The ODI World Cup is less than a month away but given the distinct lack of publicity and celebration around it, you would be hard-pressed to spot the signs of a major cricket tournament happening in India.
What should have been a mega build-up to arguably the most difficult trophy to win in cricket – the 50-over ODI World Cup – has been reduced to a reluctant murmur as the Indian cricket board grapples with venue changes, ticketing fiasco and stadium upgradation.
Ten teams will fight for the right to be crowned world champions when the tournament commences in Ahmedabad on October 5.
The tournament comes around every four years, unlike the 20-over version, so there is that much more prestige attached to the competition.
On November 19 we will know which team has won and who will lift the ODI trophy, which has an interesting story of its own.
Was the World Cup trophy always the same?
The 50-over World Cup tournament started in 1975 with the first three editions all held in England. Then, it was called the Prudential Cup, named after the insurance company that were the main sponsors.
The tournament moved out of the UK in 1987 and had a new sponsor and tournament trophy for each subsequent edition. It was only in 1999 that the International Cricket Council finalised their own trophy that would be handed out to every winner.
1975, 1979, 1983: Prudential World Cup
The original World Cup trophy had a simple design, closely resembling the Wimbledon men’s championship trophy. The first three winners of the World Cup – held in the UK – lifted the Prudential Cup, named after the sponsors of the tournament, Prudential Insurance. The trophy now sits at the Lord’s cricket museum.
1987: Reliance World Cup
The tournament moved out of England for the first time and it arrived at the beating heart of the game – the subcontinent. The World Cup was sponsored by the Reliance industries, which has today become one of the biggest conglomerates on the planet.
According to India Today, winners Australia were presented with a gold-plated trophy that was studded with diamonds. The trophy was said to have cost around 600,000 Indian rupees at the time, which in today’s price would be around 8 million rupees ($100,000).
1992: Benson & Hedges World Cup
Arguably the most beautiful World Cup trophy ever designed. The Waterford crystal trophy had an exquisite globe on a wooden base with the emblems of all nine teams at its base. The trophy was said to have cost around £8,000. It currently is placed at the National Cricket Academy, Lahore.
1996: Wills World Cup
The tournament returned to the subcontinent and was hosted by three nations – India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan blazed their way to the final in Lahore, where they defeated Australia to lift the trophy, which was the most ornate among all World Cup prizes.
1999-present: ICC World Cup
Finally, the world governing body decided to stick to one trophy for all future winners. The new design features a golden globe held up by three silver columns, signifying a ball and three stumps. The names of previous winners are engraved on the base of the trophy.
The original trophy created in 1999, and won by Australia, is kept by the ICC. A replica is awarded to the winning team.
The trophy is made of silver and gold and is 60cm high, weighing around 11kg. According to various estimates, the precious metals in the trophy are worth around $30,000.
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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.
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Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
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Points about the fast fashion industry Celine Hajjar wants everyone to know
- Fast fashion is responsible for up to 10 per cent of global carbon emissions
- Fast fashion is responsible for 24 per cent of the world's insecticides
- Synthetic fibres that make up the average garment can take hundreds of years to biodegrade
- Fast fashion labour workers make 80 per cent less than the required salary to live
- 27 million fast fashion workers worldwide suffer from work-related illnesses and diseases
- Hundreds of thousands of fast fashion labourers work without rights or protection and 80 per cent of them are women
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
HAJJAN
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Grubtech
Founders: Mohamed Al Fayed and Mohammed Hammedi
Launched: October 2019
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Financing stage: Seed round (raised $2 million)
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Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
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
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
