South Africa's Quinton de Kock, right, and England's Jos Butler, left, are worried about the packed cricket calendar. AP
South Africa's Quinton de Kock, right, and England's Jos Butler, left, are worried about the packed cricket calendar. AP
South Africa's Quinton de Kock, right, and England's Jos Butler, left, are worried about the packed cricket calendar. AP
South Africa's Quinton de Kock, right, and England's Jos Butler, left, are worried about the packed cricket calendar. AP

Proteas star Quinton de Kock admits playing all three formats becoming tough


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South Africa wicketkeeper batsman Quinton de Kock said players will find it difficult to play all three formats of the game as more fixtures are added to the cricket calendar.

The three-match ODI series between the Proteas and England was drawn 1-1 on Sunday after heavy rain during the third ODI at Headingley.

Less than 28 overs of play were possible in Leeds before the game was called in the first innings with South Africa on 159-2.

De Kock was denied a chance to score a century as he was stranded on 92 off 76 balls before the weather intervened. But the spotlight was on cricket's busy calendar, which has attracted criticism following England all-rounder Ben Stokes's decision to retire from ODIs.

Former Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram last week said he understood the reasons behind Stokes's decision, while ex-England captain Nasser Hussain described the global cricket schedule as "madness".

"It's going to start being tough for players - three formats is a lot and it looks like more games are happening over the calendar," De Kock said.

"Players need to make decisions individually and if they feel they can do it [play all three formats], I am happy for them. But guys need to take decisions into their own hands."

The 29-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman announced his retirement from Test cricket in December, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.

"I've been roped in to play a couple of leagues but that's my own consequence," De Kock said. "I am happy to do it.

"It's still a sacrifice but I'm slowly getting to an age where I need to think about where I want to be in my career. As long as I can do it at my own pace then I am happy.

"When you're still young you need to play all three formats and get certain things done in your career. It starts getting harder as you start getting older and the body doesn't cooperate like it used to. It's just a management thing."

Meanwhile, England captain Jos Buttler admits he is frustrated with England's intense match schedule after his hopes of overseeing a first white-ball series victory since taking over the captaincy were scuppered due to rains.

Ben Stokes retires from ODIs

  • BEN STOKES'S BEST ODI MOMENTS: Stokes during the presentation ceremony after helping England win the World Cup final against New Zealand at Lord's on July 14, 2019. AP
    BEN STOKES'S BEST ODI MOMENTS: Stokes during the presentation ceremony after helping England win the World Cup final against New Zealand at Lord's on July 14, 2019. AP
  • One of the most significant moments of the 2019 World Cup against New Zealand. As Ben Stokes dived to make his ground during the run-chase, the ball deflected off his bat and went for a boundary. He scored an unbeaten 84 as England forced a tie and the match went into a Super Over, which the hosts won. AFP
    One of the most significant moments of the 2019 World Cup against New Zealand. As Ben Stokes dived to make his ground during the run-chase, the ball deflected off his bat and went for a boundary. He scored an unbeaten 84 as England forced a tie and the match went into a Super Over, which the hosts won. AFP
  • Ben Stokes's unbeaten 84 in the 2019 World Cup final is one of the greatest innings in ODI cricket. Reuters
    Ben Stokes's unbeaten 84 in the 2019 World Cup final is one of the greatest innings in ODI cricket. Reuters
  • Ben Stokes hits a six during the 2019 World Cup final against New Zealand at Lord's. AP
    Ben Stokes hits a six during the 2019 World Cup final against New Zealand at Lord's. AP
  • Ben Stokes celebrates taking the catch of Andile Phehlukwayo of South Africa during the 2019 World Cup. It was one of the most acrobatic efforts in the outfield, with Stokes jumping to grab a one-handed catch. Getty
    Ben Stokes celebrates taking the catch of Andile Phehlukwayo of South Africa during the 2019 World Cup. It was one of the most acrobatic efforts in the outfield, with Stokes jumping to grab a one-handed catch. Getty
  • Ben Stokes celebrates his century against Australia in their Champions Trophy match at Edgbaston on June 10, 2017. England were 35-3 chasing 278 before Stokes teamed up with Eoin Morgan to seal victory via D/L method. Reuters
    Ben Stokes celebrates his century against Australia in their Champions Trophy match at Edgbaston on June 10, 2017. England were 35-3 chasing 278 before Stokes teamed up with Eoin Morgan to seal victory via D/L method. Reuters
  • Ben Stokes was at his brutal best against India during the second ODI in Pune on March 26, 2021. He smashed 99 from just 52 balls with four fours and 10 sixes as England chased down 337 with more than six overs to spare. AFP
    Ben Stokes was at his brutal best against India during the second ODI in Pune on March 26, 2021. He smashed 99 from just 52 balls with four fours and 10 sixes as England chased down 337 with more than six overs to spare. AFP
  • Ben Stokes, left, scored his first ODI century against Bangladesh in Mirpur on October 7, 2016. Getty
    Ben Stokes, left, scored his first ODI century against Bangladesh in Mirpur on October 7, 2016. Getty
  • Ben Stokes will retire from ODI cricket on Tuesday, having played 104 matches with a little under 3,000 runs and 74 wickets. Reuters
    Ben Stokes will retire from ODI cricket on Tuesday, having played 104 matches with a little under 3,000 runs and 74 wickets. Reuters
  • Ben Stokes has one five-wicket haul in his ODI career - against Australia back in 2013. Getty
    Ben Stokes has one five-wicket haul in his ODI career - against Australia back in 2013. Getty

In Buttler's first month since taking over from World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan, he has had to contend with a hectic schedule as well as dealing with a hole in the team following the ODI retirement of Stokes.

England are currently nine games into a busy period which will see them take to the field 12 times in 24 days and they have had just one dedicated training day so far during that time, something the new captain revealed has been challenging.

"It's tough," Buttler said. "A lot of the time around training is when you do your best work, away from the pressures of the game, having good conversations and having a feel for where the group is at.

"And not just always in game mode, preparing for guys on the day. To get the highest standard of cricket possible, you need to prepare properly. Hopefully that's something we can look at going forward.

"As a new captain, just having that time to bed in and do that work around your players and with your coaches.

"That's been a frustration to be truthfully honest - it would be nice to have that time to do the work. But we don't, so you just have to adapt and find the best way. It's been a good challenge."

England and South Africa meet in three T20 internationals, starting in Bristol on Wednesday.

In numbers

Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m

Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’  in Dubai is worth... $600m

China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn

The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn

Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn 

The biog

Name: Fareed Lafta

Age: 40

From: Baghdad, Iraq

Mission: Promote world peace

Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi

Role models: His parents 

SHADOWS%20AND%20LIGHT%3A%20THE%20EXTRAORDINARY%20LIFE%20OF%20JAMES%20MCBEY
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Alasdair%20Soussi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20300%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPublisher%3A%20Scotland%20Street%20Press%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAvailable%3A%20December%201%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ON%20TRACK
%3Cp%3EThe%20Dubai%20Metaverse%20Assembly%20will%20host%20three%20main%20tracks%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEducate%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Consists%20of%20more%20than%2010%20in-depth%20sessions%20on%20the%20metaverse%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInspire%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Will%20showcase%20use%20cases%20of%20the%20metaverse%20in%20tourism%2C%20logistics%2C%20retail%2C%20education%20and%20health%20care%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EContribute%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Workshops%20for%20metaverse%20foresight%20and%20use-case%20reviews%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others

Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.

As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.

Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.

“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”

Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.

“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”

Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.

Salah in numbers

€39 million: Liverpool agreed a fee, including add-ons, in the region of 39m (nearly Dh176m) to sign Salah from Roma last year. The exchange rate at the time meant that cost the Reds £34.3m - a bargain given his performances since.

13: The 25-year-old player was not a complete stranger to the Premier League when he arrived at Liverpool this summer. However, during his previous stint at Chelsea, he made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of which were off the bench, and scored only twice.

57: It was in the 57th minute of his Liverpool bow when Salah opened his account for the Reds in the 3-3 draw with Watford back in August. The Egyptian prodded the ball over the line from close range after latching onto Roberto Firmino's attempted lob.

7: Salah's best scoring streak of the season occurred between an FA Cup tie against West Brom on January 27 and a Premier League win over Newcastle on March 3. He scored for seven games running in all competitions and struck twice against Tottenham.

3: This season Salah became the first player in Premier League history to win the player of the month award three times during a term. He was voted as the division's best player in November, February and March.

40: Salah joined Roger Hunt and Ian Rush as the only players in Liverpool's history to have scored 40 times in a single season when he headed home against Bournemouth at Anfield earlier this month.

30: The goal against Bournemouth ensured the Egyptian achieved another milestone in becoming the first African player to score 30 times across one Premier League campaign.

8: As well as his fine form in England, Salah has also scored eight times in the tournament phase of this season's Champions League. Only Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, with 15 to his credit, has found the net more often in the group stages and knockout rounds of Europe's premier club competition.

Three ways to get a gratitude glow

By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.

  • During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
  • As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
  • In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.
Brief scores:

Scotland 371-5, 50 overs (C MacLeod 140 no, K Coetzer 58, G Munsey 55)

England 365 all out, 48.5 overs (J Bairstow 105, A Hales 52; M Watt 3-55)

Result: Scotland won by six runs

RACE CARD

6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 – Group 1 (PA) $65,000 (Dirt) 2,000m

7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $65,000 (Turf) 1,800m

7.40pm: Meydan Classic – Listed (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,600m

8.15pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $195,000 (T) 2,810m

8.50pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (T) 2,000m

9.25pm: Meydan Challenge – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,400m

RESULT

Leeds United 1 Manchester City 1
Leeds:
 Rodrigo (59')
Man City: Sterling (17')

Man of the Match: Rodrigo Moreno (Leeds)

European arms

Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons.  Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.

Results

6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group 1 (PA) US$75,000 (Dirt) 1,900m

Winner: Ziyadd, Richard Mullen (jockey), Jean de Roualle (trainer).

7.05pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (Turf) 1,800m

Winner: Barney Roy, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.

7.40pm: Meydan Cup Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,810m

Winner: Secret Advisor, Tadhg O’Shea, Charlie Appleby.

8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,600m

Winner: Plata O Plomo, Carlos Lopez, Susanne Berneklint.

8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m

Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.

9.25pm: Al Shindagha Sprint Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m

Winner: Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.

Fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit

As he spoke, Mr Aboul Gheit repeatedly referred to the need to tackle issues affecting the welfare of people across the region both in terms of preventing conflict and in pushing development.
Lebanon is scheduled to host the fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in January that will see regional leaders gather to tackle the challenges facing the Middle East. The last such summit was held in 2013. Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki told The National that the Beirut Summit “will be an opportunity for Arab leaders to discuss solely economic and social issues, the conference will not focus on political concerns such as Palestine, Syria or Libya". He added that its slogan will be “the individual is at the heart of development”, adding that it will focus on all elements of human capital.

'Shakuntala Devi'

Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra

Director: Anu Menon

Rating: Three out of five stars

How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
  • Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
  • Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
  • Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
  • Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
  • Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
  • Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Sreesanth's India bowling career

Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40

ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55

T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12

Cherry

Directed by: Joe and Anthony Russo

Starring: Tom Holland, Ciara Bravo

1/5

Brief scores:

Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first

Pakhtoons 137-6 (10 ov)

Fletcher 68 not out; Cutting 2-14

Sindhis 129-8 (10 ov)

Perera 47; Sohail 2-18

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Scoreline

Bournemouth 2

Wilson 70', Ibe 74'

Arsenal 1

Bellerin 52'

Where to apply

Applicants should send their completed applications - CV, covering letter, sample(s) of your work, letter of recommendation - to Nick March, Assistant Editor in Chief at The National and UAE programme administrator for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, by 5pm on April 30, 2020

Please send applications to nmarch@thenational.ae and please mark the subject line as “Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism (UAE programme application)”.

The local advisory board will consider all applications and will interview a short list of candidates in Abu Dhabi in June 2020. Successful candidates will be informed before July 30, 2020. 

Countries recognising Palestine

France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra

 

10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
  • Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
  • For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
  • Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
  • Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
  • Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
  • Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.

Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

Updated: July 25, 2022, 8:00 AM