Afridi given permission to play



DUBAI // Shahid Afridi was granted special dispensation to play in the UAE this weekend after he made a personal plea to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Ijaz Butt. The all-rounder was one of seven players to be hit with severe sanctions by the board this month in the fall-out from a woeful tour of Australia, where Pakistan lost every match. In attempting to cure the prevailing climate of gloom, the PCB opted to ban Mohammed Yousuf and Younus Khan indefinitely from playing for the national team, while Afridi incurred a substantial fine.

Afridi had caused furore in the cricketing world after videos caught him biting a ball during a one-day international against Australia in Perth in January. He was banned for two T20 international games. In a bid to limit the damage to his bank account, Afridi refused to comment yesterday on whether he will appeal the penalty or whether or not he covets the captaincy for the forthcoming World Twenty20.

However, he did reveal that the harsh punishment had not stopped him approaching Butt over the opportunity to play in the Emirates Airline Twenty20. Several members of the extended training group, from which Pakistan will select their final World Twenty20 squad, had originally signed up to play in a Bangladeshi Twenty20 tournament later this month. While Yousuf had been given permission to play, all the others were ordered to focus their attention on preparing for the trip to the West Indies.

Yet Afridi was given release to play at The Sevens today. He said: "I called the chairman to ask. I had already committed to playing for Emirates, and it was not a problem. "I have played a lot of cricket in Dubai, and it was an honour for me to be asked to play for Emirates Airline. "I am here to enjoy my cricket. I enjoy playing wherever I get the chance in the world. If you are in good form there is no reason why you shouldn't." pradley@thenational.ae

The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

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Series result

1st ODI Zimbabwe won by 6 wickets

2nd ODI Sri Lanka won by 7 wickets

3rd ODI Sri Lanka won by 8 wickets

4th ODI Zimbabwe won by 4 wickets

5th ODI Zimbabwe won by 3 wickets

PROFILE OF CURE.FIT

Started: July 2016

Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori

Based: Bangalore, India

Sector: Health & wellness

Size: 500 employees

Investment: $250 million

Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)

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Specs

Price, base: Dhs850,000
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 591bhp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.3L / 100km

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin

Director: Shawn Levy

Rating: 3/5

Joker: Folie a Deux

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson

Director: Todd Phillips 

Rating: 2/5

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Our family matters legal consultant

 

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

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5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 1,400m

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7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 2.200m

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The Bio

Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village

What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft

Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans

Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface

The specs: Hyundai Ionic Hybrid

Price, base: Dh117,000 (estimate)

Engine: 1.6L four-cylinder, with 1.56kWh battery

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power: 105hp (engine), plus 43.5hp (battery)

Torque: 147Nm (engine), plus 170Nm (battery)

Fuel economy, combined: 3.4L / 100km

COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine


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