series are entered in to the database next week.
The Proteas built their triumph on Amla's serene 119 not out. Amla's bookish appearance and timid body-language make him seem better suited to the library than the international batting crease.
There was a time, not so long ago, when he was thought to be unsuited the limited-overs form at all. How ludicrous that out-dated theory seems now.
In 18 ODI innings since September 2009, Amla's lowest score has been 11, and he has passed 50 seven times, with an additional five hundreds. Over the course of the 100 overs, he was the only batsman who really looked comfortable on a tired-looking batting track.
He also admitted the same, saying, "It was a tough wicket, but I got some rhythm going. I realised from the beginning that I needed to bat through. I knew 200-220 is a good score here."
He was certainly the only South African who got to grips with Shoaib Akhtar, Pakistan's renaissance man with the ball.
At 35 years old, Akhtar should be thinking about slowing down. It has been a good few years since he relied on raw pace alone, and he proved here just how potent the judicious use of slower balls can be.
His opening two victims both fell to slower balls. First he picked up the returning Jacques Kallis, who chopped a length ball on to his stumps. Then, Colin Ingram, the in-form player, chipped up a return catch straight to Akhtar, after mistiming his drive at a slower ball.
Johan Botha bore the brunt. He was set up by an Akhtar fast-ball which crashed into his helmet. On the very next delivery, his stumps were splayed by a rapid yorker.
His three-wicket haul kept the South Africans to 228 for nine, which had appeared gettable at the break. However, Pakistan's challenge faltered on the back of a strong return from Morne Morkel, who picked up four wickets including the key one of Shahid Afridi, and the equally vital scalp of Wahab Riaz.
Riaz has caught the eye with the ball so far in this series, but it was his 10-ball cameo of lusty hitting, worth 21, late in the night which nearly swung the game towards Pakistan. When he departed, Alam took up the slack and guided his side to within two of victory. In a frantic finish, he ended on 59, but he was eventually forced to watch on helplessly from the non-striker's end as Rusty Theron closed out a thrilling win for the Proteas.
pradley@thenational.ae
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
J%20Street%20Polling%20Results
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- 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
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
Info
What: 11th edition of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
When: December 27-29, 2018
Confirmed: men: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson, Dominic Thiem, Hyeon Chung, Karen Khachanov; women: Venus Williams
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae, Virgin megastores or call 800 86 823
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The biog
DOB: March 13, 1987
Place of birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but lived in Virginia in the US and raised in Lebanon
School: ACS in Lebanon
University: BSA in Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut
MSA in Design Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
Nationality: Lebanese
Status: Single
Favourite thing to do: I really enjoy cycling, I was a participant in Cycling for Gaza for the second time this year
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.
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
More from our neighbourhood series:
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
RESULTS
2.30pm Jaguar I-Pace – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt)
1,600m
Winner Namrood, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Musabah Al Muhairi
(trainer)
3.05pm Land Rover Defender – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D)
1,400m
Winner Shadzadi, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
3.40pm Jaguar F-Type – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner Tahdeed, Fernando Jara, Nicholas Bachalard
4.15pm New Range Rover – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m
Winner Shanty Star, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly
4.50pm Land Rover – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 2,400m
Winner Autumn Pride, Bernardo Pinheiro, Helal Al Alawi
5.25pm Al Tayer Motor – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 T) 1,000m
Winner Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
6pm Jaguar F-Pace SVR – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner Scabbard, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
MATCH RESULT
Al Jazira 3 Persepolis 2
Jazira: Mabkhout (52'), Romarinho (77'), Al Hammadi (90' 6)
Persepolis: Alipour (42'), Mensha (84')
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