Life has been a challenge for the UAE all-rounder Rohan Mustafa.
He was 10 when his family moved from Kohat, Pakistan, to Sharjah, where his father, Mustafa Kamal, had a car-sales business.
But tragedy struck when he was 15. His father passed away suddenly and life became a struggle for the youngster.
"It took me a while to come to terms after that loss," said Mustafa, 25. "My childhood dream was to play for Pakistan and my father had provided everything that I needed to pursue my cricket."
Mustafa remembers getting up at 2am to watch Pakistan play in a televised series in New Zealand.
"I was only eight at that time," he said. "That's the type of craze I had for this game. I craved to play from that time, but my parents thought I was too young and not safe in Pakistan."
Mustafa got that opportunity when his father decided to relocate the family to the UAE. He was enrolled in the Sharjah Cricket Academy and came under the tutelage of Irfan Ansari, the head coach.
"He taught me to A to Z in batting, bowling, and fielding," he said. "I was a quick learner, because I already had a good knowledge of the game by watching it on TV."
Mustafa played for the Sharjah academy and Pakistan Islamia School, and was selected for the UAE in the Asian Cricket Council Under 19 Elite Cup in Malaysia in August 2007.
He won two man-of-the-match awards, for his 66 against Malaysia and five for 20 against Thailand.
However, Mustafa soon had to put his cricket career on hold.
"When I returned from the Under 19 tour, I found my family condition wasn't good," he said. "I was left with no choice but leave cricket and find a job."
Fortunately for him, Adil Mirza, the chief executive and founder of Phoenix Medicine, provided him with employment and enrolled him in the company cricket team.
"He has been like an older brother to me until today," Mustafa said.
"He has helped me all through and still does. He didn't even stop me when I received an offer to play and work for a new company, Danube."
Mustafa, who bats left-handed and bowls right-arm slow, led the Danube Lions to their first trophy, the Al Hamad Division 1 tournament in Abu Dhabi, last weekend.
"The level of cricket has seen a marked improvement from last year with several team principals employing cricketers who have played first-class cricket in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka," he said.
"This season, there were also players from South Africa, the West Indies, Ireland, and the Afghanistan national team in various tournaments. To raise the level of the domestic competitions is to improve the UAE cricket."
Mustafa was picked for the senior national team for the first time on their tour of South Africa for the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 in November 2007, but did not play in any games.
He is hoping to earn a spot on the UAE's tour to Canada for the ICC Intercontinental Cup in August, then be part of the team when they host the 2014 World Twenty20 Cup qualifier in October.
"To play good cricket you need to work hard," he said. "It is not easy to have a day job and play cricket in the UAE. Yet, with some sacrifice, one can achieve the objectives.
"For me, to be selected in the UAE U19 team and perform provided me the platform."
apassela@thenational.ae
Follow us
@SprtNationalUAE
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
