Indian cricket board chief Narayanaswami Srinivasan gets into his car at the premises of the corporate office of India Cements, a company headed by him in Chennai, India, on March 25, 2014. The Supreme Court of India has told Srinivasan to step down from his post or be forced to leave to ensure a fair investigation into charges of match-fixing in the Indian Premier League. Arun Sankar K / AP Photo
Indian cricket board chief Narayanaswami Srinivasan gets into his car at the premises of the corporate office of India Cements, a company headed by him in Chennai, India, on March 25, 2014. The Supreme Court of India has told Srinivasan to step down from his post or be forced to leave to ensure a fair investigation into charges of match-fixing in the Indian Premier League. Arun Sankar K / AP Photo
Indian cricket board chief Narayanaswami Srinivasan gets into his car at the premises of the corporate office of India Cements, a company headed by him in Chennai, India, on March 25, 2014. The Supreme Court of India has told Srinivasan to step down from his post or be forced to leave to ensure a fair investigation into charges of match-fixing in the Indian Premier League. Arun Sankar K / AP Photo
Indian cricket board chief Narayanaswami Srinivasan gets into his car at the premises of the corporate office of India Cements, a company headed by him in Chennai, India, on March 25, 2014. The Suprem

Changes afoot for Indian cricket


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ABU DHABI // The Supreme Court of India proposed a set of sweeping changes to Indian cricket on Thursday that include calls to replace the head of the game and to suspend two franchises from this season's Indian Premier League (IPL).

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been told to reply to the proposals on Friday, after which the court will pass an interim order.

The developments came two days after the court had observed that N Srinivasan should step down as the president of the BCCI. Though he was not ordered to step down, as the court had threatened, one of the proposals suggested that Sunil Gavaskar – or another respected former player – take over.

The two-judge bench also proposed that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) be suspended from this season’s IPL.

The franchises are at the centre of a corruption investigation from last season’s edition; four RR players have been banned for fixing, while a senior official from CSK is also under the scanner for illegal betting on matches.

Srinivasan is also the managing director of India Cements, which is the company that owns CSK. It is his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan who is the franchise official under the scanner; Srinivasan has argued that Meiyappan was never an official but merely a ‘cricket enthusiast’.

The third proposed change Justices AK Patnaik and Ibrahim Kalifulla put forward was to bar employees of India Cements from working in the BCCI.

The case began in June 2013, when the secretary of the Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) Aditya Verma filed a petition regarding a conflict of interest in the formation of BCCI’s two-member inquiry panel into the IPL corruption issue; that has spiralled eventually upwards to the highest court in the land.

The arguments of the legal counsel for CAB, Harish Salve, took up most of the session and, among other issues, also put the spotlight also on the India and CSK captain, MS Dhoni (who is also an India Cements employee).

In the report into the corruption scandal compiled by another judge, Justice Mukul Mudgal, Dhoni had told the committee that Meiyappan had nothing to do with the CSK franchise. Salve argued that by doing so “the Indian cricket captain has been indulging in corrupt conduct”.

Gavaskar, a former captain and now a commentator, said to a TV channel that he would be ready to take over, should he be required. “When the highest court of the land tells you to do something, you have to do it.

“As an opening batsman you have to be mentally and physically ready for any challenge.”

The proceedings in court forced the postponement of a press conference which was due to be held in Abu Dhabi yesterday afternoon for the launch of the IPL, the first leg of which will be played in the UAE.

A final verdict in the case is expected on April 16.

Follow us on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE

ENGLAND SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope 
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold 
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph 
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck

Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

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While you're here
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Kathryn Hawkes of House of Hawkes on being a good guest (because we’ve all had bad ones)

  • Arrive with a thank you gift, or make sure you have one for your host by the time you leave. 
  • Offer to buy groceries, cook them a meal or take your hosts out for dinner.
  • Help out around the house.
  • Entertain yourself so that your hosts don’t feel that they constantly need to.
  • Leave no trace of your stay – if you’ve borrowed a book, return it to where you found it.
  • Offer to strip the bed before you go.
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.

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
Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

Monster Hunter: World

Capcom

PlayStation 4, Xbox One

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Match info:

Portugal 1
Ronaldo (4')

Morocco 0

Results

Stage 7:

1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29

2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time

3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious

4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep

5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM

General Classification:

1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28

2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35

3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02

4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42

5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45

MATCH INFO

Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm

Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi

Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi

Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain

Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni

Rating: 2.5/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law