DUBAI // Aaqib Javed says he is "definitely looking for the job" of Pakistan coach after Waqar Younis resigned from the role.
The UAE coach says he was told last week he would be considered if Waqar, who was a former playing colleague of his with Pakistan, vacated the position.
After Pakistan's poor performances in both the World Twenty20 and the Asia Cup that preceded it, captain Shahid Afridi and coach Waqar have both stepped down.
Aaqib believes he could “make a difference” to Pakistan cricket, and that “every person would be proud to help and work for the country where belong to”.
"I am definitely looking for this job if they consider me," Aaqib, who has been head coach of the UAE since 2012, told The National.
“I have worked really hard for the past 15 years, have learned a lot, and UAE has really helped me a lot.
“They rang me about a week ago and said ‘We are considering you as one of the candidates for the head coach job for the Pakistan team if Waqar goes’. I still believe I am one of the candidates.”
Read more:
Waqar Younis resigns as Pakistan cricket coach as UAE’s Aaqib Javed could fill void
Shahid Afridi steps down as Pakistan T20 captain ‘of my own volition’
If Aaqib was offered the job, the Emirates Cricket Board would be unlikely to stand in the way of a man who has helped transform the game in this country.
The national team have qualified for both the World Twenty20 and the 50 over World Cup on his watch, having not played at a global competition in 16 years before he arrived.
Aaqib left the role of bowling coach of the Pakistan national team to move to the UAE four years ago, and he says he is ready to rejoin the fold, if required.
“When I took over the UAE job, it was a brave decision,” he said. “Thanks to God, I am so satisfied we have achieved all the targets we had. This is what drives you forward.
“Previously I worked with the Pakistan team for three and a half years as the assistant coach and bowling coach.
“I have 15 years experienced and am the only Pakistani coach who started at the grassroots level, with under 15, 17 and 19 years, and spent a good time with the A team.
“All these guys [Pakistan’s players] used to work with me, right from Misbah-ul-Haq through to everyone else. I have worked closely with them at the academies.
“I believe if you have done something good for the players when they are young, I think those investments were really good for the person.”
When the job as Pakistan head coach was available in 2014, Aaqib distanced himself from it, suggesting his family were well settled in Dubai.
Although he admits he does covet the role now, Aaqib would consider keeping his family in the UAE, given the national team currently play their home matches here anyway, of he was offered it.
“It is not far away, a two and a half hour journey, so that might be a suitable arrangement,” Aaqib said.
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Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Date: Sunday, November 25
Kanguva
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THE SPECS
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Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 250kph
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How to turn your property into a holiday home
- Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
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Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
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Barcelona v Real Madrid
Semi-final, first leg
Wednesday (midnight UAE)
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Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
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Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
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- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
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Credits
Produced by: Colour Yellow Productions and Eros Now
Director: Mudassar Aziz
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jassi Gill, Piyush Mishra, Diana Penty, Aparshakti Khurrana
Star rating: 2.5/5
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If you go
Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
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1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
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Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS
Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.
Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.
Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.
On Instagram: @WithHopeUAE
Although social media can be harmful to our mental health, paradoxically, one of the antidotes comes with the many social-media accounts devoted to normalising mental-health struggles. With Hope UAE is one of them.
The group, which has about 3,600 followers, was started three years ago by five Emirati women to address the stigma surrounding the subject. Via Instagram, the group recently began featuring personal accounts by Emiratis. The posts are written under the hashtag #mymindmatters, along with a black-and-white photo of the subject holding the group’s signature red balloon.
“Depression is ugly,” says one of the users, Amani. “It paints everything around me and everything in me.”
Saaed, meanwhile, faces the daunting task of caring for four family members with psychological disorders. “I’ve had no support and no resources here to help me,” he says. “It has been, and still is, a one-man battle against the demons of fractured minds.”
In addition to With Hope UAE’s frank social-media presence, the group holds talks and workshops in Dubai. “Change takes time,” Reem Al Ali, vice chairman and a founding member of With Hope UAE, told The National earlier this year. “It won’t happen overnight, and it will take persistent and passionate people to bring about this change.”
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TOP 5 DRIVERS 2019
1 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 10 wins 387 points
2 Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 4 wins, 314 points
3 Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 3 wins, 260 points
4 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 2 wins, 249 points
5 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1 win, 230 points
MATCH INFO
FA Cup fifth round
Chelsea v Manchester United, Monday, 11.30pm (UAE), BeIN Sports
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Tales of Yusuf Tadros
Adel Esmat (translated by Mandy McClure)
Hoopoe
The specs
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Wicked
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Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
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THE SPECS
Touareg Highline
Engine: 3.0-litre, V6
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
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Torque: 450Nm
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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
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How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.