UAE tasted more success against Oman in the Cricket World Cup League 2 after a second extraordinary cameo by Basil Hameed in consecutive days.
On Saturday, the Kerala-born batsman hurried UAE to victory in the first game of the three-match series with a brutal late-overs assault worth 61 from just 33 balls.
A day later in Muscat, it was his lesser-regarded off-spin bowling which was even more devastating. Having been introduced as the sixth UAE bowler to be used, Hameed took 5-17 in 6.2 overs.
His impact saw the home capitulate from 160-4 to 195 all out in less than 12 overs.
UAE did face some struggles in the chase. But Hameed’s fellow Keralite CP Rizwan played a second match-winning hand in the space of four ODIs to guide the tourists to a four-wicket win.
Rizwan, who scored a century in a win over Ireland the last time UAE played ODI cricket, in January 2021, top scored with 76 not out against Oman.
He shared in partnerships worth 72 with Chirag Suri (43), and 50 with Vriitya Aravind (34). He was also at the wicket when Kashif Daud clipped Bilal Khan down to third man, as the win was secured with four and a half overs to spare.
The back-to-back wins in Muscat have been remarkable for a number of reasons, and have added to the general mood of optimism around UAE cricket at present.
This series has followed on swiftly from the success of the country’s age-group cricketers, who beat West Indies and Ireland on their way to claiming the plate at the Under 19 World Cup in the Caribbean.
The senior time have slipped straight back into form, despite not playing World Cup League cricket in two years – and in spite of the fact they are up against the top side in the competition.
Oman still lead the table, having now played 22 matches. UAE, by contrast, have played just nine. From those games, they have won five, with three losses, and one match washed out.
Ahmed Raza’s side have a busy schedule ahead of them as they look to make up for series which were postponed because of Covid.
UAE have back-to-back tri-series in the WCL2 on home soil next month. First, they face Oman and Namibia, before taking on Nepal and Papua New Guinea in the second half of March.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
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”.
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
