The Indian Premier League has first dibs on most of the world’s leading cricketers, but there are plenty who will be conspicuous by their absence over the next few weeks.
Paul Radley’s other ‘top 10s’:
Ravi Ashwin, Samuel Badree and the 10 bowlers expected to shine at 2016 Indian Premier League
Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle and 10 batsmen set to light up the 2016 Indian Premier League
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1 Joe Root (England)
That reverse-ramp against South Africa in the World Twenty20 should be worth half a million dollars on its own. England players, of course, have long been treated with caution by IPL franchises, due to the clash with the Test series at start of the English summer — which this season involves Sri Lanka.
2 Mohammed Amir (Pakistan)
Not just on the basis of that opening over against India in the Asia Cup, although it does seem like a decent place to start. Amir’s skills would light up the IPL. Being from Pakistan, though, his passport already precludes him playing. And, anyway, the extra baggage Amir brings given his five-year ban for spot-fixing would be unwelcome at a tournament struggling to shed the blight of corruption itself.
3 Mohammed Shahzad (Afghanistan)
Pyrotechnic. Joy-giving. Likes a dance after winning a match. Does not especially rate training. The Afghanistan wicketkeeper batsman and the IPL seem like a perfect match. We reckon Chris Gayle would happily have Shahzad alongside him at RCB. They could form their own Champion dance troupe.
4 Martin Guptill (New Zealand)
Many expected the free-scoring New Zealand opener to be among the costliest recruits at auction, yet he went unsold entirely. Ranked third in the list for international Twenty20 batsmen, with a hundred in T20 and a double in one-day international cricket to his name, Guptill’s snub seems baffling.
5 Kevin O’Brien (Ireland)
He could not have done much more to prove his worth than scoring a 50-ball, World Cup record-fastest century against England in India in 2011. He still has yet to play in the IPL, though, and went unsold at auction again this season. He has played Caribbean Premier League and Bangladesh Premier League cricket, as well as for a number of teams in the English county game.
6 Paras Khadka (Nepal)
A bit like signing Junichi Inamoto to play Premier League football, Khadka would bring his franchise a raft of new supporters from across the border in cricket-crazy Nepal, and shift a fair few shirts. But there would be substance to go with it, too. “He could play in a top team,” Pubudu Dassanayke, the former Nepal’s coach, said of Khadka when they were preparing for the World T20 debut two years ago. “As it is, he was born in Nepal and Nepal is lucky to have him to carry cricket in the country.”
7 Ish Sodhi (New Zealand)
Reliably accurate in unfavourable conditions, and the New Zealand slow bowler proved in the World T20 he can be a proper menace when the pitch assists spin. Leg spin is a valuable commodity in the T20 game. Having played just five T20 internationals before going to India, Sodhi was New Zealand’s go-to bowler when they got there, taking 10 wickets.
8 Sharjeel Khan (Pakistan)
Probably the only Pakistan player to emerge from their shambles of a World T20 in India with his reputation actually enhanced. The powerful left-handed opener had also been one of the stars of the first Pakistan Super League earlier this year. Not that too many at the IPL will have taken notice of that.
9 Mohammed Naveed (UAE)
Like Amir and Sharjeel, the fact Naveed has a Pakistani passport basically precludes him from playing at the IPL. But the leader of the UAE pace attack showed at the Asia Cup last month he could be a force to be reckoned with at the top level. “I think he has got everything,” Aaqib Javed, the UAE coach and former Pakistan bowler, said of Naveed during the Asia Cup.
10 Darren Sammy (West Indies)
A fully paid-up member of T20’s Good Luck Gang, who travel the world playing in the lucrative franchise leagues, although he did go unsold at the IPL auction this season. Despite barely making a contribution of note with the bat or ball, Sammy caught the eye at the World T20 for his leadership, as he oversaw West Indies’ march to the final.
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
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Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
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