CP Rizwan has been in and out of the UAE team having produced big scores in domestic cricket. Chris Whiteoak / The National
CP Rizwan has been in and out of the UAE team having produced big scores in domestic cricket. Chris Whiteoak / The National
CP Rizwan has been in and out of the UAE team having produced big scores in domestic cricket. Chris Whiteoak / The National
CP Rizwan has been in and out of the UAE team having produced big scores in domestic cricket. Chris Whiteoak / The National

CP Rizwan keeps his eye in with throw-downs from wife as he aims to cement place in UAE team after lockdown


Paul Radley
  • English
  • Arabic

Given the current restrictions on movement and social gatherings, CP Rizwan’s birthday celebrations will be muted when he turns 32 on Sunday.

In all likelihood, it will be similar to most other days in the recent past. Which is, a day at the office, followed by some throw-downs from his wife Fathima in the front room of their apartment in Sharjah.

Anything for a fix of cricket, for a player who had hoped to be in the process of nailing down his place in the UAE national team at the moment.

"It is a little difficult," Rizwan said of the coronavirus-enforced absence of cricket. "We are missing it obviously because it is such a big part of our routine.

“Playing domestic cricket, preparing with the UAE team, it is all a major miss. But we do still interact.

“And my wife helps me with throw-downs, so at least I can do something. It is only quite a light ball, so we haven’t broken anything yet.”

The couple married in 2015. Fathima knew little of cricket until then.

Within two years she had given up her job in teaching in order to support Rizwan’s cricket career, and now rarely misses a game.

“She didn’t follow cricket at all before we were married,” Rizwan said. “Since then, she had really got into it, started coming to matches, and now she gives me advice. She tells me I shouldn’t be throwing my wicket away.

“She has been to so many domestic matches and stayed late in the night, watching me play. Now she’s started enjoying the game.”

Rizwan debuted for the national team at the start of 2019, having been a prolific run-scorer in domestic cricket for some time previous to that.

He has been in and out of the side in the time since, and he says he has been frustrated at failing to make the sort of scores that would cement his place in the XI.

CP Rizwan says his UAE national team cap is his most prized possession among his many cricket awards
CP Rizwan says his UAE national team cap is his most prized possession among his many cricket awards

“I felt really happy that all the toil in domestic cricket, and all the hard work that nobody was seeing – in the night, after work, running on the beach – was being rewarded,” he said of being selected for UAE.

“I felt really blessed. But I’m not satisfied. I want to do well for UAE, and win matches for them. I’ve been getting starts, but I’m still awaiting a big knock. Inshallah it will come.”

Rizwan might have been part of the same Kerala Ranji Trophy squad as Sanju Samson back in his native India, but he has a deep affinity with UAE, too.

His father has lived in the country for 35 years. Rizwan was brought to live in Sharjah when he was two, having been born in India, while his two younger sisters were both born in the emirate.

He left to pursue engineering studies in Kochi, but returned in 2014, after landing a job with the Bukhatir Group.

“When I was still studying in India, I used to come here for every vacation,” Rizwan said.

CP Rizwan is careful to avoid his trophy cabinet when his wife Fathima gives him throw-downs in their front room
CP Rizwan is careful to avoid his trophy cabinet when his wife Fathima gives him throw-downs in their front room

“When Ahmed Raza [now the UAE captain] was young and new to the national team, I remember I used to go from my home to the Sharjah Stadium to see UAE practicing.

“I would give throw-downs for Ahmed Raza. We still talk about that. They are good memories, and now we are teammates.

“Now, after all this time, he is still leading from the front, in terms of fitness standards and everything. All the youngsters look up to him.”

His day job as an electrical engineer for Eastern International, in the construction industry, means he has not been confined to his home like many other people in recent weeks.

“Even during the lockdown period I have been working, and I have to focus on my cricket after that,” he said. “It hasn’t been a worry. To be frank, our building has 32 floors and only our office is working, so it feels like we are in isolation, too.

“Since everyone is still working in construction we have no complaints. In a way, it is good. The government has this policy and we are happy to adhere to it.”

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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 specs

Engine: 2x201bhp AC Permanent-magnetic electric

Transmission: n/a

Power: 402bhp

Torque: 659Nm

Price estimate: Dh200,000

On sale: Q3 2022 

MATCH INFO

League Cup, last 16

Manchester City v Southampton, Tuesday, 11.45pm (UAE)

What is Folia?

Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.

Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."

Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.

In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love". 

There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.

While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."

THE NEW BATCH'S FOCUS SECTORS

AiFlux – renewables, oil and gas

DevisionX – manufacturing

Event Gates – security and manufacturing

Farmdar – agriculture

Farmin – smart cities

Greener Crop – agriculture

Ipera.ai – space digitisation

Lune Technologies – fibre-optics

Monak – delivery

NutzenTech – environment

Nybl – machine learning

Occicor – shelf management

Olymon Solutions – smart automation

Pivony – user-generated data

PowerDev – energy big data

Sav – finance

Searover – renewables

Swftbox – delivery

Trade Capital Partners – FinTech

Valorafutbol – sports and entertainment

Workfam – employee engagement

The specs

Price, base / as tested Dh12 million

Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16

Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto

Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm

Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds

Top speed 420 kph (governed)

Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)

Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

As it stands in Pool A

1. Japan - Played 3, Won 3, Points 14

2. Ireland - Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, Points 11

3. Scotland - Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Points 5

Remaining fixtures

Scotland v Russia – Wednesday, 11.15am

Ireland v Samoa – Saturday, 2.45pm

Japan v Scotland – Sunday, 2.45pm

The Voice of Hind Rajab

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Director: Kaouther Ben Hania

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Biog

Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara

He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada

Father of two sons, grandfather of six

Plays golf once a week

Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family

Walks for an hour every morning

Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India

2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business

 

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UK’s AI plan
  • AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
  • £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
  • £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
  • £250m to train new AI models
OIL PLEDGE

At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.

What is tokenisation?

Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets. 

No.6 Collaborations Project

Ed Sheeran (Atlantic)

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Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5