Naeemuddin Aslam, the UAE wicketkeeper, has played in two doomed qualification campaigns for the UAE.
Naeemuddin Aslam, the UAE wicketkeeper, has played in two doomed qualification campaigns for the UAE.

Aslam is looking for pain relief



DUBAI // The amateur players who make up the UAE squad will be driven on this week by the hurt of missing out on qualifying for the 50-over World Cup 11 months ago, according to the in-form Naeemuddin Aslam. The diminutive middle-order batsman has already played in two doomed qualification campaigns in the longer format of limited-overs cricket, even though he is still just 27.

Now firmly established as a mainstay of the national team, the Dubai-born IT architect says only success here will dull the pain of returning from South Africa with nothing last year. He said: "The realisation only hit us when we lost to Scotland [in the final match of the qualifier, which meant the UAE missed out on official one-day status, as well as a place in the 2011 World Cup]. That game is not going to leave my memory any time soon.

"I was sitting in the dressing room after my dismissal, then 10 balls later the innings had folded. I did not even have enough time to go down the stairs to shake hands with the opposition - that is how quickly it was over. "It was so disappointing, but within a couple of months we found out that the World Twenty20 qualifiers would also include us. "It gave us all hope, and another shot at playing in a World Cup.

"We did not care who we were going to play or how it was going to work - we were all just overjoyed we had another opportunity within the space of another year. Within a week, we will know if we are there. "Ever since Ramadan the excitement has been building. It is a big tournament for us. The next qualifiers in the 50-over World Cup are not until 2013, which would have meant we had nothing to look forward to for three years."

The host nation's chances have been assisted by the unexpected return of Saqib Ali. The former captain was handed a one-year ban from the game by the Emirates Cricket Board for an indiscretion in a domestic match, but was allowed to return early. Despite his extended break from the crease, Saqib, the UAE's most prolific batsman, has shown his class since his return. "When we played in the ACC Twenty20 tournament last year, he was not there," said the captain, Khurram Khan. "Now we have him back it has strengthened our batting. He is in good nick, which is very good for us because he is one of our main batsmen." @Email:pradley@thenational.ae

Tues 9 Feb 10am - Scotland v USA, Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi Midday - Ireland v Afghanistan, Dubai Sports City 2pm - Kenya v UAE, Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi 4pm - Netherlands v Canada, Dubai Sports City Wed 10 Feb 10am - Afghanistan v Scotland, Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi Midday - Canada v Kenya, Dubai Sports City 2pm - USA v Ireland, Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi 4pm - UAE v Netherlands, Dubai Sports City Thur 11 Feb 10am - Canada v UAE, Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi Midday - Afghanistan v USA, Dubai Sports City 2pm - Netherlands v Kenya, Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi 4pm - Ireland v Scotland, Dubai Sports City Fri 12 Feb Midday - Super Fours - First in Group A v Second in Group B, Dubai Sports City 4pm - Super Fours - First in Group B v Second in Group A, Dubai Sports City Sat 13 Feb Midday - First in Group B v First in Group A, Dubai Sports City 4pm - Super Fours - Second in Group A v Second in Group B, Dubai Sports City 7.30pm - Final, Dubai Sports City

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

A Dog's Journey 

Directed by: Gail Mancuso

Starring: Dennis Quaid, Josh Gad, Marg Helgenberger, Betty Gilpin, Kathryn Prescott

3 out of 5 stars

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Sly%20Cooper%20and%20the%20Thievius%20Raccoonus
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sucker%20Punch%20Productions%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sony%20Computer%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%202%20to%205%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now

Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months