Afghanistan’s globetrotting superstar cricketer Rashid Khan has seen it all. The dynamic player has mesmerised batters with his wily leg spin to become one of the leading bowlers in the T20 format for both his nation and several franchise teams he represents.
However, despite the success he has enjoyed on the world stage, he sorely misses playing international cricket back in his homeland, where he is revered and loved.
According to the latest Future Tours Program (FTP), West Indies and New Zealand are scheduled to tour Afghanistan in January and February, respectively. If that happens, it would be a historic occasion.
However, Rashid remains pragmatic about the schedule as top international teams have never travelled to Afghanistan before, and are highly unlikely to do so any time soon.
“That's in FTP for now. But when the time comes, it’s only then you will know whether it’s happening,” Rashid told The National during an event in Dubai as brand ambassador for MH Property.
“There have been so many games scheduled in Afghanistan in the FTP over the years, but have never taken place. But hopefully it happens. It's good for cricket and good for Afghanistan.
“Well, if it eventually happens, that will be a kind of dream to play international cricket in Afghanistan. I hope that comes before I retire from the sport. That's something which I dream of – playing in front of my home crowd. So, hopefully, that happens in the future.”
International teams have never toured Afghanistan due to political and security reasons. Teams like Australia and England have avoided playing Afghanistan in bilateral matches, though they do play them in International Cricket Council (ICC) events like World Cups.
Recently, the ICC set up a dedicated task force to support displaced Afghan women cricketers, who were not able to play the game following severe restrictions imposed on them by the Taliban regime, who re-took control of the country in 2021.
Last year, Australia pulled out of a T20 series against Afghanistan due to restrictions imposed on women and girls. Afghanistan is a full member of the ICC and a condition of that status should require it to have a women’s side.
Given the troubled situation, Afghanistan men's team host their matches at various venues across the world, including the UAE and India.
Afghanistan also have fewer international fixtures, particularly against the top nations, which has hindered their progress as a national team.
However, their star players like Rashid, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmed and others keep busy throughout the year playing in various franchise tournaments.
Rashid believes despite the setbacks, Afghanistan have progressed enough to challenge any team.
Rashid singled out reaching the 2024 T20 World Cup semi-finals after four wins in the league phase of the competition, including a victory over Australia, as one of their top achievements.
“It’s something that gave us so much confidence. I think that has given us so much positive energy. As a team, we have just kept going and going, and we have supported that confidence,” he said.
“We're not getting enough cricket you want as a nation, especially against the big sides. The more opportunities you get, the better you get.”
Afghanistan were scheduled to begin the summer with a tour to Ireland in July, playing one Test, three ODI’s and three T20s. However, it was shelved due to “financial reasons” by the Irish cricket board.
Afghanistan are scheduled to play a T20 series in Pakistan in August before the Asia Cup in September, which is yet to be confirmed.
“The T20s in Pakistan is a great preparation for us leading to the Asia Cup, if it happens,” Rashid said.
“As a team, we played lots of great cricket in the last two to three years and we need to continue that good form, good cricket and more importantly, those efforts.
“I think it's something which we as a team need to put that on. And for us, those three games will be big to play against Pakistan. For me and for us as a team as well.”
There is uncertainty around the Asia Cup with conflicting reports over India's involvement in the tournament.
We have played lots of cricket in the UAE and if the Asia Cup happens here it’s going to be a plus for us
Rashid Khan
The six-team competition will most likely be held in the UAE so that India can play bitter rivals Pakistan on neutral ground. The nuclear-armed neighbours agreed a ceasefire in May after exchanging cross-border fire that left many dead on both sides following a gun massacre of tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
Rashid said the Afghan team will be more at home if the tournament takes place in the UAE.
Afghanistan recently signed a “destination support” agreement with the Abu Dhabi Cricket & Sports Hub, headquartered at the Zayed Cricket Stadium. The national team uses the venue for training camps and hosts matches for the A team and juniors.
“We have played lots of cricket in the UAE and if the Asia Cup happens here it’s going to be a plus for us,” Rashid added.
“You still have to bring your best cricket, good cricket, and you have to be well prepared to give your 100% on the pitch.
“As a team, we are working very hard. We know the conditions well. But still, you need to bring your best cricket to the table. And hopefully, we do that when the Asia Cup comes.”
In the meantime, Rashid is preparing for the fifth edition of The Hundred that takes place in August. He will play for two-time defending champions Oval Invincibles.
“That’s the plan for the next two months and then take it on from there. I have had a good break of two months in Dubai and looking forward to getting back to cricket,” he said.
Rashid considers Dubai his second home, having lived here for more than seven years.
“It's great to be here in a beautiful country. I lead a simple life. When I’m not playing cricket, I’m at home all the time with my family, aside from my training and keeping fit,” he added.
Napoleon
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
UAE’s revised Cricket World Cup League Two schedule
August, 2021: Host - United States; Teams - UAE, United States and Scotland
Between September and November, 2021 (dates TBC): Host - Namibia; Teams - Namibia, Oman, UAE
December, 2021: Host - UAE; Teams - UAE, Namibia, Oman
February, 2022: Hosts - Nepal; Teams - UAE, Nepal, PNG
June, 2022: Hosts - Scotland; Teams - UAE, United States, Scotland
September, 2022: Hosts - PNG; Teams - UAE, PNG, Nepal
February, 2023: Hosts - UAE; Teams - UAE, PNG, Nepal
match details
Wales v Hungary
Cardiff City Stadium, kick-off 11.45pm
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Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)
Thursday
Burnley v Watford (9pm)
Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)
Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)
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.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Three-day coronation
Royal purification
The entire coronation ceremony extends over three days from May 4-6, but Saturday is the one to watch. At the time of 10:09am the royal purification ceremony begins. Wearing a white robe, the king will enter a pavilion at the Grand Palace, where he will be doused in sacred water from five rivers and four ponds in Thailand. In the distant past water was collected from specific rivers in India, reflecting the influential blend of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology on the coronation. Hindu Brahmins and the country's most senior Buddhist monks will be present. Coronation practices can be traced back thousands of years to ancient India.
The crown
Not long after royal purification rites, the king proceeds to the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall where he receives sacred water from eight directions. Symbolically that means he has received legitimacy from all directions of the kingdom. He ascends the Bhadrapitha Throne, where in regal robes he sits under a Nine-Tiered Umbrella of State. Brahmins will hand the monarch the royal regalia, including a wooden sceptre inlaid with gold, a precious stone-encrusted sword believed to have been found in a lake in northern Cambodia, slippers, and a whisk made from yak's hair.
The Great Crown of Victory is the centrepiece. Tiered, gold and weighing 7.3 kilograms, it has a diamond from India at the top. Vajiralongkorn will personally place the crown on his own head and then issues his first royal command.
The audience
On Saturday afternoon, the newly-crowned king is set to grant a "grand audience" to members of the royal family, the privy council, the cabinet and senior officials. Two hours later the king will visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred space in Thailand, which on normal days is thronged with tourists. He then symbolically moves into the Royal Residence.
The procession
The main element of Sunday's ceremonies, streets across Bangkok's historic heart have been blocked off in preparation for this moment. The king will sit on a royal palanquin carried by soldiers dressed in colourful traditional garb. A 21-gun salute will start the procession. Some 200,000 people are expected to line the seven-kilometre route around the city.
Meet the people
On the last day of the ceremony Rama X will appear on the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall in the Grand Palace at 4:30pm "to receive the good wishes of the people". An hour later, diplomats will be given an audience at the Grand Palace. This is the only time during the ceremony that representatives of foreign governments will greet the king.
Second Test
In Dubai
Pakistan 418-5 (declared)
New Zealand 90 and 131-2 (follow on)
Day 3: New Zealand trail by 197 runs with 8 wickets remaining
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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
