UAE’s leading cricketers could be forgiven for watching on with envy as their neighbours in Oman started their home World Cup in rampant fashion on Sunday.
Even more so given the way Aqib Ilyas took to the world stage so adeptly, in making a cool half-century in the 10-wicket win over Papua New Guinea. His former colleagues in the UAE might have felt as though he was living their life for them.
The 29-year-old all-rounder studied civil engineering in Dubai from 2010. In the four years he lived in UAE, he excelled in domestic cricket to the extent he was invited to train with the national team.
He was flattered, but his heart remained in Oman, where he had lived since he was six months old.
“There was a thought in my mind that I should [stay and play as a pro in UAE], but at that time I wasn’t that into cricket,” Ilyas said.
“I just used to go and play in open tournaments. When I came back to Oman, I didn’t play for one year.
“My brother [former Oman player Adnan] said, ‘You should play, you have the potential to do very well’.
“That boosted me, and made me want to represent the Oman team. My family is in Oman. That is why I wanted to play for them and not UAE.”
The lure of home must have been strong, as there was a vast disparity in opportunities for cricketers in UAE and Oman at the time.
UAE domestic cricketers routinely get to play at the three venues which are hosting the T20 World Cup.
By contrast, when Ilyas left for his studies, there was not one grass oval in Oman yet. He has never questioned his decision, though, and is reaping the rewards now.
“My parents sent me to Dubai, saying it would be good for studies, and told me how I should learn to live on my own and that it would be good for my future,” Ilyas said.
“For my cricket, it was a very positive experience. Many international players were there, the likes of [Pakistan international] Yasir Shah, Asad Shafiq.
“I brought that positivity with me back to Oman. By the time I got back to Oman there were two turf grounds here, and the standard of club cricket was very strong.
“Facing players like Bilal Khan and Kaleemullah every day means you improve over time, plus we have good coaches who improve our technique.”
“His brother Adnan was the most talented player Oman has ever had in the national team,” said Pankaj Khimji, the chairman of Oman Cricket.
“He played some scintillating knocks, all over the world. Aqib is even more talented, and even more technically sound.
“He is a little laid back — David Gower-esque — but is a beautiful timer of the ball. He has an excellent temperament when he gets going.”
Ilyas is producing the results to go with the talent, too. He averages 62 in 15 one-day internationals so far and, last year in Kathmandu, he scored centuries in successive ODIs.
Now he wants to make a name for himself on the biggest platform he has yet been given.
Oman face Bangladesh on Wednesday night in Al Amerat, and a win would go a long way to securing their advance to the next phase of competition — meaning a potential trip back to UAE for Ilyas.
“I want to do really well at the World Cup,” he said. “The whole world is watching you, and your talent is exposed.”
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Premier Futsal 2017 Finals
Al Wasl Football Club; six teams, five-a-side
Delhi Dragons: Ronaldinho
Bengaluru Royals: Paul Scholes
Mumbai Warriors: Ryan Giggs
Chennai Ginghams: Hernan Crespo
Telugu Tigers: Deco
Kerala Cobras: Michel Salgado
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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."
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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
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Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
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
The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 556Nm @ 3,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
THE LOWDOWN
Photograph
Rating: 4/5
Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies
Director: Ritesh Batra
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz