DUBAI // Pakistan cricket is dying because of the reluctance of the top nations to tour there, according to one of the UAE's top players, the Pakistani expatriate Arshad Ali.
The UAE's cricketers were among the most recent players to travel to Pakistan, when they played at the Asia Cup in Lahore at the end of June. The tournament was seen as a dress rehearsal for the Champions Trophy.
It passed off without incident, and was monitored by two independent teams of security consultants, who subsequently reported "excellent" safety measures were in place.
However, five of the eight nations participating in the Champions Trophy were not convinced by the reports, which led the ICC to postpone the event.
Pakistan's civil unrest has accounted for a number of big series in the past. Pakistan fans have not seen their side in action in a home Test match since last October and the UAE's premier all-rounder Arshad believes the game is suffering as a result.
"Pakistan is one of the most cricket-mad nations in the world, but the game is dying," said Arshad, who was born in the Punjab city of Sialkot.
"Teams need to tour there again to save the game. Pakistan cricket is losing out. How many months is it since they last played Test cricket there?
"If no one will go there the team won't get any exposure, sponsors will not put up any money, and everyone will lose interest.
"There is fighting going on near the Afghanistan border, in the Peshawar area, but that is so far away from where the matches would have taken place.
"But because they see that, people believe it effects the whole of Pakistan. That is not the case, and the Pakistan Cricket Board try to stage all the matches in the Punjab area anyway.
"When we played at the Asia Cup, we had a lovely time. There was so much security that we felt comfortable. We really enjoyed it," Arshad said.
Delaying the tournament does not necessarily solve a long-standing problem, which concerns the unwillingness of certain nations to tour the troubled nation. Australia have not toured since 1998, and postponed a scheduled series earlier this year on safety grounds.
Unless the security situation improves dramatically over the next year, their stance is unlikely to change.
They are also locked in to an agreement to play a one-day series in India at the new proposed date in Oct 2009. Given that it is arguably the biggest bilateral series in cricket, that is likely to hold sway over the ICC's event.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
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Director: Magizh Thirumeni
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The specs
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
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Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
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Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
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The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
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From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
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What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
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But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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