UAE batsman Alishan Sharafu has tested positive for Covid1-9. Antonie Robertson / The National
UAE batsman Alishan Sharafu has tested positive for Covid1-9. Antonie Robertson / The National
UAE batsman Alishan Sharafu has tested positive for Covid1-9. Antonie Robertson / The National
UAE batsman Alishan Sharafu has tested positive for Covid1-9. Antonie Robertson / The National

Alishan Sharafu third UAE player to test positive for Covid-19


Steve Luckings
  • English
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UAE v Ireland

1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets

2nd ODI, January 12

3rd ODI, January 14

4th ODI, January 16

The UAE's Alishan Sharafu has tested positive for Covid-19, forcing the second ODI against Ireland to be pushed back a week, the Emirates Cricket Board confirmed.

Sharafu is the third player to test positive after Chirag Suri and Aryan Lakra ahead of Friday's first ODI in Abu Dhabi.

The 17-year-old made his debut in the national team's six-wicket win against the Irish, scoring 1 run.

The positive result was collected during the latest round of testing on all players and staff in the UAE team bubble on Friday. The ECB said Sharafu is in isolation awaiting transfer by the health authorities to a medical isolation facility.

Subhan Ahmed, Emirates Cricket Board adviser, said: “As part of our Covid-19 safety protocols for this series, all players were required to undergo and provide a negative Covid-19 test prior to entering the Bio-Bubble in Abu Dhabi.

"The tests that were carried out on December 29 were all negative. Players were then isolated in their separate rooms [in the team hotel] for three days. On January 7, Chirag Suri tested positive, followed by Aryan Lakra on January 8.

"Both Chirag and Aryan were isolated in their hotel rooms immediately after testing positive. As all remaining tests were negative, and after the tracing app data was reviewed, no further close contacts were traced.

"In accordance with the authorities’ directives, the isolated players remained in their rooms until the health authorities co-ordinated their move to an official isolation centre, where they remain.

"In the early hours of January 9, and following a seventh test carried out on January 8 on all players and staff in the UAE team bubble, Alishan Sharafu’s test also came back positive."

Emirates Cricket Management, in consultation with Abu Dhabi Cricket and Cricket Ireland, have agreed that the second ODI set to take place on Monday at Zayed Cricket Stadium will now be played next Saturday.

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UAE beat Ireland by 6 wickets

  • CP Rizwan hit 109 runs off 136 balls for the UAE against Ireland. Abu Dhabi Cricket
    CP Rizwan hit 109 runs off 136 balls for the UAE against Ireland. Abu Dhabi Cricket
  • Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
    Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
  • Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
    Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
  • Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
    Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
  • Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
    Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
  • Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
    Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
  • Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
    Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
  • Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
    Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
  • Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
    Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
The biog

Siblings: five brothers and one sister

Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota

Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym

Favourite place: UAE

Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera

What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

WHAT%20IS%20THE%20LICENSING%20PROCESS%20FOR%20VARA%3F
%3Cp%3EVara%20will%20cater%20to%20three%20categories%20of%20companies%20in%20Dubai%20(except%20the%20DIFC)%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECategory%20A%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Minimum%20viable%20product%20(MVP)%20applicants%20that%20are%20currently%20in%20the%20process%20of%20securing%20an%20MVP%20licence%3A%20This%20is%20a%20three-stage%20process%20starting%20with%20%5B1%5D%20a%20provisional%20permit%2C%20graduating%20to%20%5B2%5D%20preparatory%20licence%20and%20concluding%20with%20%5B3%5D%20operational%20licence.%20Applicants%20that%20are%20already%20in%20the%20MVP%20process%20will%20be%20advised%20by%20Vara%20to%20either%20continue%20within%20the%20MVP%20framework%20or%20be%20transitioned%20to%20the%20full%20market%20product%20licensing%20process.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECategory%20B%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Existing%20legacy%20virtual%20asset%20service%20providers%20prior%20to%20February%207%2C%202023%2C%20which%20are%20required%20to%20come%20under%20Vara%20supervision.%20All%20operating%20service%20proviers%20in%20Dubai%20(excluding%20the%20DIFC)%20fall%20under%20Vara%E2%80%99s%20supervision.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECategory%20C%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20New%20applicants%20seeking%20a%20Vara%20licence%20or%20existing%20applicants%20adding%20new%20activities.%20All%20applicants%20that%20do%20not%20fall%20under%20Category%20A%20or%20B%20can%20begin%20the%20application%20process%20through%20their%20current%20or%20prospective%20commercial%20licensor%20%E2%80%94%20the%20DET%20or%20Free%20Zone%20Authority%20%E2%80%94%20or%20directly%20through%20Vara%20in%20the%20instance%20that%20they%20have%20yet%20to%20determine%20the%20commercial%20operating%20zone%20in%20Dubai.%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE BIO

Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist

Age: 78

Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”

Hobbies: his work  - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”

Other hobbies: football

Favorite football club: Al Ain Sports Club

 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

UAE v Ireland

1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets

2nd ODI, January 12

3rd ODI, January 14

4th ODI, January 16