Pakistan’s government has paved the way for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to play host to a series against India in Sri Lanka. Unconfirmed reports from India suggest that the Indian government has done likewise for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
If that is the case it means, that a much-anticipated but shortened bilateral series between the two countries may finally go ahead in December, their first since December 2012. It will not, unfortunately for UAE fans, be played here, as was the agreement between the two sides when they signed an MoU in May 2014.
"The Prime Minister [Nawaz Sharif] has given permission for Pakistan to play cricket matches with India in Sri Lanka," the PM's spokesman and the federal information minister Pervez Rashid told The National.
Until late Thursday afternoon, the PCB had not received any official communication from the PM’s office. One official said that Shaharyar Khan, the PCB chairman, had “apprised” the prime minister – who is also the patron of the cricket board – of the meeting he had with his Indian counterpart Shashank Manohar.
[Osman Samiuddin: Answers on UAE's viability as venue for Pakistan-India only lead to conjecture]
That meeting took place in Dubai at the ICC headquarters last Sunday. Giles Clarke, the England and Wales Cricket Board president and head of an ICC Pakistan Task Team, was present at the meeting as a facilitator.
It had come about after months of effort by the PCB to get an answer out of the BCCI on whether or not they intended to honour their commitment to resume bilateral ties with Pakistan.
The BCCI finally agreed to playing a series, but insisted it would have to be played in India and not the UAE, for reasons they have yet to expand upon publicly. The PCB rejected that invitation outright, insisting that this must be played as a home series. In the run-up to Sunday’s meeting, the PCB said that the matter was now out of their hands and in those of the government.
The PCB described the meeting as a “fruitful” one but neither board, nor Clarke, has revealed the details of the discussions. According to the PCB, Clarke is expected to make a statement about it “in due course”.
At the time, sources close to the development told The National that Sri Lanka would play host, most likely for a limited-overs only series, of three ODIs and two Twenty20s.
On Wednesday, the PCB did release a brief statement, in which it said: “The PCB has informed the government of the talks in Dubai that were regarded as fruitful.
“The PCB has not asked for an NOC from government for it is the government’s prerogative to decide on the issue.
“Similarly, BCCI is also seeking its government’s views on these matters.”
In India, a senior BCCI official told reporters that the series is likely to begin from the middle of the month. “India-Pakistan series will happen tentatively from December 15 in Sri Lanka which will mark the resumption of cricketing ties between the two sides,” Rajiv Shukla told media.
India finish their series with South Africa on December 7 and are due to play a series of ODIs in Australia from January 12. That leaves a short window into which the matches must be squeezed and is the likeliest reason there will not be a Test between the two sides – they have not played each other over five days in nine years now.
The developments are no cast-iron guarantee that the series will take place, of course. The relationship between the boards and, indeed the governments, still contains too many variables for it to be as straightforward as that.
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What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
RESULT
Arsenal 0 Chelsea 3
Chelsea: Willian (40'), Batshuayi (42', 49')
BeIN Sports currently has the rights to show
- Champions League
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BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE
Director: Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah
Starring: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Joe Pantoliano
Rating: 3.5/5
Kill
Director: Nikhil Nagesh Bhat
Starring: Lakshya, Tanya Maniktala, Ashish Vidyarthi, Harsh Chhaya, Raghav Juyal
Rating: 4.5/5
TWISTERS
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glenn Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
Rating: 2.5/5
MADAME WEB
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Starring: Dakota Johnson, Tahar Rahim, Sydney Sweeney
Rating: 3.5/5
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
