In the immediate aftermath of the UAE’s six-wicket loss to Oman on Friday, there was a feeling of resignation rather than depression.
This was just the latest in a long line of defeats in one-day international cricket. Again, it had not even been close. They are used to this.
As the players milled around, picking up errant bits of kit, an administrator sought out the UAE’s team liaison and said the captain would be required for post-match formalities.
The player of the match presentation and captains’ interviews would take place 100 metres or so away, on the other side of the field.
It would be Rahul Chopra’s first one of these, having been instilled as the new captain ahead of this tour to Muscat. He might not know the drill, hence the need for a chaperone to the interview area.
Only he was already there, on his own, waiting for the broadcast team to get set up. He had made the walk under his own steam, without being asked, and without any fuss.
He completed his duties with purpose and as much positivity as he could muster. Yes, the UAE’s ODI cricket is in the doldrums. But he is grateful he has been asked to help solve the issues, and he is certainly up for the challenge.
“The coaches have shown faith and trust in me, and have backed me,” Chopra said. “I am very proud that they believe in me and I am putting in 100 per cent for the team. I have been a captain before so it is not something that is new to me.
“I know how to handle the responsibility, and at the end of the day it is just about bat against ball. It is the same game, so I didn’t feel any difference between playing as a player and as a captain.
“I am happy I have the responsibility. I believe I can do well and we just have to keep it simple and focus on cricket.”
The malaise has been brought about by the long-term failings of the batting line up. Chopra’s performance in his first game in charge was emblematic of the issue.
He made a duck – albeit undone by a fine delivery from leg-spinner Samay Shrivastav – as the UAE collapsed from 98 for three to 128 all out against Oman.
“It is a matter of one game, then everything can change,” Chopra said. “Our bowlers have been doing really well but the batting has not been going according to plan. We have been losing clusters of wickets consistently in recent games, which has been our downfall.
“We are aware of that, and we need to get our act together with the bat. If we can do that, we will be a different team.”
Chopra only debuted for the national team back in February. He had been counting down the days, knowing the exact date he became eligible via the three-year residency rule having relocated to Dubai from India during Covid, and he was eager to get started.
He feels the same restlessness now about helping the team improve, having been picked to lead the side in ODI cricket after Muhammad Waseem stepped down in order to focus on his own batting performance.
Chopra was not the obvious choice to take over from Waseem. Basil Hameed, with years’ worth of international experience, had been the previous vice-captain and led the side in the Emerging Nations Asia Cup.
But the Emirates Cricket Board alighted on Chopra instead. The task facing him is not an easy one. The UAE are the lowest-ranked side among those with ODI status. They have won just one match in the Cricket World Cup League 2 so far, and are bottom of the table.
Next up, in Muscat on Sunday, they face a Netherlands side who have designs on winning this competition. It will not be easy, but the UAE might at least take some solace from the conditions they were met with in the opening game on Friday.
Usually, the Oman Cricket Academy is a batters’ paradise. Yet the pitch for the first game was testing in the extreme, a crumbling dry wicket which took pronounced turn from the off.
The wicket block in Al Amerat has had plenty of traffic of late, with that Emerging Teams Asia Cup taking place. But that has never been an issue before at a ground that is characterised by high scoring.
It might be assumed, therefore, that the home team, Oman – who have issues of their own over player conflict during their recent tour of Canada – have requested pitches that turn. The thinking being that it might help mitigate the threat of the excellent Dutch pace attack.
If the turning conditions that prevailed in the opening game of the tri-series do persist, that might assist a UAE side who have a number of spin options in their squad.
The latest addition to that battery is Dhruv Parashar, who opened both the batting and the bowling in his ODI debut against Oman.
It was with the ball where the 19-year-old off-spinner caught the eye. He took the new ball and ended with figures of two for 16 from his first 10 overs as an ODI cricketer.
“I’m glad they are showing faith in me and backing me to do well and contribute as much as I can to the team,” Parashar said.
“It is a very good feeling and whenever I get my chance in the coming matches I am going to try to grab onto it and give my best.
“Hopefully then we can get one or two wins and completely flip the momentum. The table does not portray at all the potential this team has.
“It is just a matter of clicking. In Namibia [last month], the A-team won a five match series 3-2 including a lot of the same names that are here, and I think it is just a matter of time.
“In the next few games hopefully something is going to click and then there could be no stopping players like Waseem-bhai and Rahul-bhai.
“The unity is there, it is just a matter of time. As soon as we click, it will be a different ballgame.”
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
match info
Southampton 2 (Ings 32' & pen 89') Tottenham Hotspur 5 (Son 45', 47', 64', & 73', Kane 82')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Essentials
The flights
Etihad (etihad.ae) and flydubai (flydubai.com) fly direct to Baku three times a week from Dh1,250 return, including taxes.
The stay
A seven-night “Fundamental Detox” programme at the Chenot Palace (chenotpalace.com/en) costs from €3,000 (Dh13,197) per person, including taxes, accommodation, 3 medical consultations, 2 nutritional consultations, a detox diet, a body composition analysis, a bio-energetic check-up, four Chenot bio-energetic treatments, six Chenot energetic massages, six hydro-aromatherapy treatments, six phyto-mud treatments, six hydro-jet treatments and access to the gym, indoor pool, sauna and steam room. Additional tests and treatments cost extra.
Company info
Company name: Entrupy
Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist
Based: New York, New York
Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.
Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius.
Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place.
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Eyasses squad
Charlie Preston (captain) – goal shooter/ goalkeeper (Dubai College)
Arushi Holt (vice-captain) – wing defence / centre (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Olivia Petricola (vice-captain) – centre / wing attack (Dubai English Speaking College)
Isabel Affley – goalkeeper / goal defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Jemma Eley – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Alana Farrell-Morton – centre / wing / defence / wing attack (Nord Anglia International School)
Molly Fuller – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Caitlin Gowdy – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Noorulain Hussain – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai College)
Zahra Hussain-Gillani – goal defence / goalkeeper (British School Al Khubairat)
Claire Janssen – goal shooter / goal attack (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Eliza Petricola – wing attack / centre (Dubai English Speaking College)
The six points:
1. Ministers should be in the field, instead of always at conferences
2. Foreign diplomacy must be left to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation
3. Emiratisation is a top priority that will have a renewed push behind it
4. The UAE's economy must continue to thrive and grow
5. Complaints from the public must be addressed, not avoided
6. Have hope for the future, what is yet to come is bigger and better than before
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Liverpool 0
Stoke City 0
Man of the Match: Erik Pieters (Stoke)
RESULTS
6.30pm: Longines Conquest Classic Dh150,000 Maiden 1,200m.
Winner: Halima Hatun, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer).
7.05pm: Longines Gents La Grande Classique Dh155,000 Handicap 1,200m.
Winner: Moosir, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Longines Equestrian Collection Dh150,000 Maiden 1,600m.
Winner: Mazeed, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
8.15pm: Longines Gents Master Collection Dh175,000 Handicap.
Winner: Thegreatcollection, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Longines Ladies Master Collection Dh225,000 Conditions 1,600m.
Winner: Cosmo Charlie, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
9.25pm: Longines Ladies La Grande Classique Dh155,000 Handicap 1,600m.
Winner: Secret Trade, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
10pm: Longines Moon Phase Master Collection Dh170,000 Handicap 2,000m.
Winner:
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')
Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')
MATCH INFO
Barcelona v Real Madrid, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
THE SPECS
Jaguar F-Pace SVR
Engine: 5-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 680Nm
Price: Dh465,071
BRIEF SCORES
England 353 and 313-8 dec
(B Stokes 112, A Cook 88; M Morkel 3-70, K Rabada 3-85)
(J Bairstow 63, T Westley 59, J Root 50; K Maharaj 3-50)
South Africa 175 and 252
(T Bavuma 52; T Roland-Jones 5-57, J Anderson 3-25)
(D Elgar 136; M Ali 4-45, T Roland-Jones 3-72)
Result: England won by 239 runs
England lead four-match series 2-1
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
MATCH INFO
Europa League final
Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Juventus v Napoli, Sunday, 10.45pm (UAE)
Match on Bein Sports
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
