• Queues at Manchester Airport on Thursday morning. Bosses at Heathrow and Manchester airports are braced for a nightmare weekend as staff shortages look likely to hamper what is expected to be the travel industry’s busiest day of the year to date. Photo: Richard James
    Queues at Manchester Airport on Thursday morning. Bosses at Heathrow and Manchester airports are braced for a nightmare weekend as staff shortages look likely to hamper what is expected to be the travel industry’s busiest day of the year to date. Photo: Richard James
  • A busy Manchester Airport on Tuesday morning. Photo: Megan Thwaites / Twitter
    A busy Manchester Airport on Tuesday morning. Photo: Megan Thwaites / Twitter
  • Long queues of passengers snaked around Heathrow Airport in London. Photo: Jessica Oliver / Twitter
    Long queues of passengers snaked around Heathrow Airport in London. Photo: Jessica Oliver / Twitter
  • Manchester Airport, as seen on Monday morning, is hit by setbacks as the busy holiday season kicks off. Photo: Gareth Melling's Twitter
    Manchester Airport, as seen on Monday morning, is hit by setbacks as the busy holiday season kicks off. Photo: Gareth Melling's Twitter
  • People queuing to go through security at Heathrow Terminal 2. PA
    People queuing to go through security at Heathrow Terminal 2. PA
  • People queue to check-in at Heathrow Terminal 5. PA
    People queue to check-in at Heathrow Terminal 5. PA
  • One passenger at the airport said it took two hours to clear check-in at Manchester Airport. Photo: Luke Maher's Twitter
    One passenger at the airport said it took two hours to clear check-in at Manchester Airport. Photo: Luke Maher's Twitter
  • Queues at Manchester Airport's Terminal 2. Photo: @LancsHT/Twitter
    Queues at Manchester Airport's Terminal 2. Photo: @LancsHT/Twitter
  • Passengers queue for security screening in the departures area of Terminal 2 at Manchester Airport. Reuters
    Passengers queue for security screening in the departures area of Terminal 2 at Manchester Airport. Reuters
  • Heathrow Airport's Terminal 2 is crammed with people Photo: Twitter
    Heathrow Airport's Terminal 2 is crammed with people Photo: Twitter
  • One passenger said it took three and a half hours to check in a single suitcase. Photo: Martin Duggan's Twitter
    One passenger said it took three and a half hours to check in a single suitcase. Photo: Martin Duggan's Twitter
  • Passengers wait at border control of Heathrow Terminal 2. Photo: Martin Duggan's Twitter
    Passengers wait at border control of Heathrow Terminal 2. Photo: Martin Duggan's Twitter
  • A packed Heathrow Terminal 2 check-in hall. Photo: Twitter
    A packed Heathrow Terminal 2 check-in hall. Photo: Twitter
  • Passengers shared photos showing corridors packed with people. Photo: Twitter
    Passengers shared photos showing corridors packed with people. Photo: Twitter
  • Arrivals queue at Heathrow Airport. Photo: Sven Kili's Twitter
    Arrivals queue at Heathrow Airport. Photo: Sven Kili's Twitter

British Airways and easyJet cancel 100 flights as UK airports brace for nightmare weekend


Laura O'Callaghan
  • English
  • Arabic

More than 100 British Airways and easyJet flights scheduled for Friday have been cancelled, affecting about 15,000 passengers, before what is expected to be a nightmare weekend for UK airports.

After days of long queues for check-in and security, passengers at Manchester Airport on Friday morning reported a vast improvement in the situation, with some saying they had cleared the lines in as little as 20 minutes.

After talks with Greater Manchester Police, Manchester mayor Andy Burnham announced measures on Wednesday to ease disruption, including drafting in extra officers.

He said the situation was “unacceptable” but conceded the problem would not disappear overnight.

Friday's axed journeys were due to a number of factors including staff shortages and BA’s decision to scale back its schedule until the end of May. Both airlines have cancelled hundreds of flights since last week due to staff sickness linked to Covid-19.

Passengers at Heathrow on Friday morning reported longer-than-usual waiting times.

Hilary Smith said she had been standing in line for over an hour waiting to have her passport checked after her flight landed at Heathrow

"What a welcome home carnage," she tweeted. "An hour in already and all this to get through."

She shared a photo showing lines of travellers snaking towards customs desks and added the hashtag #thequeueishuge.

After his flight touched down at Terminal 2, Gerry D'Angelo tweeted to say he had been waiting to have his passport checked for 40 minutes and still had a long line of people ahead of him.

"If only they had some way of knowing what time the planes were going to land," he quipped.

The chaotic scenes at Heathrow and Manchester airports in recent days prompted the Civil Aviation Authority to write a stern letter to airlines warning them that the “distressing” flight cancellations could have a ripple effect across the industry which is recovering from the battering it took during the pandemic.

The CAA urged airlines to set “deliverable” schedules after thousands of UK flights were cancelled due to staff shortages.

Chief executive Richard Moriarty said late cancellations and excessive delays were “not just distressing for affected consumers but have the potential to impact confidence levels across the industry”.

He acknowledged that many are in the process of recruiting large numbers of staff but “it is clear that this has not always happened sufficiently quickly to cope with the increased passenger travel in recent days”.

“Given the consequences for passengers of cancelled and disrupted journeys, I encourage you to do all you can to ensure that you have the necessary level of appropriately trained and cleared staff resources in place,” he wrote in the letter.

It is “very important” that airlines are setting schedules “on a basis that is deliverable given available staff (including contractors), and has resilience for staff sickness, including from Covid”.

As well as being hit by higher-than-usual levels of staff sickness, British Airways and easyJet, like many other airlines, are struggling to recruit to cope with a surge in demand for travel.

In a separate letter to airports, Mr Moriarty urged bosses to “work closely with airlines” to ensure “disruption is kept to a minimum”.

He sought “reassurance” that passengers with reduced mobility “continue to receive the assistance that they require”.

Long queues have formed at Heathrow, Manchester and Birmingham airports since the schools closed for Easter holidays last week.

Queues at Manchester Airport on Tuesday. Photo: John Taylor / Twitter
Queues at Manchester Airport on Tuesday. Photo: John Taylor / Twitter

Bosses at Heathrow and Manchester airports are braced for a nightmare weekend as staff shortages look likely to hamper what is expected to be the travel industry’s busiest day of the year so far.

The first batch of week-long holidaymakers are expected to return from their Easter break on Saturday while the second wave sets off.

Airports and seaports are preparing for numbers not seen since before the Covid-19 pandemic, as millions take advantage of the school holidays to head abroad without the hassle of travel restrictions.

Passengers at Heathrow on Thursday morning told The National that queues were longer than they had seen before, while Manchester Airport continued to experience chaos. Greater Manchester Police confirmed officers would be sent to the airport to help staff retain order.

One man, Nate, told The National he was in a queue to pass through security at Heathrow for 45 minutes before his Delta flight to New York on Thursday morning.

“The line at security was longer than I have seen it before. It took probably 45 minutes to get through when it has normally taken 10-15 in the past,” he said. “It was just surprising to see so many people at the airport and the security queue so long.”

He said the extended queueing times seemed to have been caused by a higher-than-usual number of travellers, as opposed to a lack of staff manning security stations.

After a long lull in air travel because of Covid restrictions, many passengers appeared to be unfamiliar with the rules for carry-on items, Nate said.

“A lot of people were held up because they hadn’t emptied water bottles or put liquids in bags,” he said, suggesting it may be their “first holiday after travel restrictions” were eased.

Another traveller, who gave her name as Laura, said the queues at Heathrow’s Terminal 3 on Thursday were “shocking”.

“I didn’t have a bag to drop and was checked in already. [It] took over half an hour just to get through that queue to scan your boarding pass and get into security,” she told The National as she prepared to board a BA flight to Zagreb.

“Admittedly, it’s loads of families going through so not the usual Heathrow ‘crowd’."

She said a security guard advised her to use a lift to reach the departure lounge because “the queue from downstairs was even longer”.

“Effectively, I cut in halfway coming by lift,” she said. “Then another 20-odd minutes to pass through security and again a lot of delays there due to last-minute shuffling, water bottles being full, laptops being fished out.”

Given her first-hand experience of the extended waiting times that have blighted the west London airport for days, the passenger said Heathrow appeared to be unprepared for the surge in demand for holiday travel.

“If I’m honest, [it] just feels like Heathrow isn’t used to dealing with predominantly inexperienced and heavily leisure/ family travellers. I’ve seen it much, much busier and it wasn’t this kind of chaotic.”

Asked about the waiting time she was forced to tolerate, she said: “It’s shocking. I’ve flown from Heathrow frequently for 30 years. It’s akin [to] Stansted in the middle of the school holiday season … as the majority of passengers are those, not your usual frequent traveller kind. Plenty of time and patience needed.”

  • Queues at Manchester Airport on Thursday morning. Bosses at Heathrow and Manchester airports are braced for a nightmare weekend as staff shortages look likely to hamper what is expected to be the travel industry’s busiest day of the year to date. Photo: Richard James
    Queues at Manchester Airport on Thursday morning. Bosses at Heathrow and Manchester airports are braced for a nightmare weekend as staff shortages look likely to hamper what is expected to be the travel industry’s busiest day of the year to date. Photo: Richard James
  • A busy Manchester Airport on Tuesday morning. Photo: Megan Thwaites / Twitter
    A busy Manchester Airport on Tuesday morning. Photo: Megan Thwaites / Twitter
  • Long queues of passengers snaked around Heathrow Airport in London. Photo: Jessica Oliver / Twitter
    Long queues of passengers snaked around Heathrow Airport in London. Photo: Jessica Oliver / Twitter
  • Manchester Airport, as seen on Monday morning, is hit by setbacks as the busy holiday season kicks off. Photo: Gareth Melling's Twitter
    Manchester Airport, as seen on Monday morning, is hit by setbacks as the busy holiday season kicks off. Photo: Gareth Melling's Twitter
  • People queuing to go through security at Heathrow Terminal 2. PA
    People queuing to go through security at Heathrow Terminal 2. PA
  • People queue to check-in at Heathrow Terminal 5. PA
    People queue to check-in at Heathrow Terminal 5. PA
  • One passenger at the airport said it took two hours to clear check-in at Manchester Airport. Photo: Luke Maher's Twitter
    One passenger at the airport said it took two hours to clear check-in at Manchester Airport. Photo: Luke Maher's Twitter
  • Queues at Manchester Airport's Terminal 2. Photo: @LancsHT/Twitter
    Queues at Manchester Airport's Terminal 2. Photo: @LancsHT/Twitter
  • Passengers queue for security screening in the departures area of Terminal 2 at Manchester Airport. Reuters
    Passengers queue for security screening in the departures area of Terminal 2 at Manchester Airport. Reuters
  • Heathrow Airport's Terminal 2 is crammed with people Photo: Twitter
    Heathrow Airport's Terminal 2 is crammed with people Photo: Twitter
  • One passenger said it took three and a half hours to check in a single suitcase. Photo: Martin Duggan's Twitter
    One passenger said it took three and a half hours to check in a single suitcase. Photo: Martin Duggan's Twitter
  • Passengers wait at border control of Heathrow Terminal 2. Photo: Martin Duggan's Twitter
    Passengers wait at border control of Heathrow Terminal 2. Photo: Martin Duggan's Twitter
  • A packed Heathrow Terminal 2 check-in hall. Photo: Twitter
    A packed Heathrow Terminal 2 check-in hall. Photo: Twitter
  • Passengers shared photos showing corridors packed with people. Photo: Twitter
    Passengers shared photos showing corridors packed with people. Photo: Twitter
  • Arrivals queue at Heathrow Airport. Photo: Sven Kili's Twitter
    Arrivals queue at Heathrow Airport. Photo: Sven Kili's Twitter

After days of chaotic scenes at Manchester Airport, passengers were still forced to queue outside terminals to enter buildings on Thursday morning. There appeared to be an improvement on Friday, with many travellers tweeting they had passed through check-in and security in a timely manner.

The airport, along with much of the aviation industry, has struggled to recruit staff made redundant after the pandemic shut down airports and travel.

Manchester Airport apologised this weekend to passengers after they admitted they had “fallen short of the standards they expected” and on Tuesday its managing director Karen Smart stepped down.

On Wednesday, Mr Burnham said he was concerned by the scenes at the airport and that many travellers had faced "an unacceptable experience and it is important that every possible step is taken to prevent a repeat.."

“All airports have struggled to one extent or another with lengthy queues caused by staffing issues arising from the pandemic," he said. “But it is clear that Manchester has faced particular challenges.

“Some of the issues being experienced by Manchester Airport are beyond their control. However, that is not to say that other things could not have been done differently.

“Firstly, while the airport has been making strenuous efforts to recruit, more should have been done earlier.

“Secondly, communications to passengers ahead of and upon arrival should have been better, as should the management of the queues.

“However, it is important to acknowledge that some of the pressure arises from the decision Manchester Airport has taken to protect people’s holidays and trips and avoid cancellations as other airports have done.”

He said the airport expected disruption to continue for the next two months but among new measures brought in to tackle the problem are:

· Airport management are increasing the use of overtime and utilising temporary staff.

· Additional staff will help organise the large numbers of people passing through the airport and better information will be provided to those queueing.

· More real-time information on security queues will be published on the airport website and some airlines are starting to offer passengers the option to check in bags the night before if they are taking an early flight.

Mr Burnham said there will also be an increased police presence at the airport.

He said the airport had recruited 220 staff who were currently awaiting clearance while security checks were completed, but that the exercise was taking longer than usual.

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The Porpoise

By Mark Haddon 

(Penguin Random House)
 

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9.50pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,600m

9.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m

UK’s AI plan
  • AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
  • £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
  • £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
  • £250m to train new AI models
How much of your income do you need to save?

The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.

In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)

Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.

 

Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
%3Cp%3ECory%20Sandhagen%20v%20Umar%20Nurmagomedov%0D%3Cbr%3ENick%20Diaz%20v%20Vicente%20Luque%0D%3Cbr%3EMichael%20Chiesa%20v%20Tony%20Ferguson%0D%3Cbr%3EDeiveson%20Figueiredo%20v%20Marlon%20Vera%0D%3Cbr%3EMackenzie%20Dern%20v%20Loopy%20Godinez%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETickets%20for%20the%20August%203%20Fight%20Night%2C%20held%20in%20partnership%20with%20the%20Department%20of%20Culture%20and%20Tourism%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20went%20on%20sale%20earlier%20this%20month%2C%20through%20www.etihadarena.ae%20and%20www.ticketmaster.ae.%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Citizenship-by-investment programmes

United Kingdom

The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).

All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.

The Caribbean

Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport. 

Portugal

The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.

“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.

Greece

The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.

Spain

The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.

Cyprus

Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.

Malta

The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.

The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.

Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.

Egypt 

A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.

Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties

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Test

Director: S Sashikanth

Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan

Star rating: 2/5

Company%20profile
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A new relationship with the old country

Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates

The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:

ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.

ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.

ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.

ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.

DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.

Signed

Geoffrey Arthur  Sheikh Zayed

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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

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The biog

Age: 59

From: Giza Governorate, Egypt

Family: A daughter, two sons and wife

Favourite tree: Ghaf

Runner up favourite tree: Frankincense 

Favourite place on Sir Bani Yas Island: “I love all of Sir Bani Yas. Every spot of Sir Bani Yas, I love it.”

It Was Just an Accident

Director: Jafar Panahi

Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr

Rating: 4/5

Set-jetting on the Emerald Isle

Other shows filmed in Ireland include: Vikings (County Wicklow), The Fall (Belfast), Line of Duty (Belfast), Penny Dreadful (Dublin), Ripper Street (Dublin), Krypton (Belfast)

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

Indoor cricket in a nutshell

Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai

16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side

8 There are eight players per team

There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.

5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls

Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership

Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.

Zones

A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs

B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run

Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs

Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full

Updated: April 08, 2022, 9:40 AM