ISLAMABAD // Pakistan’s most successful Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq says it will be hard to find players willing to captain the national team if they continue to face strong criticism at home.
“I retired one year ago, but at that time the whole nation said ‘no I should keep on touring,’” Misbah told reporters on Wednesday.
“Now the whole nation is saying that I should be ashamed of myself and go. If you do such things, tomorrow nobody will be ready to become captain.”
Most recently, Pakistan lost a Test series 3-0 against Australia and also lost the one-day international series 4-1 with Azhar Ali and Mohammad Hafeez leading the side.
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■ Read more: Lahore – not UAE – will host PSL final
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Before the tour of Australia, New Zealand defeated Pakistan 2-0 in a Test series in which Misbah led in the first Test before flying back home due to a death in the family.
After the defeats, former Test players including legendary Wasim Akram, Ramiz Raja, Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Yousuf voted for T20 captain Sarfraz Ahmed to also be put in charge of Pakistan’s ODI and Test teams.
Misbah said it was unfortunate that his countrymen forgot quickly how well the team did over the last six years since he was made captain.
“It’s not necessary that you win every series. It’s not necessary you perform in every series,” Misbah said.
“Our views change if you don’t perform in four matches, despite the fact that you have been performing well for the last six years.
Under Misbah’s captaincy last year, Pakistan briefly rose to No 1 in the Test rankings, but poor performances in Australia and New Zealand brought them down to No 6 in the world.
“We need consistency in the thinking of our nation and only then there will be consistency in our team,” Misbah said.
“If your thinking is not consistent and it changes after one match, then the team’s performance will also be like this.”
Pakistan has not hosted any major international team since a 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team bus at Lahore. Only Zimbabwe has toured Pakistan in 2015 but that was a short tour comprising three one-day internationals.
Misbah said Pakistan needed to make its domestic cricket more competitive and improve the pitches in first-class matches. He also pointed out that the lack of international tours to countries like Australia was the main reason for Pakistan players’ poor performances.
“If you want to do well in England, Australia and South Africa we have to give our players maximum exposure of playing there,” Misbah said.
The Pakistan Cricket Board on Wednesday said it will call a two-day meeting of former Test cricketers next month to discuss how to improve the national team’s performance. The PCB said in a statement that invitations for the March 6-7 meeting will also be extended to former captains Imran Khan, Zaheer Abbas and Javed Miandad, along with Akram and Akhtar.
* Associated Press
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German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
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Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
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The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
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Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
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Brief scores:
Day 2
England: 277 & 19-0
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Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
What you as a drone operator need to know
A permit and licence is required to fly a drone legally in Dubai.
Sanad Academy is the United Arab Emirate’s first RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) training and certification specialists endorsed by the Dubai Civil Aviation authority.
It is responsible to train, test and certify drone operators and drones in UAE with DCAA Endorsement.
“We are teaching people how to fly in accordance with the laws of the UAE,” said Ahmad Al Hamadi, a trainer at Sanad.
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“You cannot fly a drone without registration under any circumstances.”
Larger drones are harder to fly, and have a different response to location control. There are no brakes in the air, so the larger drones have more power.
The Sanad Academy has a designated area to fly off the Al Ain Road near Skydive Dubai to show pilots how to fly responsibly.
“As UAS technology becomes mainstream, it is important to build wider awareness on how to integrate it into commerce and our personal lives,” said Major General Abdulla Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief, Dubai Police.
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“Dubai’s airspace will undoubtedly experience increased traffic as UAS innovations become commonplace, the Forum allows commercial users to learn of best practice applications to implement UAS safely and legally, while benefitting a whole range of industries.”
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Company name: Nestrom
Started: 2017
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Sector: Technology
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