Three Pakistani cricketers, including pace bowler Shoaib Akthar, were taken for a random dope test ahead of the ICC cricket World Cup, a team official said on Thursday.
"The ICC conducted a dope test of Shoaib Akthar, wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal and Umar Gul on Wednesday," team manager Intikhab Alam said.
"It's a normal process and I think some members of every team will be tested at some stage," Alam said. An ICC spokesman in Dhaka declined to give details.
"The ICC normally does not want to comment on dope tests," said Sami-ul-Hasan, The ICC's media and communications operations manager.
Shoaib, who was recalled for the World Cup after being out of action for a major part of the last three years, tested positive for the banned substance nandrolone in 2006. He did not play against Bangladesh in Pakistan's first warm-up match on Tuesday.
Pakistan will sign off their preparation for the February 19-April 2 tournament on Friday with a warm-up game against England at Fatullah, near the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka.
Dhoni says bowlers were told to take it easy
The erratic form of Indian seamers in the lead up to the World Cup does not concern Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as they had been instructed not to exert themselves in the warm-up matches.
The Indian pace attack, without the experienced Zaheer Khan, managed to take only three wickets between them while going for plenty of runs in the two practice games against Australia and New Zealand.
"It is important for us to have our best seamers for the first game," Dhoni said referring to India's opening match of the World Cup against Bangladesh on Saturday.
"That's one of the reasons why we have asked them to not give in that extra effort... save themselves for the league stages.
"Maybe that's one of the reason for the display," added Dhoni, who scored a blistering 108 off just 64 balls as India easily beat New Zealand in their final warm-up match in Chennai yesterday.
The Indian pace battery of Ashish Nehra, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and Munaf Patel were allowed to bowl only 24.1 overs between themselves in the two warm-up games to avoid injuries.
India has already lost paceman Praveen Kumar to an elbow injury before the World Cup and Zaheer is known to be prone to niggles. Zaheer was not risked for India's practice matches.
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Expert advice
“Join in with a group like Cycle Safe Dubai or TrainYAS, where you’ll meet like-minded people and always have support on hand.”
Stewart Howison, co-founder of Cycle Safe Dubai and owner of Revolution Cycles
“When you sweat a lot, you lose a lot of salt and other electrolytes from your body. If your electrolytes drop enough, you will be at risk of cramping. To prevent salt deficiency, simply add an electrolyte mix to your water.”
Cornelia Gloor, head of RAK Hospital’s Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Centre
“Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can ride as fast or as far during the summer as you do in cooler weather. The heat will make you expend more energy to maintain a speed that might normally be comfortable, so pace yourself when riding during the hotter parts of the day.”
Chandrashekar Nandi, physiotherapist at Burjeel Hospital in Dubai
Empty Words
By Mario Levrero
(Coffee House Press)
RESULT
Huddersfield Town 2 Manchester United 1
Huddersfield: Mooy (28'), Depoitre (33')
Manchester United: Rashford (78')
Man of the Match: Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town)
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
How to donate
Text the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
6025 - Dh 20
2252 - Dh 50
2208 - Dh 100
6020 - Dh 200
*numbers work for both Etisalat and du
MATCH INFO
Mumbai Indians 186-6 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 183-5 (20 ovs)
Mumbai Indians won by three runs
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
info-box
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Rating: 4/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'The Sky is Everywhere'
Director:Josephine Decker
Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon
Rating:2/5
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
