A little over three years ago, Mohammed Jawadullah left Pakistan to take up a job as an electrician at Al Ain Shooting Club.
Having played some tape-ball cricket back at home in the valley of Peshawar, he joined his staff team in the UAE's Garden City, to make friends and pass the time.
Fast-forward to now, and his teammates are of a rather different profile. For the past month, he shared a dressing room with T20 World Cup-winners such as Moeen Ali, Evin Lewis and Dawid Malan with Sharjah Warriors in the DP World International League T20. And he excelled, too.
It has been a remarkable rise in the game for a 22-year-old left-armer with a quirky, homespun technique, and who is now targeting a full international debut for the UAE.
“I hope so,” Jawadullah said of his prospects of a call up for his adopted nation. “I have played a couple of [friendly] matches against Afghanistan and Denmark.
“So I am close to a debut. Inshallah with my performances in ILT20, I can get the chance.”
After Sharjah exited the tournament on Monday night, Moeen, their captain, picked out his unheralded UAE-based seamer for a commendation.
“Jawadullah did really well for us, generally,” Moeen said. “He was the guy who made our team stronger, and also balanced our team because we were struggling for a fourth seamer.”
Words of praise like that, from a double-World Cup winner and global franchise tourist, are scarcely believable to Jawadullah, given his humble origins in the game.
“I have never been part of something big like this,” Jawadullah said. “I got to play with some of the big names and Moeen Ali has been my favourite.
“There was no formal or even informal start for me [in cricket] as such. I remember at around eight years old, I started with just slinging my arm over with stones in my village [near Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 70kms from Peshawar].
“Once we got the hang of it, my cousins and I moved to tennis-ball cricket. I never played hard-ball cricket until after I came to the UAE.”
Jawadullah’s bowling action provides a hint to his rudimentary start in the sport. He has a distinctive double hop to get into his delivery stride – an eccentricity which he might have lost had he had any sort of formal coaching at all.
“My bowling has been the same as I started in childhood,” he said.
“Back home in the village, no one said anything and I was also never conscious that something is off with my bowling.
“It is only in the past year that I have been made aware and I now realise it. I am unsure if it is too late to change now.
“I haven't based my game on anyone but my favourites have been Wasim Akram and Mohammed Amir from the recent lot due to them being fellow left-handers.”
His unorthodoxy could be a boon, too. Certainly, his Sharjah colleagues were appreciative of his methods, limiting themselves to tactical advice and encouragement, rather than technical alterations.
“[Mohammed] Nabi bhai kept giving me advice, like a brother, while bowling which was so comforting,” he said.
“The bowling coach [G Jayakumar] gave a good tip to bowl closer to the stumps at the point of delivery. He said it will help me swing the ball both ways.”
TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
The specs
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Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
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On sale: Now
Building boom turning to bust as Turkey's economy slows
Deep in a provincial region of northwestern Turkey, it looks like a mirage - hundreds of luxury houses built in neat rows, their pointed towers somewhere between French chateau and Disney castle.
Meant to provide luxurious accommodations for foreign buyers, the houses are however standing empty in what is anything but a fairytale for their investors.
The ambitious development has been hit by regional turmoil as well as the slump in the Turkish construction industry - a key sector - as the country's economy heads towards what could be a hard landing in an intensifying downturn.
After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.
The country has been hit by high inflation and a currency crisis in August. The lira lost 28 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2018 and markets are still unconvinced by the readiness of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tackle underlying economic issues.
The villas close to the town centre of Mudurnu in the Bolu region are intended to resemble European architecture and are part of the Sarot Group's Burj Al Babas project.
But the development of 732 villas and a shopping centre - which began in 2014 - is now in limbo as Sarot Group has sought bankruptcy protection.
It is one of hundreds of Turkish companies that have done so as they seek cover from creditors and to restructure their debts.
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group C
Liverpool v Red Star Belgrade
Anfield, Liverpool
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
