Nepal may be conspicuous by their absence at the T20 World Cup Qualifier in the UAE, but they do still retain a tenuous association to the competition.
When the 14 teams were confirmed for this tournament, Nepal were the highest-ranked side in the world to miss out.
Despite being in 11th place in the T20 international standings at the time, they lost out on a trip here when Singapore beat them to the final place in Asian pre-qualifying.
Their absence has been keenly felt. Nepal’s gifted young side won one-day international and T20 series in Dubai in January and February, and they had a massive and vibrant following beyond the boundary. Without them, spectator numbers at the Qualifier have been minimal.
In absentia, the Nepali fans might feel an affinity with Oman, whose wicketkeeper, Suraj Kumar, has its roots in Baglung, a district in Nepal.
The 30-year-old keeper was born in Punjab in India, but his parents are from Nepal, and he was first inspired to play cricket by his Nepali uncle.
“It is unfortunate Nepal are not here, because if they were there would definitely be nice crowds cheering at the games,” Kumar said. “My mother’s brother used to play cricket, and I was inspired by him.
"Being part of an Indian community meant I started playing cricket when I was very young.”
Kumar relocated to Muscat four years ago, when he took up a job that allowed him to dovetail playing cricket with working in the sales department at a company that manufactures metal cans.
“I was looking for work in India, but my main priority was to play cricket,” he said. “I was not getting enough chances to play in India, and I was looking for an opportunity. A friend of mine referred me for a job in Muscat, and I took the job.”
Kumar’s time in Oman has coincided with a significant advance in the game there.
A new cricket facility in Muscat, inaugurated last year, has facilities that would be the envy of many non-Test playing nations.
Their national team have taken a number of big scalps in international cricket in recent years. That includes a win over UAE on Friday that has left them well-placed in the fight for one of the six qualifying berths for the T20 World Cup.
“We are positive,” Jatinder Singh, the Oman opener said, ahead of their next match against Nigeria, which starts at 10am at the Tolerance Oval in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
“We are focusing on our processes. There are ups and downs in tournaments, but we have to stay focused and treat every game as a final.
“We are going all out to beat any side. We are not judging the teams we face by their name. Whoever we face, we just have to beat them.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
GYAN’S ASIAN OUTPUT
2011-2015: Al Ain – 123 apps, 128 goals
2015-2017: Shanghai SIPG – 20 apps, 7 goals
2016-2017: Al Ahli (loan) – 25 apps, 11 goals
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Off-roading in the UAE: How to checklist
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US' most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was first created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out projectiles, namely ballistic missiles, as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles both inside and outside of the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 93 miles above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then deployed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
Scoreline
UAE 2-1 Saudi Arabia
UAE Mabkhout 21’, Khalil 59’
Saudi Al Abed (pen) 20’
Man of the match Ahmed Khalil (UAE)
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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Manchester City transfers:
OUTS
Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, Willy Caballero and Jesus Navas (all released)
INS
Ederson (Benfica) £34.7m, Bernardo Silva (Monaco) £43m
ON THEIR WAY OUT?
Joe Hart, Eliaquim Mangala, Samir Nasri, Wilfried Bony, Fabian Delph, Nolito and Kelechi Iheanacho
ON THEIR WAY IN?
Dani Alves (Juventus), Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)
At a glance
- 20,000 new jobs for Emiratis over three years
- Dh300 million set aside to train 18,000 jobseekers in new skills
- Managerial jobs in government restricted to Emiratis
- Emiratis to get priority for 160 types of job in private sector
- Portion of VAT revenues will fund more graduate programmes
- 8,000 Emirati graduates to do 6-12 month replacements in public or private sector on a Dh10,000 monthly wage - 40 per cent of which will be paid by government
Afghanistan fixtures
- v Australia, today
- v Sri Lanka, Tuesday
- v New Zealand, Saturday,
- v South Africa, June 15
- v England, June 18
- v India, June 22
- v Bangladesh, June 24
- v Pakistan, June 29
- v West Indies, July 4
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
