Furniture maker’s son is an instant hit on debut alongside stars at ILT20

Zuhaib Zubair could be forgiven for feeling nervous ahead of his Gulf Giants debut against Dubai Capitals in the DP World International League in Sharjah.

Aged just 20, it was the first time the leg-spinner was getting the chance to play in front of a TV audience, let alone a substantial crowd beyond the boundary.

His teammates included stars of the world game that he has grown up watching franchise and international cricket. And David Warner was the captain of the opposition. David actual Warner.

Even from a mere local perspective, the pressure was on him. Zubair has yet to win a cap for the UAE, yet he was picked in place of Aayan Khan, the wonderkid of cricket in the Emirates.

He dispelled the nerves in spectacular fashion, though. On the seventh ball of his debut, he executed a perfect direct hit run out to dismiss Rahmanullah Gurbaz, after a mix up with Warner.

It earned him the most starry bundle he has been involved in so far in his young career, and a bear-like embrace from Shimron Hetmyer, the Guyanese Indian Premier League star.

“It was great to get that run out at that stage because I had felt nervous and under pressure before,” Zubair said.

“I am glad it worked out like that. Everybody came to hug me and cheer me on, and wished me well for my debut.

“It couldn’t have felt any better than when Hetmyer came to hug me. To have that with such a big star, I was ecstatic about that.”

Zubair has lived in the UAE since 2016, but his association with the country stretches back further than that – to before he was even born, in fact.

His father first moved to Sharjah in 2004 and established a furniture-making business. He suggested his son come to join him from their home Sialkot in Pakistan eight years ago, to continue his schooling here.

Zubair, who idolised Shahid Afridi and tried to bowl like him, went to Sharjah Cricket Academy, where his leg-spin bowling impressed. He has subsequently played age-group cricket for the UAE, and his next goal is to make the senior team.

“I want to represent the UAE senior team one day and hope I can get recognised after playing in this tournament,” he said.

He has already caught the eye of one notable figure – the Gulf Giants head coach, Andy Flower.

“We are lucky with our UAE players,” Flower said. “Zuhaib is another option as a useful leg-spin and googlie bowler, who is very enthusiastic, a good fielder and can bat a little bit.

“It is really important for your chances of success in this tournament to have good UAE players. Also, for the growth of the UAE game, for these guys to get opportunities, proper opportunities.”

The run-out wasn’t Zubair’s sole contribution to the three-wicket win over the Capitals. Zubair also took a wicket from the fifth delivery he bowled.

That was doubly joyous for him because of the identity of the player he dismissed. Rahul Chopra, the uncapped UAE batter in the Capitals middle order, has been a close mate of Zubair’s via their time together at Goltay Academy in Dubai.

“I’ve been playing with Rahul for a number of years and I know he likes to sweep,” Zubair said.

“I was trying to keep him away from playing that shot, and luckily for me, it was a good ball that he got out to.”

Farage on Muslim Brotherhood

Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.

Match info:

Portugal 1
Ronaldo (4')

Morocco 0

Results

5pm: Al Falah – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Bshara, Richard Mullen (jockey), Salem Al Ketbi (trainer)

5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

6pm: Al Dhafra – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Mualami, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud

6.30pm: Al Khaleej Al Arabi – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Hawafez, Adrie de Vries, Abubakar Daud

7pm: Al Mafraq – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi

7.30pm: Al Samha – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Celestial Spheres, Patrick Cosgrave, Ismail Mohammed

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Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021

Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.

The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.

These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.

“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.

“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.

“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.

“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”

Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.

There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.

“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.

“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.

“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”