DUBAI // South Africa suffered a major blow on the eve of the second Test against Pakistan when top-ranked batsman Hashim Amla was ruled out on Tuesday and paceman Dale Steyn was in doubt because of a tight right hamstring.
Last week, Amla flew home after the Proteas lost the first Test by seven wickets to be with his wife, expecting a child.
Team manager Dr. Mohammed Moosajee says, “unfortunately, Hashim’s wife hasn’t given birth yet, so he won’t be playing in tomorrow’s Test match.”
Steyn’s hamstring tightened during Sunday practice and has had an MRI. Moosajee says they may wait until the morning of the match to determine if he can play.
Cricket South Africa and the BCCI also issued a joint statement Tuesday confirming an upcoming tour of South Africa for India as the two sides finally agreed to a series involving two Tests and there limited-overs internationals.
The organisations ended months of speculation and intrigue, saying the decision was taken after meetings in London where the itinerary as well as the conduct of CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat were discussed.
The statement said the International Cricket Council will investigate controversial comments in the media by former legal adviser David Becker about the BCCI and Lorgat’s suspected role in the matter.
CSA has ordered Lorgat to withdraw from ICC- and BCCI-related matters pending the investigation.
India had originally been scheduled to play two Twenty20 games, seven ODIs and three tests from late November.
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
Haemoglobin disorders explained
Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.
Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.
The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.
The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.
A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.
