DUBAI // The International Cricket Council have reassured Dubai's cricket bosses that they feature prominently on their radar in terms of staging major tournaments in the future.
However, the game's governing body - who are based in the emirate - are sticking to their original plan to stage the postponed Champions Trophy in Pakistan, rather than relocating it here.
It was widely reportedly recently that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had agreed to stage all their "home" limited-overs fixtures in the Emirates over the next three years.
Dubai Sports City chiefs dampened that speculation earlier this week by stating they were not in a position to confirm the deal.
However, given the fraught security situation in Pakistan, as well as the PCB's strong bond with the Emirates, the UAE would seem the perfect alternative venue for next year's rearranged Champions Trophy.
Now the tournament has been abbreviated to 12 days, between Sept 24 and Oct 5, 2009, and will be played in one city - likely to be Lahore - rather than three.
David Morgan, the ICC president, said: "There is a great deal of interest on behalf of the Dubai authorities and we are very encouraged by the progress that is being made in the construction of the oval at Dubai Sports City.
"In due time, I'm sure this will be a very important place in terms of staging important cricket events - but there are none that we are currently considering."
The 2008 Champions Trophy, which is also known as a mini-World Cup, has been beset by problems ever since it was allocated to Pakistan in 2006.
It was originally due to be staged last month, but was postponed after several participating countries refused to travel due to safety fears. It is doubtful whether the security situation will improve enough in the next 11 months. Another protracted saga over whether it will go ahead in Pakistan seems almost certain after Lorgat admitted, "there are no final dates for the decision".
pradley@thenational.ae
The 12
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
The six points:
1. Ministers should be in the field, instead of always at conferences
2. Foreign diplomacy must be left to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation
3. Emiratisation is a top priority that will have a renewed push behind it
4. The UAE's economy must continue to thrive and grow
5. Complaints from the public must be addressed, not avoided
6. Have hope for the future, what is yet to come is bigger and better than before
What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women & the Food That Tells Their Stories
Laura Shapiro
Fourth Estate
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
