England’s new assistant coach Paul Farbrace will have “mixed feelings” about taking on former employers Sri Lanka next month but felt the chance to work with his own national side was too good to turn down.
Farbrace met up with returning head coach Peter Moores and a handful of players at the National Performance Centre in Loughborough on Thursday, just 24 hours after his release from Sri Lanka Cricket was completed.
The former Kent wicketkeeper had only been in his previous post since December, during which time he had led the Sri Lankans to success in the Asia Cup and World Twenty20.
His departure after such a brief but successful tenure, and on the eve of the Sri Lankans’ tour of Ireland and England, has caused some consternation in Colombo.
Farbrace, who also worked as Sri Lanka’s assistant coach before returning to work with Yorkshire’s second XI, admits the switch has come at an awkward time for all concerned but could not resist the lure of the England and Wales Cricket Board.
“It doesn’t look great from the outside, someone leaving a job after four months, and I understand from a Sri Lankan point of view that there is disappointment because it was a successful time,” he told BBC Radio Five.
“I understand there will be that disappointment but as I went back to explain to them on Monday, the opportunity to work with my own team, my own country, and be working from home was an offer I couldn’t really refuse.
“The opportunity to work with your own national team is almost beyond your wildest dreams. It’s a fantastic opportunity and a great time to be involved.
“There was some disappointment but most people in the room understood the situation. I like to think we finish on reasonably good terms.
“It will be interesting for me and the players that the series in a couple of weeks is against Sri Lanka and there will be some mixed feelings because I built some good relationships - not just this time but the previous time - with the players.
“As a coach you do make good, strong relationships and they’re not easy things to put to one side when you’re playing against them.”
Having had the details of his appointment ironed out in time to get to work with Moores this week, Farbrace is now enthused about the challenge ahead.
“I still feel I’m developing as a coach and I’ve got a lot to learn from someone like Peter Moores in this situation,” he said.
“I would like to think Peter will be in the job for many years to come and in a really successful period for England cricket, for the players and for Peter, and it would be great to be a to play a very small part in that.”
Atapattu will coach Sri Lanka during England and South Africa series
Former batsman Marvan Atapattu will coach Sri Lanka on the upcoming tour of England, it was announced on Friday.
The 43-year-old will step into the shoes of Paul Farbrace, who vacated the position on Wednesday in order to take up a place on the staff of new England coach Peter Moores.
The Sri Lanka Cricket Board confirmed the news in a short statement, adding that Atapattu would be assisted by Ruwan Kalpage, the former spinner and current fielding coach, for both the England series and the subsequent one against South Africa.
It gives Atapattu a chance to make a real claim for the job on a permanent basis, having been overlooked after an interview when Farbrace was given the position in December.
Atapattu played 90 Test matches for his country with an average of 39, scoring 16 hundreds along the way. He also won 268 one-day caps, scoring over 14,000 runs combined.
Sri Lanka head to Europe at the start of May for a two-match ODI series in Ireland, before a number of county commitments.
They will face first Farbrace in a Twenty20 clash on May 20, before five one-dayers and two Tests at Lord’s and Headingley.
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Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Almouneer
Started: 2017
Founders: Dr Noha Khater and Rania Kadry
Based: Egypt
Number of staff: 120
Investment: Bootstrapped, with support from Insead and Egyptian government, seed round of
$3.6 million led by Global Ventures
Company Profile
Company name: Namara
Started: June 2022
Founder: Mohammed Alnamara
Based: Dubai
Sector: Microfinance
Current number of staff: 16
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Family offices
Bridgerton season three - part one
Directors: Various
Starring: Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, Jonathan Bailey
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Haltia.ai
Started: 2023
Co-founders: Arto Bendiken and Talal Thabet
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: AI
Number of employees: 41
Funding: About $1.7 million
Investors: Self, family and friends
The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410
Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 420Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km
The Bio
Amal likes watching Japanese animation movies and Manga - her favourite is The Ancient Magus Bride
She is the eldest of 11 children, and has four brothers and six sisters.
Her dream is to meet with all of her friends online from around the world who supported her work throughout the years
Her favourite meal is pizza and stuffed vine leaves
She ams to improve her English and learn Japanese, which many animated programmes originate in
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Supy
Started: 2021
Founders: Dani El-Zein, Yazeed bin Busayyis, Ibrahim Bou Ncoula
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food and beverage, tech, hospitality software, Saas
Funding size: Bootstrapped for six months; pre-seed round of $1.5 million; seed round of $8 million
Investors: Beco Capital, Cotu Ventures, Valia Ventures and Global Ventures
The five pillars of Islam
World Food Day
Celebrated on October 16, to coincide with the founding date of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, World Food Day aims to tackle issues such as hunger, food security, food waste and the environmental impact of food production.
The five pillars of Islam
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi’s Arabic Language Centre will mark International Women’s Day at the Bologna Children's Book Fair with the Abu Dhabi Translation Conference. Prolific Emirati author Noora Al Shammari, who has written eight books that feature in the Ministry of Education's curriculum, will appear in a session on Wednesday to discuss the challenges women face in getting their works translated.
The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
Results
2.15pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m
Winner: Hello, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihi (trainer).
2.45pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m
Winner: Right Flank, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh115,000 1,000m
Winner: Leading Spirit, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
3.45pm: Jebel Ali Mile Group 3 Dh575,000 1,600m
Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,400m
Winner: Ode To Autumn, Patrick Cosgrave, Satish Seemar.
4.45pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh125,000 1,200m
Winner: Last Surprise, James Doyle, Simon Crisford.
5.15pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,200m
Winner: Daltrey, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihi.
'Shakuntala Devi'
Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Director: Anu Menon
Rating: Three out of five stars
UAE FIXTURES
Wednesday 19 April – UAE v Kuwait
Friday 21 April – UAE v Hong Kong
Sunday 23 April – UAE v Singapore
Wednesday 26 April – UAE v Bahrain
Saturday 29 April – Semi-finals
Sunday 30 April – Third position match
Monday 1 May – Final
Day 3 stumps
New Zealand 153 & 249
Pakistan 227 & 37-0 (target 176)
Pakistan require another 139 runs with 10 wickets remaining
ROUTE TO TITLE
Round 1: Beat Leolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2
Round 2: Beat Naomi Osaka 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
Round 3: Beat Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-2
Round 4: Beat Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-0
Quarter-final: Beat Marketa Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2
Semi-final: Beat Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4
Final: Beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine 2.4L four-cylinder
Gearbox Nine-speed automatic
Power 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.4L/100km
RESULTS
Manchester United 2
Anthony Martial 30'
Scott McTominay 90+6'
Manchester City 0
Tips for holiday homeowners
There are several factors for landlords to consider when preparing to establish a holiday home:
- Revenue potential of the unit: location, view and size
- Design: furnished or unfurnished. Is the design up to standard, while being catchy at the same time?
- Business model: will it be managed by a professional operator or directly by the owner, how often does the owner wants to use it for personal reasons?
- Quality of the operator: guest reviews, customer experience management, application of technology, average utilisation, scope of services rendered
Source: Adam Nowak, managing director of Ultimate Stay Vacation Homes Rental
