ABU DHABI // It was against Afghanistan, in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in early 2010, when the UAE coach handed the ball to spinner Shadeep Silva and asked him to open the bowling.
Medium pacers had done the job in the previous two games, against Kenya and Ireland, and had proved expensive.
The coach at the time, Colin Wells, then tried the unusual tactic of beginning with Silva's left-arm orthodox spin.
It worked. The Sri Lankan-born bowler returned with figures of 4-0-14-2 against the Afghans.
Kabir Khan, who took over as coach for Wells, went a step further and used him as a new-ball bowler in the 50-over-a-side format, first against Namibia and then when a need arose. Aaqib Javed, the current coach, has had success with him in that role in recent games.
Silva now has sights set on helping the UAE team qualify for a major tournament.
"Cricket has given me so much and now my only wish is to play in the 2014 T20 World Cup and the 2015 World Cup," he said.
"I feel the UAE have a good chance in qualifying for both, and I hope I will get the nod as well."
Silva is thriving in the UAE team. He was the architect of their win over Afghanistan when he returned with figures of 10-3-16-3 to bowl them out for 70 in the Asian Cricket Council Elite Cup in Sharjah last November.
He bowled four overs for 11 runs against Nepal and took three for 21 in four overs against Hong Kong in the ACC T20 Cup in Nepal earlier this month.
"More than taking wickets, I have been successful to stop the run flow when the batting power play is on," Silva said.
"It has worked out well for me so far. I also open the bowling for the club team.
"Not always, because I don't want to lose that element of surprise against the other teams in the domestic competitions."
Silva hopes to be part of the UAE squad that competes in the World T20 Qualifier, to be held in the Emirates in October.
Silva was one of eight cricketers recruited by the New Medical Centre and arrived in the UAE on September 2002.
Being the eldest in a family of four boys and two girls, the offer was attractive enough for him to give up his ambitions of pursuing a cricket career in Sri Lanka.
"Apart from the economic reasons, the opportunity to work abroad and to play some cricket for my employer lured me," he said.
Silva graduated from the age-group tournaments for Kalutara District before joining Bloomfield in 1997, where he played under Sanath Jayasuriya, Roshan Mahanama, Ruwan Kalpage and Kumar Dharmasena, all former Sri Lankan Test players.
"I got a few opportunities when the main players were on national duty, but they were far and few," he said.
"So I moved to Sebastianites, close to my home, when I was approached by one of my relatives for a job in the UAE."
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The End of Loneliness
Benedict Wells
Translated from the German by Charlotte Collins
Sceptre
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Copa del Rey
Semi-final, first leg
Barcelona 1 (Malcom 57')
Real Madrid (Vazquez 6')
Second leg, February 27
Step by step
2070km to run
38 days
273,600 calories consumed
28kg of fruit
40kg of vegetables
45 pairs of running shoes
1 yoga matt
1 oxygen chamber
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score)
Porto (0) v Liverpool (2), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Draw:
Group A: Egypt, DR Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Group B: Nigeria, Guinea, Madagascar, Burundi
Group C: Senegal, Algeria, Kenya, Tanzania
Group D: Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Namibia
Group E: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Angola
Group F: Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Guinea-Bissau
Secret Pigeon Service: Operation Colomba, Resistance and the Struggle to Liberate Europe
Gordon Corera, Harper Collins
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
Ammar 808:
Maghreb United
Sofyann Ben Youssef
Glitterbeat
Match info
Liverpool 3
Hoedt (10' og), Matip (21'), Salah (45 3')
Southampton 0
Who are the Soroptimists?
The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.
The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.
Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series
All matches at the Harare Sports Club:
1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10
2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
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Kanye%20West
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World Sevens Series standing after Dubai
1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Fiji
5. Australia
6. Samoa
7. Kenya
8. Scotland
9. France
10. Spain
11. Argentina
12. Canada
13. Wales
14. Uganda
15. United States
16. Russia
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”
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