With Pakistan and New Zealand set to meet in six limited overs games in the UAE this winter, former Black Caps coach Dayle Hadlee believes the return of mercurial fast bowler Shane Bond from injury can swing the matches in the Kiwi's favour.
"It's going to be exciting seeing him return. Shane will put the sting back into the bowling attack which has been missing for the last two years," said Hadlee, the head coach at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Global Cricket Academy (GCA) at Dubai Sports City, one of the match venues.
Having coached Bond since the tender age of six, Hadlee is still in regular contact with the Kiwi right-armer.
"I got an email from Shane on Monday and he gave me an update on his technique, he's got a few new ideas," he said.
"He's in a good place physically and technically."
Although the four one-day games and two Twenty20 matches are home games for Pakistan, Hadlee believes New Zealand have sufficient ammunition in their ranks to win.
"In the top teams today anyone can beat anyone," he said. "Pakistan will be full of confidence and the Kiwis will need to acclimatise to the conditions, which could have a significant bearing on the result.
"But Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum can match the hitting power of Shahid Afridi and there's also Kyle Mills with his ability to swing the new ball and change the pace," he said.
"It's going to be exciting seeing the national side here in the UAE."
According to Hadlee, who played 26 Test matches and 11 one-day games for New Zealand, a lot will depend on the pitch.
"Pakistan will prepare a pitch to suit their game," he said. "If it's hard and bouncy it could lead to a lot of innovative shots and if it's hard and fast, it will suit the game of cricket.
"It's likely the grass will be cut short, making it slow and low and a typical sub-Continent pitch."
That will suit Daniel Vettori, the Kiwi captain and premier spinner, said Hadlee.
"He'll take the pace off the ball, he's the master of changes in pace," he said.
And with several of the Black Caps squad having gained valuable experience playing on the Indian Premier League (IPL) pitches - similar in pace to those they will face in the Emirates - Marc Archer, the General Manager of ICC's GCA, is another Kiwi expecting a tight series.
"New Zealand's record in the short forms of the game has been pretty good," said Archer.
"Their world ranking in ODIs is higher than Test matches and they compete well in the game's short forms. Many of the New Zealand players have exposure to sub-continent conditions through the IPL where they're playing regularly."
Following the highly-successful Pakistan and Australia matches which opened the purpose-built, all-seater stadium at Dubai Sports City earlier this year, Archer is predicting more capacity crowds. "It's a modern, state-of-the-art playing facility and although it's a neutral venue, it will be a home crowd for Pakistan and a fantastic atmosphere," he added.
emegson@thenational.ae
India cancels school-leaving examinations
Fourth-round clashes for British players
- Andy Murray (1) v Benoit Paire, Centre Court (not before 4pm)
- Johanna Konta (6) v Caroline Garcia (21), Court 1 (4pm)
Need to know
When: October 17 until November 10
Cost: Entry is free but some events require prior registration
Where: Various locations including National Theatre (Abu Dhabi), Abu Dhabi Cultural Center, Zayed University Promenade, Beach Rotana (Abu Dhabi), Vox Cinemas at Yas Mall, Sharjah Youth Center
What: The Korea Festival will feature art exhibitions, a B-boy dance show, a mini K-pop concert, traditional dance and music performances, food tastings, a beauty seminar, and more.
For more information: www.koreafestivaluae.com
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'Young girls thinking of big ideas'
Words come easy for aspiring writer Afra Al Muhairb. The business side of books, on the other hand, is entirely foreign to the 16-year-old Emirati. So, she followed her father’s advice and enroled in the Abu Dhabi Education Council’s summer entrepreneurship course at Abu Dhabi University hoping to pick up a few new skills.
“Most of us have this dream of opening a business,” said Afra, referring to her peers are “young girls thinking of big ideas.”
In the three-week class, pupils are challenged to come up with a business and develop an operational and marketing plan to support their idea. But, the learning goes far beyond sales and branding, said teacher Sonia Elhaj.
“It’s not only about starting up a business, it’s all the meta skills that goes with it -- building self confidence, communication,” said Ms Elhaj. “It’s a way to coach them and to harness ideas and to allow them to be creative. They are really hungry to do this and be heard. They are so happy to be actually doing something, to be engaged in creating something new, not only sitting and listening and getting new information and new knowledge. Now they are applying that knowledge.”
Afra’s team decided to focus their business idea on a restaurant modelled after the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Each level would have a different international cuisine and all the meat would be halal. The pupils thought of this after discussing a common problem they face when travelling abroad.
“Sometimes we find the struggle of finding halal food, so we just eat fish and cheese, so it’s hard for us to spend 20 days with fish and cheese,” said Afra. “So we made this tower so every person who comes – from Africa, from America – they will find the right food to eat.”
rpennington@thenational.ae
TOURNAMENT INFO
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Thursday results
UAE beat Kuwait by 86 runs
Qatar beat Bahrain by five wickets
Saudi Arabia beat Maldives by 35 runs
Friday fixtures
10am, third-place playoff – Saudi Arabia v Kuwait
3pm, final – UAE v Qatar
Brief scores:
Toss: India, opted to field
Australia 158-4 (17 ov)
Maxwell 46, Lynn 37; Kuldeep 2-24
India 169-7 (17 ov)
Dhawan 76, Karthik 30; Zampa 2-22
Result: Australia won by 4 runs by D/L method
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
MATCH INFO
Tottenham 4 (Alli 51', Kane 50', 77'. Aurier 73')
Olympiakos 2 (El-Arabi 06', Semedo')