Chirag Suri, the former UAE vice-captain, is taking an indefinite break from cricket after becoming disillusioned with the sport.
The 28-year-old batter was among the leading run-scorers in one-day International cricket in the world last year.
Of UAE batters, only Vriitya Aravind managed more than Suri’s aggregate of 586 ODI runs across the calendar year, a haul which included two centuries.
However, Suri has played just two ODIs for the national team since a portentous Cricket World Cup League 2 series in Scotland in August 2022.
He played at the T20 World Cup in Australia last year, but lost his place in the side for the last game, only to return for those two ODIs against Namibia in February.
He has also been conspicuous by his absence from the roster of 90 players involved in the International League T20 development tournament, which will reach its conclusion in Dubai on Tuesday.
That competition is a shop window for players to show their skills to the six franchises of the main DP World ILT20, but Suri opted out of participating.
Suri played for Dubai Capitals, alongside the likes of Robin Uthappa, Rovman Powell and Adam Zampa, during the inaugural ILT20 season at the start of this year.
His sporadic appearances since have been in part due to a hamstring injury. He says he felt neglected during his recuperation, and fell out of love for the game in the months after.
He walked away from his central contract this summer, and has turned his attention to real estate development in his time away from the sport.
He says the atmosphere surrounding the national team fueled his disillusionment with the game.
“We pushed it because of the [T20] World Cup [last October], but even before that, the atmosphere was not right,” Suri said.
“I wasn’t enjoying it, and for me, I am not playing cricket to put food on my table. For me, cricket is something I love doing, the place I go to enjoy myself.
“I play the game because I love the game. When the love was going because of the way they are doing things, it was not to my liking.”
Suri’s most recent appearances for the national team came during the chaotic final days of the tenure of Robin Singh as coach.
That spell was characterised by three different captains – Ahmed Raza, CP Rizwan and Muhammad Waseem – and low team morale.
Suri, who was the first and so far only player from the UAE to be recruited to the Indian Premier League having spent a season with Gujarat Lions in 2017, said the players were feeling under appreciated.
“I have given my whole cricket life for this country, was the first player from here to go to the IPL, the first of so many things,” said Suri, who played for the national team on their debut appearance at an U19 World Cup in 2014.
“I used to love going into this environment. But now, if you are not appreciated, why would you go there? I am not enjoying my cricket, which is the worst part.
“They have made it like a job. That is not why we play the game.”
Since he last played, the makeup of the national team has been altered with a number of new age-group products given their chance.
The full-time successor to Singh as coach has yet to be appointed, with Mudassar Nazar set to continue in interim charge for the T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier in Nepal later this month.
“I like the fact they are giving youngsters a chance, but you cannot keep overhauling the team,” Suri said.
“You will get success in parts, but when the crucial times come we will suffer, which is what happens.
“Why don’t we grow? Oman, for example, consistently played the same players whether they do good or bad for the past 10 years.
“I don’t want to be involved in something when you feel like you are not wanted.
“It is all about respect. I play the game because I love it. I gained a lot of respect and I am not going to play when I am not respected.
“Of course, I want to play. These are the years I should be playing. But not at the cost of other things.”
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: 2.5-litre, turbocharged 5-cylinder
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 400hp
Torque: 500Nm
Price: Dh300,000 (estimate)
On sale: 2022
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Drivers’ championship standings after Singapore:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 263
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Company%C2%A0profile
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BAD%20BOYS%3A%20RIDE%20OR%20DIE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Non-oil%20trade
%3Cp%3ENon-oil%20trade%20between%20the%20UAE%20and%20Japan%20grew%20by%2034%20per%20cent%20over%20the%20past%20two%20years%2C%20according%20to%20data%20from%20the%20Federal%20Competitiveness%20and%20Statistics%20Centre.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIn%2010%20years%2C%20it%20has%20reached%20a%20total%20of%20Dh524.4%20billion.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECars%20topped%20the%20list%20of%20the%20top%20five%20commodities%20re-exported%20to%20Japan%20in%202022%2C%20with%20a%20value%20of%20Dh1.3%20billion.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EJewellery%20and%20ornaments%20amounted%20to%20Dh150%20million%20while%20precious%20metal%20scraps%20amounted%20to%20Dh105%20million.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERaw%20aluminium%20was%20ranked%20first%20among%20the%20top%20five%20commodities%20exported%20to%20Japan.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETop%20of%20the%20list%20of%20commodities%20imported%20from%20Japan%20in%202022%20was%20cars%2C%20with%20a%20value%20of%20Dh20.08%20billion.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
In numbers
- Number of children under five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401m in 2100
- Over-80s will rise from 141m in 2017 to 866m in 2100
- Nigeria will become the world’s second most populous country with 791m by 2100, behind India
- China will fall dramatically from a peak of 2.4 billion in 2024 to 732 million by 2100
- an average of 2.1 children per woman is required to sustain population growth