Jonathan Figy believes a “good performance” in the Emirates D50 will take him closer to a UAE national team return.
The left-handed opener has been among runs in the tournaments organised by the Abu Dhabi Cricket Council since his return from the UK after completing his degree in mathematics and statistics at Leeds University.
Figy, 21, is hopeful in replicating his performances in those tournaments going into the Emirates Cricket Board’s six-team Emirates D50 opener against Dubai at Ajman Malek Oval on Wednesday.
Figy remains the only UAE player to score a century, against Canada, in the U19 World Cup. He played two ODI’s against Scotland in the ICC World Cricket League 2 in Dubai in December 2019 and Namibia in the same competition in Oman in January 2020.
His cricket during his time at the Leeds University was interrupted following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and then the final year of his degree. He’s now taken a break from pursuing further studies to have another go at cricket.
“The cricket season in my first year at the university got cancelled and only half the season took place in the following year, and I concentrated on my studies in the final year of my degree,” Figy told The National.
“I had a three-year course in mathematics and statistics, and I thought might as well complete my degree and get back to cricket. I have decided to take a break without doing further studies for now, to give cricket another go. Let’s see how it goes.”
Figy has been back in Abu Dhabi for more than six months and is progressing well. “The Emirates D50 is an opportunity to get back to the national team. That’s my aspiration and I’m working hard for it,” he said.
“The first thing that I realised when I returned to Abu Dhabi after three years in Britain was, I really was out of shape. I started doing my workouts in the gym four to five days a week, and trained in the evenings at the Zayed Cricket Academy nets, where it all began for me.
“I worked on my skills and spent more time on my fitness. All that combined and I was able to score and bat long in the domestic tournaments. I did some coaching in return for the facilities the academy provided me. I enjoy coaching kids and that’s something I may do at some point of time.”
Figy played a massive role for his team Etihad Shaheen to reach all three finals, winning two. He was Player of the Tournament in the ADCC Super Cup, and made scores of 127 not out, 55, and 61 not out, for his team to emerge winners of the Ramadan Rumble two weeks ago.
“I just want to go out there and do my best in the D50,” he said. “People are going to expect a lot from me, and to be honest, I expect a lot from myself. I know what my job is. I need to go out there and score lot of runs if I want to be in the national team.
“More than that is I want to score for my team to reach the top three spots to earn them a spot in the knockout round.
“I have been practising my bowling so I can be useful with the ball, too. I used to bowl quite regularly when I was at school but later concentrated on my batting. That can add more into my game and add more value to the teams I play for.
“My fitness work is showing when I play as I’m able to score and bat long, and run fast between the wickets. When you are looking at top-flight cricket you need to keep working harder all the time to maintain the high levels and the demands of the game.”
Figy has been named vice-captain to the experienced Ali Abid for Abu Dhabi. He will also lead the team in the last two league round games against Sharjah and Fujairah as Abid leaves for Pakistan for his marriage.
Figy wants to take it one step at a time on his cricketing journey, and playing for the UAE and professionally has always been one of his objectives.
“Captaining and analysing the matches I play is something that I enjoy,” he said.
“I’m thankful for Abu Dhabi Cricket Council for providing me with this opportunity. It’s good exposure for me, to potentially lead Abu Dhabi for a long time and hopefully lead them to success.”
“I’m just going to enjoy leading the team and I’m sure to receive the support of my seniors in the squad.
“We have a great bunch of cricketers and I’m sure everyone will support and share their experiences with me to take the team forward. We have a lot of experienced cricketers and can rely on them.”
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The%20specs
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Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
The specs: 2019 BMW i8 Roadster
Price, base: Dh708,750
Engine: 1.5L three-cylinder petrol, plus 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 374hp (total)
Torque: 570Nm (total)
Fuel economy, combined: 2.0L / 100km
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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.
SPECS
Mini John Cooper Works Clubman and Mini John Cooper Works Countryman
Engine: two-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 306hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: JCW Clubman, Dh220,500; JCW Countryman, Dh225,500
Kanye%20West
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
Under-21 European Championship Final
Germany 1 Spain 0
Weiser (40')
RACE RESULTS
1. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1hr 21min 48.527sec
2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) at 0.658sec
3. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull) 6.012
4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 7.430
5. Kimi Räikkönen (FIN/Ferrari) 20.370
6. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) 1:13.160
7. Sergio Pérez (MEX/Force India) 1 lap
8. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) 1 lap
9. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) 1 lap
10. Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams) 1 lap
11. Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) 1 lap
12. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren) 1 lap
13. Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Renault) 1 lap
14. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber) 1 lap
15. Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber) 2 laps
16. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Toro Rosso) 3 laps
