Australia batsman Steven Smith has said English county side Surrey once tried to push him into the country’s national set-up by virtue of his mother’s British heritage.
Though born in Sydney, Smith played club cricket in Kent, his mother’s home county, and also for the county side’s second XI before being offered his first professional contract as a teenager with Surrey.
Throwing his lot in with England would have been a formality due to his bloodline, but the 26-year-old said he had no regrets about opting for Australia where he is now the world’s top-ranked batsman in Tests.
“I played a little bit of club cricket at Sevenoaks Vine (in Kent). It was really enjoyable and I think it helped my game in the long run as well,” Smith said.
“I ended up playing a little bit of cricket at Surrey and I think they may have been trying to get me along (to the England camp) but I think I made a wise decision to play back home.”
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Smith made the comments after scoring 111 against Kent in an Ashes tour warm-up in Canterbury on Friday, an ominous warning for England’s bowlers ahead of the first Ashes Test in Cardiff on July 8.
The Australian has scored five centuries from his past six Tests in a Bradman-esque run of form.
Smith struck his first Test century in the fifth and final Test of Australia’s 2013 tour of England and has not looked back since.
Despite that, former England spinner Graeme Swann raised eyebrows a week ago by criticising the player’s technique and saying his “weaknesses” would emerge on English pitches.
Smith laughed off the criticism, which sparked a minor uproar in Australia.
“That doesn’t really bother me. It’s obviously pre-Ashes,” he said. “A little bit of banter and that kind of thing getting thrown around so I’m happy for him to say whatever he likes.
“Hopefully I can just continue to let my bat to do the talking.
“I think you can get that pre-Ashes, getting into guys’ heads. It’s certainly happened before and I’m sure it’ll happen again.
“For me, it’s just about me going over there and playing the game that I’ve been playing for the last 12-18 months and hopefully continue to score some runs.”
Australia are bidding to retain the Ashes after whitewashing England 5-0 at home in 2013/14.
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
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Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
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How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
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3. Hajj
4. Shahada
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
