With a cricket ball in hand and an uncanny ability to bamboozle batsmen with express pace and swing, Mohammad Aamer had the world at his feet. However, while he may have been a wonder on the pitch, his antics off it have been less impressive.
Faced with the prospect of losing one's livelihood, most people would stay out of the spotlight.
Aamer, on the other hand, has looked completely inept in the way he has conducted himself, leaving observers wondering who, if anyone, is guiding the youngster through this troubled time.
As if the gravity of "spot-fixing" allegations against him were not enough, Aamer appeared wearing a "Legalise Cannabis" T-shirt during the International Cricket Council (ICC) hearing in Doha - an act of foolishness in itself.
It is possible that the naive Aamer and his defence team wanted to play the "young and immature" card, but what sort of message did that send to the people deciding his fate?
To add to this sorry list of faux-pas is his latest misdemeanour - bowling five overs in a club match in Rawalpindi while serving a ban imposed by the ICC. This invited the immediate wrath of both the ICC and the hapless Pakistan Cricket Board and could possibly endanger any goodwill towards his plight.
As the ICC prepares to announce its verdict on February 5, Aamer and his defence would be well advised to follow the path of Mohammad Asif, his co-accused, who has been nothing but a picture of good behaviour since the events of last summer.
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Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books
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MATCH INFO
Manchester City 0
Wolves 2 (Traore 80', 90 4')
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West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90 5')
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')
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Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
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The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Keane on …
Liverpool’s Uefa Champions League bid: “They’re great. With the attacking force they have, for me, they’re certainly one of the favourites. You look at the teams left in it - they’re capable of scoring against anybody at any given time. Defensively they’ve been good, so I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t go on and win it.”
Mohamed Salah’s debut campaign at Anfield: “Unbelievable. He’s been phenomenal. You can name the front three, but for him on a personal level, he’s been unreal. He’s been great to watch and hopefully he can continue now until the end of the season - which I’m sure he will, because he’s been in fine form. He’s been incredible this season.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s instant impact at former club LA Galaxy: “Brilliant. It’s been a great start for him and for the club. They were crying out for another big name there. They were lacking that, for the prestige of LA Galaxy. And now they have one of the finest stars. I hope they can go win something this year.”
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Scorebox
Sharjah Wanderers 20-25 Dubai Tigers (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries Gormley, Penalty
Cons Flaherty
Pens Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons Caldwell 2
Pens Caldwell, Cross
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