Rohan Mustafa will have a bigger role to play aside from his all-round abilities during the fourth edition of the Abu Dhabi T10.
The former UAE captain, who has played in all four seasons of the T10 tournament including its earlier guise, was named second in command to Team Abu Dhabi captain Luke Wright for the tournament that will be played at the Zayed Cricket Stadium from January 28 to February 6.
"It's a big role and an opportunity for me on such a big stage" Mustafa told The National on Monday.
“Thank you to Team Abu Dhabi for the faith and trust that have placed in me. I was playing with Luke Wright for Team Abu Dhabi last year and we have been talking most of the time, and even today in the lead-up to the tournament.
“T10 obviously is a fast format and whatever we have to do on the pitch has to be decided and done quickly, whether it’s batting or bowling.”
Musatafa has played a lot of cricket at the Zayed Cricket Stadium and brings that experience and local knowledge to the table.
“It’s been a very lucky ground for me,” he added. “The experience matters because a lot of players come from around the world and I can share my knowledge of the ground.”
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Maratha Arabians cruise to Abu Dhabi T10 title
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Mustafa also shares a good relationship with Team Abu Dhabi coach Dougie Brown from when he was in charge of the UAE national team.
“It’s very easy to work with a coach with whom I have worked for the last three years,” he said.
“We share that kind of relationship to trust each other. Dougie knows my abilities and my game as well.
“My preparation for T10 started as soon as I was drafted to the team. I really wanted to come down and practice my yorkers and variations with Dougie but couldn’t make it because of the pandemic.”
Mustafa said most of the players in the tournament are professionals and have played the game at the top level, and they know what is expected from them.
“They won’t take much time to adapt as a team,” he pointed out. “You can’t tell each and everyone what to do and what not to do. They are absolute professionals and know their jobs.
“For me, I will be happy to contribute with my bowling which I have done quite well in the past seasons.
“Obviously I’m very excited and looking forward for the tournament. It has been such a long time playing at this level. It’s a great opportunity for us to play side by side with players like Chris Gayle and Luke Wright.”
Mustafa believes the format is a good opportunity for those preparing for the T20 games.
“If you do well in the T10 format then you can do even better in T20,” he said. “Sometimes you may think T10 cricket is to go out there and slog each and every ball but it’s actually not, there are 60 balls to play.”
Maratha Arabians meet Northern Warriors in the opening game of the tournament followed by the game between Deccan Gladiators and Pune Devils and Delhi Bulls versus Bangla Tigers.
Pune Devils face Qalandars in the first match on Day 2 while Maratha Arabians take on Delhi Bulls and Deccan Gladiators play Team Abu Dhabi.
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
TWISTERS
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
Rating: 2.5/5
ICC T20 Team of 2021
Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
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
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
US PGA Championship in numbers
1 Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.
2 To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.
3 Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.
4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.
5 In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.
6 For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.
7 Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.
8 Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.
9 Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.
10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.
11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.
12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.
13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.
14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.
15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.
16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.
17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.
18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
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Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
