What is the collective term for a group of left-arm fast-bowling greats? A litany? A leftorium? Or just a Tuesday night in Dubai?
Everyone who is anyone in that community was involved in the DP World International League T20 encounter between Desert Vipers and MI Emirates at Dubai International Stadium.
Pakistan captain Shaheen Afridi was the headline act, and ended up sealing a precious win for the Vipers – albeit by scrambling three off the last ball with the bat.
He was joined in a stellar Vipers pace attack by Mohammed Amir, his fellow Pakistani star, and Luke Wood, the emerging one from England. Tymal Mills and Sheldon Cottrell, meanwhile, were warming the bench.
On the other side was the great Trent Boult, plus the Afghan firebrand Fazalhaq Farooqi. As if anymore stardust were required, Wasim Akram was even there commentating.
And in the land of the southpaw giants, the player who shone the brightest was a player so nondescript his ESPNcricinfo profile has yet to list either place or date of birth, and cannot complete a list of 10 most recent matches. It only makes it as far as seven.
Mohammed Rohid is not so much uncapped as almost entirely unknown. He qualifies as a UAE player for the purposes of this tournament, but is not actually eligible for selection for a year or so more.
He plays A Division cricket in the UAE and has signalled his intention to play for the national team in future. That is what allowed him to feature in the ILT20 development tournament last year, via which he was spotted by MI Emirates.
Since getting his chance in the main event, he has thrived. He took three wickets in a game against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders earlier in the tournament, while his game reached a new peak against the Vipers.
It started with him firing out Alex Hales, the England T20 World Cup winning opener, with the type of unplayable inswinger that will have had Wasim himself purring.
The quality of the delivery was not the only thing which got him noticed. He then elaborated on his moment in the limelight by rushing off and executing a Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired “siu” celebration.
“I also play football and Cristiano Ronaldo is my favourite player,” Rohid said.
“My friends encouraged me to celebrate like him after getting wickets at the ILT20 and it’s become my style now.
“[Hales] was a big wicket. My plan for this match was to go for the big names and get their wicket.
“We take a good look at the wicket before every game and then the seniors tell me how to bowl according to the pitch. I just do [what they say] and I am glad all’s going well.”
Why%20all%20the%20lefties%3F
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Rohid dismissed Adam Hose two balls after, and later added the scalp of Azam Khan, the Pakistan wicketkeeper.
The 21-year-old pacer will be up against the likes of Azam, Shaheen and Amir again next month, having been recruited as a supplementary player by Karachi Kings.
His signing was merely a prosaic detail at the very end of a Pakistan Cricket Board press release announcing Shamar Joseph, the West Indies sensation, is joining the Pakistan Super League.
Rohid’s star might not be burning quite as brightly as Joseph’s just yet, but he is thrilled with the platform he has been given to make a name for himself.
“I am grateful to God first of all,” Rohid said. “I am very happy to play with some great players. I get tremendous support from them, and I am able to perform only because of them
“I really wanted to meet them [Pakistan stars Shaheen, Azam and Amir] but then our team has bowlers like Trent and [Dwayne] Bravo. They have taught me a lot.
“I regularly talk with Boult and Farooqi. They are senior to me, so I learn a lot from them.”
More on Quran memorisation:
if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
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BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
The Lowdown
Us
Director: Jordan Peele
Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseqph, Evan Alex and Elisabeth Moss
Rating: 4/5
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures:
Monday, 1st 50-over match
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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Why%20all%20the%20lefties%3F
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