SHARJAH // Misbah-ul-Haq is said to be giving himself the duration of the HBL Pakistan Super League to think about whether he wants to continue playing cricket.
Now aged 42, his retirement, and the precise date of its announcement, is a persistent theme following him around, whether he likes it or not.
Recent events would have hastened a lesser man than Misbah straight towards the exit door. Pakistan’s long-serving Test captain has already repaired his national team once already after a corruption crisis.
Now the same is happening with deepening severity in the country’s Twenty20 league, and his Islamabad United franchise are at the centre of it.
They had their confidence knocked last time out when they had their six-match winning streak ended in the wake of losing two players to a corruption-related suspension.
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Read more
■ PSL: Teams given options for players opting out of Lahore final
■ Nasir Jamshed: Arrested in Britain as part of corruption probe
■ PSl: Officials vow strong stand in corruption investigation
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And if he was beginning to think he is too old for this sort of thing already, certain elements of Wednesday night’s match against Quetta Gladiators might have compounded matters.
The venerable statesman of Pakistan cricket was dismissed by a bowler who is well under half his age.
Hasan Khan, an 18 year old left-arm spinner, was born in the same year — 1998 — in which Misbah first played first-class cricket. The emerging player pick for Quetta trapped Misbah in front for just 10.
The one significant saving grace for Misbah was the fact it was a young sprite in the red of Islamabad that was the difference between the two sides.
In the brief time they batted together, Sam Billings ran Misbah off his feet. He did the same to his celebrated elders like Dwayne Smith, Brad Haddin, and Shane Watson, too.
But the 25-year-old Englishman survived them all, as he made an unbeaten 78 for the defending PSL champions, to set up a five-wicket win against the side they beat in last year’s final.
Given the week they have had, a rapid return to winning ways is just what everyone associated with Islamabad was demanding.
Billings’s perky form for Islamabad in the opening week of PSL 2017 has cut a contrast to that of the England batsman in the opposition line up.
Kevin Pietersen might be one of the headline acts in this — or any — competition, but he is enduring a torrid run at present.
Arriving in the UAE after an up-and-down spell in Australia’s Big Bash League, Pietersen had already suggested his globetrotting had left him flagging, after pulling out of the forthcoming Indian Premier League.
Maybe fatigue is to blame for his lapses with the bat here. When Pietersen was trapped in front by Mohammed Sami, he registered his second successive first-ball duck.
He has managed just three runs in nine balls across three matches so far in the competition, while his run extends to three ducks in six innings if it includes the BBL.
Quetta can console themselves with the fact this was a rare loss for them, having started this season with back-to-back wins.
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The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
The cost of Covid testing around the world
Egypt
Dh514 for citizens; Dh865 for tourists
Information can be found through VFS Global.
Jordan
Dh212
Centres include the Speciality Hospital, which now offers drive-through testing.
Cambodia
Dh478
Travel tests are managed by the Ministry of Health and National Institute of Public Health.
Zanzibar
AED 295
Zanzibar Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, located within the Lumumba Secondary School compound.
Abu Dhabi
Dh85
Abu Dhabi’s Seha has test centres throughout the UAE.
UK
From Dh400
Heathrow Airport now offers drive through and clinic-based testing, starting from Dh400 and up to Dh500 for the PCR test.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
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Mr Stephen sells his luxury fragrances at selected perfumeries around the UAE, including the House of Niche Boutique in Al Seef.
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Director: Hansal Mehta
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ain Issa camp:
- Established in 2016
- Houses 13,309 people, 2,092 families, 62 per cent children
- Of the adult population, 49 per cent men, 51 per cent women (not including foreigners annexe)
- Most from Deir Ezzor and Raqqa
- 950 foreigners linked to ISIS and their families
- NGO Blumont runs camp management for the UN
- One of the nine official (UN recognised) camps in the region
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Tips for job-seekers
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- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
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The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
At Eternity’s Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars
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THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Indoor Cricket World Cup Dubai 2017
Venue Insportz, Dubai; Admission Free
Fixtures - Open Men 2pm: India v New Zealand, Malaysia v UAE, Singapore v South Africa, Sri Lanka v England; 8pm: Australia v Singapore, India v Sri Lanka, England v Malaysia, New Zealand v South Africa
Fixtures - Open Women Noon: New Zealand v England, UAE v Australia; 6pm: England v South Africa, New Zealand v Australia
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
FIGHT CARD
1. Featherweight 66kg
Ben Lucas (AUS) v Ibrahim Kendil (EGY)
2. Lightweight 70kg
Mohammed Kareem Aljnan (SYR) v Alphonse Besala (CMR)
3. Welterweight 77kg
Marcos Costa (BRA) v Abdelhakim Wahid (MAR)
4. Lightweight 70kg
Omar Ramadan (EGY) v Abdimitalipov Atabek (KGZ)
5. Featherweight 66kg
Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Kagimu Kigga (UGA)
6. Catchweight 85kg
Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) v Iuri Fraga (BRA)
7. Featherweight 66kg
Yousef Al Husani (UAE) v Mohamed Allam (EGY)
8. Catchweight 73kg
Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Abdipatta Abdizhali (KGZ)
9. Featherweight 66kg
Jaures Dea (CMR) v Andre Pinheiro (BRA)
10. Catchweight 90kg
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)