A debut series against the West Indies, potentially followed by a tour to Zimbabwe on which World Cup qualification depends, does not exactly represent an easy one off the mark for Lovepreet Singh.
The 20-year-old batter has been named in the UAE squad for the first time, and the assignments ahead could scarcely be more testing.
Three one-day internationals against the West Indies in Sharjah, starting on Sunday, as a prelude to the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe. And yet, rather than feeling daunted, the new recruit is counting his blessings.
“I am lucky to be playing my first series against such a big team,” Lovepreet said of the prospect of starting out in international cricket against the West Indies.
“If you can perform against big players, that is how we can make our name. We all want to play against Test nations.”
It stands to reason the youngster is just happy to be here, given the journey that has brought him to this point.
Having been born in Jalandhar in India, he first arrived in UAE aged three when his father came to work in Fujairah.
UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
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The family live in Al Dhaid, the oasis town in the Central Region which does have a grass cricket ground of its own, but is a long way from the major centres for the sport in Ajman, Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Lovepreet’s first steps in the game came via informal tape-ball matches in the street in Dhaid. He says that a future in cricket seemed remote back then.
“I’m not even lying – when I was young I was only a fielder,” he said.
“They would put me in and told me all I could do was field. When I started playing, I was not naturally that good. It took a lot of time for me, and I made a lot of changes in my technique.
“Starting out in tape-ball cricket, even if you are only a fielder, when you bat you just slog. Slowly, I made changes.”
He became obsessed by the sport and persuaded his father, Satnam, to let him join an academy. Initially, that meant a 45-minute trip to Sharjah.
Now it is a three-hour round trip to Goltay Cricket Academy, near the end of the runway of Dubai International Airport, a journey he makes most days.
“Cricket is something everyone grows up with in Indian families,” Lovepreet said.
“I grew up watching the game and at the age of 13 I really forced my dad to put me in an academy. Watching greats like Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni, you just want to play.
“I told him I wanted to pursue cricket, but transport was a really big issue because we lived in Dhaid, and dad had his business.
“But dad put up with me. He said, ‘OK, we will do it – but you have to pay it off. You have to work hard in your cricket.’ So this is all because of my dad.”
Lovepreet, who is set to become the first Sikh to play full international cricket for the UAE, has a memorable name – translating as “Lovelove” – and is also an eye-catching presence on the field. Often he wears a beanie hat above his 'patka', no matter the temperature.
Despite that, he has struggled to catch the attention of the national selectors in the recent past, while a number of his age-group peers have advanced seamlessly to the full national team.
“It is hard when your friends are being called up after U19s,” he said.
“Corona came, then I was sidelined, and there is a lot of talent in UAE. I never blamed anybody. It was all about me, and working out how I could come back better.
“I always look at the positives. I asked Shahzad [Altaf, his academy coach] how I could improve. We worked on my technique, then everything started clicking.”
He was the second highest run-scorer in a domestic 50-over competition in Ajman earlier this month, and impressed after being called into the national team’s training camp – hence his elevation to the squad.
He says finding out that he had been selected felt like a dream – literally, given he was sleeping at the time.
“My friend called and I said, ‘Please don’t lie. I’m in a very deep sleep here and have a match this evening’,” he said.
“I had only just joined the camp and thought it would take some time. I told my friend I was going to hang up and check for myself.
“When I found out it was real, the first person I called was my dad. This is our combined effort. I called my mum, then my sister, my relatives and my friends.
“Then, of course, Shahzad-sir to thank him.”
Lovepreet says he owes a debt of gratitude to Altaf for the concessions he has made to coach him.
“We really watch our expenses, and he knew that,” Lovepreet said.
“He helped me through that time. He said, ‘Just come and play cricket, there are no fees for you. You just have to work hard and make your family proud.’
“That was very important from me. In a middle [working] class family, you have to control your expenses. We were not on the wealthy side, but he said to come here and train.”
Altaf, who played for UAE at the 1996 World Cup as a seam bowler, said the best payback has been Lovepreet’s call up to the UAE side.
“Lovepreet is a very, very hardworking boy, and has been since I first saw him as a 16-year-old,” Altaf said.
“He has been playing here since then. We took him in our team and even when he didn’t perform he worked even harder.
“Now he has his chance in the UAE team and I am very happy for him. Our mission is always to help boys to play cricket who don’t have so many resources.
“They can come here and use our facilities without paying. Our door is open for everyone.”
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
Klopp at the Kop
Matches 68; Wins 35; Draws 19; Losses 14; Goals For 133; Goals Against 82
- Eighth place in Premier League in 2015/16
- Runners-up in Europa League in 2016
- Runners-up in League Cup in 2016
- Fourth place in Premier League in 2016/17
Key Points
- Protests against President Omar Al Bashir enter their sixth day
- Reports of President Bashir's resignation and arrests of senior government officials
TV (UAE time);
OSN Sports: from 10am
Racecard
%3Cp%3E1.45pm%3A%20Bin%20Dasmal%20Contracting%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh50%2C000%20(Dirt)%201%2C200m%3Cbr%3E2.15pm%3A%20Al%20Shafar%20Investment%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(TB)%20Dh60%2C000%20(D)%201%2C200m%3Cbr%3E2.45pm%3A%202023%20Cup%20by%20Emirates%20sprint%20series%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh84%2C000%20(D)%201%2C200m%3Cbr%3E3.15pm%3A%20HIVE%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh68%2C000%20(D)%201%2C400m%3Cbr%3E3.45pm%3A%20Jebel%20Ali%20Mile%20Prep%20by%20Shadwell%20%E2%80%93%20Conditions%20(TB)%20Dh100%2C000%20(D)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3E4.15pm%3A%20JARC%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(TB)%20Dh60%2C000%20(D)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3E4.45pm%3A%20Deira%20Cup%20by%20Emirates%20Sprint%20series%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh76%2C000%20(D)%201%2C950m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Can NRIs vote in the election?
Indians residing overseas cannot cast their ballot abroad
Non-resident Indians or NRIs can vote only by going to a polling booth in their home constituency
There are about 3.1 million NRIs living overseas
Indians have urged political parties to extend the right to vote to citizens residing overseas
A committee of the Election Commission of India approved of proxy voting for non-resident Indians
Proxy voting means that a person can authorise someone residing in the same polling booth area to cast a vote on his behalf.
This option is currently available for the armed forces, police and government officials posted outside India
A bill was passed in the lower house of India’s parliament or the Lok Sabha to extend proxy voting to non-resident Indians
However, this did not come before the upper house or Rajya Sabha and has lapsed
The issue of NRI voting draws a huge amount of interest in India and overseas
Over the past few months, Indians have received messages on mobile phones and on social media claiming that NRIs can cast their votes online
The Election Commission of India then clarified that NRIs could not vote online
The Election Commission lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police asking it to clamp down on the people spreading misinformation
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.
The five pillars of Islam
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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MATCH INFO
Austria 2
Hinteregger (53'), Schopf (69')
Germany 1
Ozil (11')
Contracted list
Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine, Matt Renshaw, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye.
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Cologne v Union Berlin (5.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Hertha Berlin v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Freiburg (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Borussia Monchengladbach (8.30pm)
Sunday
Mainz v Augsburg (5.30pm)
Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen (8pm)
Company%C2%A0profile
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Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The five pillars of Islam
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Itcan profile
Founders: Mansour Althani and Abdullah Althani
Based: Business Bay, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India
Sector: Technology, digital marketing and e-commerce
Size: 70 employees
Revenue: On track to make Dh100 million in revenue this year since its 2015 launch
Funding: Self-funded to date
Neil Thomson – THE BIO
Family: I am happily married to my wife Liz and we have two children together.
Favourite music: Rock music. I started at a young age due to my father’s influence. He played in an Indian rock band The Flintstones who were once asked by Apple Records to fly over to England to perform there.
Favourite book: I constantly find myself reading The Bible.
Favourite film: The Greatest Showman.
Favourite holiday destination: I love visiting Melbourne as I have family there and it’s a wonderful place. New York at Christmas is also magical.
Favourite food: I went to boarding school so I like any cuisine really.
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