COLOMBO // Cricket's governing body says critics of the 50-over format have been proved wrong by the ongoing World Cup that is shaping as the "greatest and most dramatic ever."
Sharad Pawar, the president of the International Cricket Council, says television audience figures for the tournament have set records. Combined with crowd figures, one-day international cricket "demonstrates the enduring appeal of the 50-over game."
Pawar said: "I have no doubt that it will continue to grow from strength to strength in the future."
Critics have been predicting the demise of the 50-over game since the advent of Twenty20 but, Pawar added: "They have been proven wrong."
Pakistan captain says team is blessed with talent
Pakistan takes momentum and confidence into Wednesday's first World Cup quarter-final against a West Indies team lacking in both.
"Despite all the problems, Pakistan is blessed with talent," the captain Shahid Afridi said of the off-field controversies going into the tournament.
"It's because of this talent that we are a dangerous team and can win against anyone. We now hope to carry on the momentum."
It is a different story for the West Indies who lost their last two Group B matches — including their capitulation against England — before stumbling into the knockout stages.
"The good thing is that it's not the knockout stage," Darren Sammy, the captain, said of his team's group stage failures. "If that happens [from now] then we will be going home.
"It is a worrying thing for us but I still back the calibre of players we have. Once we put our heads down and play each ball on its merit we could come up with better shots. That's something we must correct and correct very quickly."
Worry over fitness of Murali ahead of England quarter-final
Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lanka captain, has said Muttiah Muralitharan's recover from a hamstring injury will be vital against England in Sunday's quarter-final.
Muralitharan had to leave the field twice at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium last Friday before capturing four for 25 in Sri Lanka's 153-run win against New Zealand.
"Murali did a pretty OK job bowling off one leg and getting us all those wickets. He bowled beautifully," Sangakkara said.
"Murali's done it before with an injury in Australia and he nearly won us a game there. Here it was something special, it shows how hungry he is to play and do well."
Du Plessis: South Africa fears nobody
Faf du Plessis says South Africa should have too much depth in every department for their quarter-final opponents New Zealand to counter, providing his team can maintain form.
The Proteas emerged as Group B winners to set up Friday's knockout match with New Zealand.
Du Plessis acknowledged that New Zealand could be dangerous but said that he isn't "too worried about what they've got." The all-rounder added: "If we play to our full ability, we're confident we'll win the quarter-final."
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
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Read more about the coronavirus
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
FIXTURES (all times UAE)
Sunday
Brescia v Lazio (3.30pm)
SPAL v Verona (6pm)
Genoa v Sassuolo (9pm)
AS Roma v Torino (11.45pm)
Monday
Bologna v Fiorentina (3.30pm)
AC Milan v Sampdoria (6pm)
Juventus v Cagliari (6pm)
Atalanta v Parma (6pm)
Lecce v Udinese (9pm)
Napoli v Inter Milan (11.45pm)
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
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Defending champions
World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
