An online livestream that attracts, at its peak, around 1,000 viewers might not exactly represent the big time.
But for Mohammed Wasim, the airtime afforded by the Emirates D10 has finally allowed for a little belated recognition.
All the powerful opening batsman is hoping for is that the right people are watching.
This tournament was organised, at short notice, to provide a platform for the country’s leading cricketers to show their skills.
Robin Singh, the UAE coach, is still holed up in India because of the travel restrictions, but is said to be tuning in, as is anyone else with a say on national team selection.
Wasim could scarcely have done much more to impress so far. After seven matches in the tournament, he had made 282 runs – six more than Vriitya Aravind at the top of the runscorer charts.
Now, the 26-year-old from Pakistan feels he is within touching distance of a first call-up to the UAE team – whenever it is they take the field next.
“When I was a boy, obviously it was my dream to play for Pakistan,” Wasim said.
“I prayed for that chance. I tried for it, but then I moved here and focused on playing for UAE.
“Here, there are amazing facilities for cricket. It is not a big country and I have been noticed for my cricket, not like in Pakistan.
“Since I have been in UAE, many people have supported me. I have scored a lot of centuries in domestic cricket, and people have taken notice of it.
“My main focus is solely to play for UAE and do well. That is my first aim.”
Wasim must feel like his chance to star on the small screen is long overdue.
He had been part of the Maratha Arabians squad which won the Abu Dhabi T10 league in front of a packed house at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, and with a vast TV audience last year.
That meant rubbing shoulders with the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Lasith Malinga and Dwayne Bravo, while he even earned a word of praise from Andy Flower, the side’s coach.
And yet he did not actually make it onto the field at any point, given the excellence of the other UAE-based player, Shiraz Ahmed, in that tournament.
“I didn’t get a game because Shiraz was doing so well, but Andy Flower complemented me,” Wasim said.
“That gave me a lot of confidence. He really encouraged me, and told me I was a good fielder, but did not get a chance because Shiraz was bowling so well.
“But the team was doing well, so it was fine. Even after I trained with Maratha Arabians, I had lots of confidence, and my game improved.”
For now, he is contenting himself with bruising bowling attacks while playing for Fujairah Pacific Ventures in the D10, much to the appreciation of his colleagues.
“Wasim never worries about his own score,” Khaleel Goltay, the team’s manager, said.
“He always fights for the team. He only cares about winning, not his score. He has a very good heart.”
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
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Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
Match info
Liverpool 3
Hoedt (10' og), Matip (21'), Salah (45 3')
Southampton 0
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMaly%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mo%20Ibrahim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%20International%20Financial%20Centre%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%241.6%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2015%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPre-seed%2C%20planning%20first%20seed%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20GCC-based%20angel%20investors%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
And%20Just%20Like%20That...
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
The biog
Occupation: Key marker and auto electrician
Hometown: Ghazala, Syria
Date of arrival in Abu Dhabi: May 15, 1978
Family: 11 siblings, a wife, three sons and one daughter
Favourite place in UAE: Abu Dhabi
Favourite hobby: I like to do a mix of things, like listening to poetry for example.
Favourite Syrian artist: Sabah Fakhri, a tenor from Aleppo
Favourite food: fresh fish
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5