Pakistan
X-Factor: Shahid Afridi. Like many of Pakistan's leading players, Afridi's conspicuous absence from the playing field of late has not kept him out of the spotlight. The world's best T20 player has a point to prove as his side's new captain.
Weak Link: Afridi. T20 requires cool heads. When all around are losing theirs, it is up to the captain to keep his. Pakistan have the most volatile group of players in the game - is cricket's Maddest Max best qualified to harness their talent?
Bangladesh
X-Factor: Tamim Iqbal. The left-handed opener has happy memories of the West Indies. He piloted Bangladesh's shock win over India there in 2007, and has since established himself as the spark at the top of the order for the Tigers.
Weak Link: The pace attack. Slow-bowling, no matter how large the well of talent, can only take a side so far in the limited-overs game. Shakib al Hasan leads a fine battery of spinners, but the cupboard of seamers is bare.
Australia
X-Factor: David Warner. For all the talk of a lack of star quality in this Australia side, Test runs and wickets are no longer the sole route to celebrity. Warner, the pocket dynamo, barely plays first-class cricket, yet is already on the game's A-List.
Weak Link: The aura never even arrived. Unlike in the Test and 50-over formats, Australia have rarely experienced an extended spell of success in T20, let alone dominance. Few sides will be scared of Michael Clarke's outfit.
Sri Lanka
X-Factor: Lasith Malinga. The Slinger was one of the stars of the tournament when his side reached the final last year. On the back of a successful IPL, he is likely to be tough to counter again in the Caribbean.
Weak Link: Ajantha Mendis. After soaring to prominence at a searing rate, Sri Lanka's mystery spinner has had his wings clipped thanks to greater exposure. Needs to rediscover the magic if they are to win the title.
New Zealand
X-Factor: Shane Bond. In Bond, Kyle Mills and Daniel Vettori, the Blacks Caps possess arguably the best - as well as most injury-prone - attack in the limited-overs game. Four overs per day suits Bond's weary body.
Weak Link: The batting. Ross Taylor is a proven match-winner in all forms of the game, Brendon McCullum can be lethal and the tail can wag. Both arrive fresh from the IPL. However, the top order remains fragile, so the results are inconsistent.
Zimbabwe
X-Factor: Andy Blignaut. One of a raft of former players who have recently re-emerged in Zimbabwean cricket. The all-rounder last played international cricket five years ago, but returned in time to land a place in this event.
Weak Link: Inexperience. For all their recent promise, which arrived thanks to the return of a variety of exiled stars, they are still a long way from being the competitive side.
South Africa
X-Factor: Jacques Kallis. In the wake of his IPL dominance, it seems amazing to recall that the burly all-rounder did not make South Africa's squad for the first World T20 in 2007. Now proving that Test greats can cut it in the short format.
Weak Link: Their lack of ticker. They are good at talking big when they reach the business end of competitions, yet their choking hoodoo will only be quashed when they deliver.
India
X-Factor: Yusuf Pathan. His IPL century may have been the best innings Shane Warne had ever seen, but it probably was not even the best Pathan had played this year, following his Duleep Trophy double hundred.
Weak Link: Yuvraj Singh's form. The IPL was not the most forgiving environment in which to ease back from a wrist injury. A string of low scores and some slipshod fielding for Kings XI Punjab suggest Yurvaj is still someway from his brilliant best.
Afghanistan
X-Factor: Mohammed Shahzad. There is no shortage of firepower in the Afghan line-up. Shahzad notched up a double hundred when they affected the ninth largest successful run-chase in first-class history, against Canada in Sharjah last month.
Weak Link: Inexperience. Kabir Khan, their canny coach, has fostered a side of many talents into one with a clear strategy. However, the prospect of making their TV debut, in front of a vast global audience is a daunting one.
West Indies
X-Factor: Kieron Pollard. Given his head as a raw teenager when the 50-over edition was staged in the Caribbean in 2003. One of the IPL's costliest players, and he showed his worth with some vital cameos for Mumbai Indians.
Weak Link: Sulieman Benn and the slow-bowlers. The West Indies earned their glorious reputation thanks to fearsome quick bowlers and free-scoring batsmen. The cricket world is a different place now, but they remain shy of serious spinners.
England
X-Factor: Eoin Morgan. England have three big-hitting South Africans leading their charge, but the pick of their foreign contingent is the Irishman Morgan. Innovative, nerveless, and now with IPL experience to draw on, he is England's trump card.
Weak Link: Inconsistency of selection. Nine months ago, when England hosted the last World T20, their side was very different. If Michael Lumb and Craig Kieswetter do prove the saviours, it will be more through luck than judgement.
Ireland
X-Factor: The O'Brien brothers. Wicketkeeper-batsman Niall's free-hitting paved the way for shock wins over Pakistan and Bangladesh in the previous two global events. Kevin is an ice-cool finisher with bat and ball.
Weak Link: Slow bowling. With Kyle McCallan retired and Regan West injured, the spin burden rests on a 17-year-old left-armer, George Dockrell, who should be studying for his school exams
HEADLINE HERE
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CRICKET%20WORLD%20CUP%20QUALIFIER%2C%20ZIMBABWE%20
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
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
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Company profile
Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space
Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)
Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)
Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution)
Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space
Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019
Who is Ramon Tribulietx?
Born in Spain, Tribulietx took sole charge of Auckland in 2010 and has gone on to lead the club to 14 trophies, including seven successive Oceania Champions League crowns. Has been tipped for the vacant New Zealand national team job following Anthony Hudson's resignation last month. Had previously been considered for the role.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh289,000
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
