KUALA LUMPUR // The lot of fast bowlers in Asia are not always a happy one. For every rare chance they get to display their wares on a seaming, green-top, there are at least 10 occasions when they will be flogged to within an inch of retirement on featherbed, batting idylls.
Then there was the heat. When the UAE travelled to Lahore to pit themselves against Test sides in the Asia Cup last month, temperatures were stifling.
Pity poor Zahid Shah, who led the attack for the part-timers from the Emirates against the power-hitters from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Pakistan.
As the fastest bowler in the UAE, he begins his run-up from halfway to the boundary. By the time he finished his 10-over spell in the opening game against Bangladesh, he could barely walk.
Even though the innings still had a few overs to run, he hobbled straight from the field to the sanctuary of the air-conditioned dressing-room.
Yet, there had been no way he could ever contemplate giving up. Some people had made far greater sacrifices just to come and watch him play. "My mum was there in Lahore," recalls Zahid, a 28-year-old quick-bowler who works in the collections department of Emirates Islamic Bank. "She was praying for me. I am thankful to my parents, they have always been behind me.
"She came from Peshawar, by bus. We are quite a poor family. We don't have many assets over there. The drive took six hours.
"It was always my dream to play on that field for Pakistan - but it came true when I played there for the UAE instead."
Heading to Malaysia for the ACC Trophy this week, Zahid could fairly have expected greater returns for far less effort than he showed in Pakistan.
The UAE had been unbeaten in the competition for eight years - yet they were humbled by their unheralded neighbours Saudi Arabia in their opening game this time round.
They got their challenge back on track by beating Afghanistan by three wickets on Saturday, and Zahid was at the wicket, in his less regular guise as a batsman, when victory was sealed.
It was a significant victory. Cricket provides a glorious distraction for the players of strife-torn Afghanistan, a sentiment with which Zahid can empathise.
Zahid was the most incisive bowler in the competition after spin-sensation Ajantha Mendis. While he was performing heroics at the Asia Cup, violence was raging in his native North West Frontier Province which borders Afganistan.
"It is very sad for the people there," said Zahid, who represented Peshawar in Pakistan's most prestigious one-day tournament before moving to the UAE.
"It is mostly confined to the villages and the frontier areas, rather than actually in Peshawar, so luckily my family are not really affected. I feel very sad for those people who are affected by it."
Accepted knowledge suggests opening bowlers, especially when they are the fastest in their country, are usually single-minded, attention-seekers. Consider the case of Shoaib Akhtar.
However, listening to Zahid, you would think all his achievements were attained via consensus, and that he was merely a conduit of everyone else's good work.
His heroic effort of his full quota of overs in the searing heat of the Lahore summer was all down to the coaches, according to Zahid.
"The weather wasn't just a bit hot - it was extremely hot. It was difficult to overcome that, but thanks to our physio [Chitrala] Sudhaker, and our coach [Vasbert Drakes], we could. They worked on us a lot in the lead-up to the tournament, and thanks to that we were able to cope."
And what of his rise to prominence in UAE cricket? "My ambition was always to play for Pakistan, but we had family problems, and I had to choose between cricket and helping my family.
"I opted to help my family, so I moved here to UAE. At that time, I didn't even know there was cricket in the UAE, and I certainly didn't expect to play for the national team.
"I got a breakthrough when I was at Belhasa Driving Centre. They helped me a lot to play domestic cricket, and I am very grateful to them.
"They were really proud when I got the chance to represent the UAE. It was thanks to them that I got the chance."
He credits the UAE's former chief selector, Abdul Razzak Kazim, and the Emirates Cricket Board administrator, Mazhar Khan, for giving him the chance to flourish on the top stage.
"I am indebted to them, and to all the coaches who have helped me," he says. "The rewards were there in the Asia Cup."
@Email:pradley@thenational.ae
Straightforward ways to reduce sugar in your family's diet
- Ban fruit juice and sodas
- Eat a hearty breakfast that contains fats and wholegrains, such as peanut butter on multigrain toast or full-fat plain yoghurt with whole fruit and nuts, to avoid the need for a 10am snack
- Give young children plain yoghurt with whole fruits mashed into it
- Reduce the number of cakes, biscuits and sweets. Reserve them for a treat
- Don’t eat dessert every day
- Make your own smoothies. Always use the whole fruit to maintain the benefit of its fibre content and don’t add any sweeteners
- Always go for natural whole foods over processed, packaged foods. Ask yourself would your grandmother have eaten it?
- Read food labels if you really do feel the need to buy processed food
- Eat everything in moderation
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
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Fixtures:
Thursday:
Hatta v Al Jazira, 4.55pm
Al Wasl v Dibba, 7.45pm
Friday:
Al Dhafra v Al Nasr, 5.05pm
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai v Al Wahda, 7.45pm
Saturday:
Ajman v Emirates, 4.55pm
Al Ain v Sharjah, 7.45pm
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20Z%20FOLD5
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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Men's football draw
Group A: UAE, Spain, South Africa, Jamaica
Group B: Bangladesh, Serbia, Korea
Group C: Bharat, Denmark, Kenya, USA
Group D: Oman, Austria, Rwanda
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Bahrain%20GP
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km
Price: from Dh547,600
On sale: now