Rahul Chopra was bowled for a duck in his first game as the UAE's new ODI captain. Photo: Oman Cricket
Rahul Chopra was bowled for a duck in his first game as the UAE's new ODI captain. Photo: Oman Cricket
Rahul Chopra was bowled for a duck in his first game as the UAE's new ODI captain. Photo: Oman Cricket
Rahul Chopra was bowled for a duck in his first game as the UAE's new ODI captain. Photo: Oman Cricket

‘The unity is there’: Misfiring UAE vow to bounce back from horror run in ODI cricket


Paul Radley
  • English
  • Arabic

In the immediate aftermath of the UAE’s six-wicket loss to Oman on Friday, there was a feeling of resignation rather than depression.

This was just the latest in a long line of defeats in one-day international cricket. Again, it had not even been close. They are used to this.

As the players milled around, picking up errant bits of kit, an administrator sought out the UAE’s team liaison and said the captain would be required for post-match formalities.

The player of the match presentation and captains’ interviews would take place 100 metres or so away, on the other side of the field.

It would be Rahul Chopra’s first one of these, having been instilled as the new captain ahead of this tour to Muscat. He might not know the drill, hence the need for a chaperone to the interview area.

Only he was already there, on his own, waiting for the broadcast team to get set up. He had made the walk under his own steam, without being asked, and without any fuss.

He completed his duties with purpose and as much positivity as he could muster. Yes, the UAE’s ODI cricket is in the doldrums. But he is grateful he has been asked to help solve the issues, and he is certainly up for the challenge.

“The coaches have shown faith and trust in me, and have backed me,” Chopra said. “I am very proud that they believe in me and I am putting in 100 per cent for the team. I have been a captain before so it is not something that is new to me.

“I know how to handle the responsibility, and at the end of the day it is just about bat against ball. It is the same game, so I didn’t feel any difference between playing as a player and as a captain.

“I am happy I have the responsibility. I believe I can do well and we just have to keep it simple and focus on cricket.”

The malaise has been brought about by the long-term failings of the batting line up. Chopra’s performance in his first game in charge was emblematic of the issue.

In his first game after stepping down as captain, Muhammad Waseem top scored for the UAE with 44 on a tricky pitch at Oman Cricket Academy. Photo: Oman Cricket
In his first game after stepping down as captain, Muhammad Waseem top scored for the UAE with 44 on a tricky pitch at Oman Cricket Academy. Photo: Oman Cricket

He made a duck – albeit undone by a fine delivery from leg-spinner Samay Shrivastav – as the UAE collapsed from 98 for three to 128 all out against Oman.

“It is a matter of one game, then everything can change,” Chopra said. “Our bowlers have been doing really well but the batting has not been going according to plan. We have been losing clusters of wickets consistently in recent games, which has been our downfall.

“We are aware of that, and we need to get our act together with the bat. If we can do that, we will be a different team.”

Chopra only debuted for the national team back in February. He had been counting down the days, knowing the exact date he became eligible via the three-year residency rule having relocated to Dubai from India during Covid, and he was eager to get started.

He feels the same restlessness now about helping the team improve, having been picked to lead the side in ODI cricket after Muhammad Waseem stepped down in order to focus on his own batting performance.

Chopra was not the obvious choice to take over from Waseem. Basil Hameed, with years’ worth of international experience, had been the previous vice-captain and led the side in the Emerging Nations Asia Cup.

But the Emirates Cricket Board alighted on Chopra instead. The task facing him is not an easy one. The UAE are the lowest-ranked side among those with ODI status. They have won just one match in the Cricket World Cup League 2 so far, and are bottom of the table.

Vriitya Aravind made 28 on his return to the UAE line up against Oman in Al Amerat. Photo: Oman Cricket
Vriitya Aravind made 28 on his return to the UAE line up against Oman in Al Amerat. Photo: Oman Cricket

Next up, in Muscat on Sunday, they face a Netherlands side who have designs on winning this competition. It will not be easy, but the UAE might at least take some solace from the conditions they were met with in the opening game on Friday.

Usually, the Oman Cricket Academy is a batters’ paradise. Yet the pitch for the first game was testing in the extreme, a crumbling dry wicket which took pronounced turn from the off.

The wicket block in Al Amerat has had plenty of traffic of late, with that Emerging Teams Asia Cup taking place. But that has never been an issue before at a ground that is characterised by high scoring.

It might be assumed, therefore, that the home team, Oman – who have issues of their own over player conflict during their recent tour of Canada – have requested pitches that turn. The thinking being that it might help mitigate the threat of the excellent Dutch pace attack.

If the turning conditions that prevailed in the opening game of the tri-series do persist, that might assist a UAE side who have a number of spin options in their squad.

The latest addition to that battery is Dhruv Parashar, who opened both the batting and the bowling in his ODI debut against Oman.

Dhruv Parashar opened the batting and the bowling on his ODI debut for the UAE. Photo: Oman Cricket
Dhruv Parashar opened the batting and the bowling on his ODI debut for the UAE. Photo: Oman Cricket

It was with the ball where the 19-year-old off-spinner caught the eye. He took the new ball and ended with figures of two for 16 from his first 10 overs as an ODI cricketer.

“I’m glad they are showing faith in me and backing me to do well and contribute as much as I can to the team,” Parashar said.

“It is a very good feeling and whenever I get my chance in the coming matches I am going to try to grab onto it and give my best.

“Hopefully then we can get one or two wins and completely flip the momentum. The table does not portray at all the potential this team has.

“It is just a matter of clicking. In Namibia [last month], the A-team won a five match series 3-2 including a lot of the same names that are here, and I think it is just a matter of time.

“In the next few games hopefully something is going to click and then there could be no stopping players like Waseem-bhai and Rahul-bhai.

“The unity is there, it is just a matter of time. As soon as we click, it will be a different ballgame.”

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions

THE SPECS

Touareg Highline

Engine: 3.0-litre, V6

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Power: 340hp

Torque: 450Nm

Price: Dh239,312

Retail gloom

Online grocer Ocado revealed retail sales fell 5.7 per cen in its first quarter as customers switched back to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.

It was a tough comparison from a year earlier, when the UK was in lockdown, but on a two-year basis its retail division, a joint venture with Marks&Spencer, rose 31.7 per cent over the quarter.

The group added that a 15 per cent drop in customer basket size offset an 11.6. per cent rise in the number of customer transactions.

Skoda Superb Specs

Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol

Power: 190hp

Torque: 320Nm

Price: From Dh147,000

Available: Now

At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020

Launched: 2008

Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools

Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)

Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13

 

Impact in numbers

335 million people positively impacted by projects

430,000 jobs created

10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water

50 million homes powered by renewable energy

6.5 billion litres of water saved

26 million school children given solar lighting

Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

Need to know

Unlike other mobile wallets and payment apps, a unique feature of eWallet is that there is no need to have a bank account, credit or debit card to do digital payments.

Customers only need a valid Emirates ID and a working UAE mobile number to register for eWallet account.

Silent Hill f

Publisher: Konami

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Rating: 4.5/5

SERIES SCHEDULE

First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

INFO
Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

While you're here
Asia Cup Qualifier

Venue: Kuala Lumpur

Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September

Fixtures:

Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore

Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman

Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal

Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore

Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong

Thu Sep 6: Final

 

Asia Cup

Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Schedule: Sep 15-28

Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier

'Operation Mincemeat' 

Director: John Madden 

 

Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton

 

Rating: 4/5

 
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut

Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”

The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ

Price, base: Dh1,731,672

Engine: 6.5-litre V12

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm

Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm

Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EQureos%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2021%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E33%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESoftware%20and%20technology%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%243%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8

Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm

Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Price: from Dh850,000

On sale: now

KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN MARITIME DISPUTE

2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.

2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus

2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.

2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.

2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.

The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

Cheeseburger%20ingredients
%3Cp%3EPrice%20for%20a%20single%20burger%20%C2%A30.44%3Cbr%3EPrice%20for%20a%20single%20bun%20%C2%A30.17%3Cbr%3EPrice%20for%20a%20single%20cheese%20slice%20%C2%A30.04%3Cbr%3EPrice%20for%2010g%20Gherkins%20is%20less%20than%20%C2%A30.01%3Cbr%3EPrice%20for%2010g%20ketchup%20is%20less%20than%20%C2%A30.01%20%3Cbr%3EPrice%20for%2010g%20mustard%20is%20less%20than%20%C2%A30.01%3Cbr%3EPrice%20for%2010g%20onions%20is%20less%20than%20%C2%A30.01%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETotal%2068p%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECredit%3A%20Meal%20Delivery%20Experts%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company

The biog

From: Upper Egypt

Age: 78

Family: a daughter in Egypt; a son in Dubai and his wife, Nabila

Favourite Abu Dhabi activity: walking near to Emirates Palace

Favourite building in Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace

The biog

Most memorable achievement: Leading my first city-wide charity campaign in Toronto holds a special place in my heart. It was for Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women program and showed me the power of how communities can come together in the smallest ways to have such wide impact.

Favourite film: Childhood favourite would be Disney’s Jungle Book and classic favourite Gone With The Wind.

Favourite book: To Kill A Mockingbird for a timeless story on justice and courage and Harry Potters for my love of all things magical.

Favourite quote: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill

Favourite food: Dim sum

Favourite place to travel to: Anywhere with natural beauty, wildlife and awe-inspiring sunsets.

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
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Explainer: Tanween Design Programme

Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.

The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.

It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.

The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.

Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”

Updated: November 02, 2024, 6:13 AM