ABU DHABI // Intikhab Alam is too old to be learning new tricks about media management.
The Pakistan coach is 67 now. He has been there, done that, and probably has enough team-issue T-shirts to dress an entire Indian Premier League franchise, including the standard bloated entourage.
So when he says his young charges can take positives from their series defeat to Australia in the UAE, you know he is not trotting out a well-honed device to divert attention from his own side's failings.
"You have to remember that for the past six months they have been playing regular cricket," Intikhab said of the world champion Australians, who gained an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series with victory on Friday evening.
"They have played against a top team like South Africa. The mindset and fitness level is different to what we have been playing.
"I have said it before, I am sure the boys have learned a lot from this series. This is good for us, even though we have lost, which is very disappointing.
"Nobody enjoys losing every day, but I am sure they will learn a great deal from playing against the Australians."
He has a point. The only thing Ahmed Shehzad, the 17-year-old newcomer, will not be enjoying about his debut series - other than the adverse results - is that his hero is not playing for the opposition.
Shehzad, who already has two years of first-class experience behind him, grew up idolising Ricky Ponting. Australia's regular captain has been rested for the series in the Emirates, leaving Shehzad to make do with Michael Clarke for a role model instead. Some hardship.
Clarke has treated this series as a mini-masterclass, culminating in a regal, match-winning century at the Zayed Stadium on Friday.
"He was out of form before this series and suddenly he is in form," the Pakistan skipper, Younus Khan, said of his opposite number.
"He has made back to back fifties and is the difference between both the sides.
"It is all about our batting. We have only had a couple of fifties [in the series], and compare that to Clarke.
"When he gets an opportunity he makes a big difference.
"The wicket is equal for both sides. If you score 240 you will be in good shape, but we get to 20 or 30 and throw our wickets away."
@Email:pradley@thenational.ae
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Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
