Khuzaima Tanveer started Saturday as an anonymous squad member of the Desert Vipers, the as-yet-unused fourth guy in the franchise’s domestic player quota.
He ended it by taking four wickets for 22 runs, doing three separate TV interviews, one with the great Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis, and carrying off the player of the match award after a dream debut at the DP World International League T20.
The 25-year-old fast bowler has had to wait his turn patiently at this competition. His side have been a well-oiled machine since the start of the season, racing to the top of the table in formidable fashion.
He has had to watch as Tanish Suri, Ali Naseer, and Dhruv Parashar – all UAE players of great promise, and each of whom is younger than him – have each had their chance in the starting XI.
Sitting pretty at the top of the table with five wins from six matches at the start of the day, he was given his chance for the first time against Sharjah Warriorz at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
He had played in front of the TV cameras in the Abu Dhabi T10 earlier this season, but this was his first T20 fixture of any significance, and the cast list of players on either side was a starry one.
His own teammates included his hero, Mohammed Amir, as well international players from his homeland like Fakhar Zaman and Azam Khan. Alex Hales and Sam Curran are T20 World Cup winners from England, while the opposition included Jason Roy, Tim Southee and Adam Zampa.
If he was nervous about being in such vaunted company, he did not show it. He took to his surroundings in thrilling fashion, picking up four wickets. Three of those – including Tim Seifert, the New Zealander who has played IPL and PSL cricket in the past – were clean bowled.
After catching his breath after his stunning salvo, he was picked to give the interview between innings to the broadcasters.
He had the microphone again immediately after the Vipers had set the seal on their dominant eight-wicket win when he was presented with the match award. And shortly after that, he had the honour of talking Waqar through exactly what had happened.
He would have been forgiven for thinking it was all a dream, and he acknowledged he was thrilled by his first day on the big stage.
“I think this is a dream debut for me as a franchise cricketer,” Khuzaima said. “It is my first franchise T20 match, so to take four wickets and become the man of the match is a dream for me.
“Playing with international players and great players like Mohammed Amir, Sam Curran, David Payne and Azam Khan, I didn’t expect this to happen to me. And I didn’t think I could perform like this.
“I got a great reception from all my senior teammates. I hadn’t quite imagined that first, I would get to share the dugout with such great players and then receive such a nice reception after that kind of performance.
“It felt really good especially after receiving such warm comments from my teammates. It feels great to execute a plan handed to you by your captain.”
Having been made to wait till the seventh game of the season for his chance, Khuzaima said the nerves had intensified.
“When the Vipers picked me I was excited that I would have the chance to perform here,” he said. “Then I didn’t get any matches. I was out of the side for six matches, so obviously I was a little bit nervous when I got my chance.”
Khuzaima moved to the UAE from Karachi 16 months ago “to play cricket and support my family”. He was given a chance by Karwan Strikers, the domestic side, and caught the eye of the data analysis team who help put together the Vipers squad, for his performances in UAE cricket.
He is ineligible to represented the national team just yet, as per the ICC’s residency regulations. He is intent on doing so, though, and may form part of an enviable battery of new pace bowlers if this tournament is anything to go by.
Farhan Khan has caught the eye for the Dubai Capitals. Ibrar Ahmed has done similar for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. Both of them are in a similar situation to Khuzaima in aspiring to play for the UAE once they are eligible.
“Definitely I want to play for the country and perform well,” Khuzaima said.
“ICC’s criteria is that we have to spend three years here. If these fast bowlers – Farhan, Ibrar, Shahid Bhutta [also for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders] and me – can spend that time here together, then hopefully we can assist UAE cricket.”
THREE
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Nayla%20Al%20Khaja%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Jefferson%20Hall%2C%20Faten%20Ahmed%2C%20Noura%20Alabed%2C%20Saud%20Alzarooni%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
If you go
The flights
Emirates (www.emirates.com) and Etihad (www.etihad.com) both fly direct to Bengaluru, with return fares from Dh 1240. From Bengaluru airport, Coorg is a five-hour drive by car.
The hotels
The Tamara (www.thetamara.com) is located inside a working coffee plantation and offers individual villas with sprawling views of the hills (tariff from Dh1,300, including taxes and breakfast).
When to go
Coorg is an all-year destination, with the peak season for travel extending from the cooler months between October and March.
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
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