Following the completion of the 10th edition of the Indian Premier League, Dileep Premachandran looks back over the 10 years and selects the five most influential players to have graced the tournament. To move on to the next player, click the red arrows in the bottom right corner of the image, or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.
Shane Warne (Rajasthan Royals)
He had retired from international cricket 15 months earlier, but Warne threw himself into the Rajasthan Royals challenge with the same enthusiasm he once summoned up for Ashes contests. His bowling was a mixed bag, some magic spells interspersed with mediocre, but he led with verve and imagination as a side with names such as Swapnil Asnodkar, Sohail Tanvir and the much-mocked Shane Watson stormed to the top of the table and then the title. By taking the competition as seriously as he did, Warne gave the IPL immediate legitimacy.
MS Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings/Rising Pune Supergiant)
When you think of the IPL, the first image that comes to mind is Dhoni in Chennai Super Kings’ canary yellow, yelling instructions to a bowler and then slapping the big gloves in celebration as the plan came off. No other individual came to be so closely associated with a franchise — for good or bad — and there were two titles to celebrate, along with five other final appearances (one with Pune). It would be a huge surprise if he isn’t back in yellow next season.
Chris Gayle (Kolkata Knight Riders/Royal Challengers Bangalore)
For three straight seasons starting with his late call-up as a replacement in 2011, Gayle redefined Twenty20 batsmanship, following up a 608-run season with two years in which he topped 700. The mojo may have gone now, but who can forget the 30-ball hundred on his way to 175, or the record number of sixes, most of them launched with the insouciance of a man throwing crumpled paper into the bin.
Lasith Malinga (Rajasthan Royals/Mumbai Indians)
When most needed, Malinga came up with a champion performance, conceding just 21 runs in the final. Like Gayle, his best years are behind him, but having taken 44 wickets across Mumbai’s first two title-winning seasons, his place as an IPL legend is assured. And with 154 wickets, he’ll stay atop the all-time leading wicket-takers’ list for a while yet.
Rohit Sharma (Deccan Chargers/Mumbai Indians)
Sachin Tendulkar couldn’t win it, neither could Ricky Ponting. Year after year, Mumbai Indians flashed the cash at the auctions, but came up short when it mattered. Then, in 2013, they gave the captaincy to Rohit, who had won a title with Deccan Chargers in 2009. In the five seasons since, Mumbai have become the first team to win the IPL three times. Though he had a relatively poor time with the bat this season, he did become the third player to top 4000 career runs, and Rohit’s calm leadership, especially the faith reposed in the likes of Krunal Pandya, was central to Mumbai’s success.
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Age: 25
Town: Al Diqdaqah – Ras Al Khaimah
Education: Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering
Favourite colour: White
Favourite place in the UAE: Downtown Dubai
Favourite book: A Life in Administration by Ghazi Al Gosaibi.
First owned baking book: How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Abu Dhabi card
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 2,400m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 2,200m
6pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 1,400m
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
The National selections:
5pm: Valcartier
5.30pm: AF Taraha
6pm: Dhafra
6.30pm: Maqam
7pm: AF Mekhbat
7.30pm: Ezz Al Rawasi
Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
