AUCKLAND // Back in 2003, when wanderlust first grabbed Imran Tahir and led him to England to try to make a profession from cricket, he was offered a chance with Middlesex in the county game.
His debut was set to be aired live on Sky television. A one-day knockout match in May, against a Northamptonshire side including Mike Hussey and Graeme Swann, among other less luminous names.
Sounds a grand occasion, doesn’t it? Hardly. The TV audience only numbered in the hundreds, and there were not many more there in the flesh, either.
His side won by 26 runs defending a mere 214. He bowled 10 wicketless overs for 41, which was considered expensive in the context of the game.
Cricket has clearly changed out of sight since then, and so, too, has Tahir. He did not have the frosted highlights, the spiky hair, or the beard back then. And he was still a long way from being South African, as well.
The point of referencing that match is he was, by all accounts, a bundle of nerves before he took the field. Even though it was a low-key fixture, in front of not much more than two men and a Jack Russell Terrier.
Twelve years on, he is going to be a central figure in a match played on opposition territory, with 40,000 in the stands at Eden Park, as well as millions watching on TV.
Faced with the musclemen of New Zealand and their unpressed, high-powered bats, defending modest straight boundaries, with a place in the World Cup final at stake, he is going to need nerves of steel on Tuesday.
Tahir has broad shoulders now, though. He has the benefit of a lengthy professional career to draw on, including stints in the Indian Premier League and four years as an international player.
Tahir has without question become a big-match player, if statistics are a guide. Of his 70 ODI wickets, 29 have come in World Cup matches.
He has gone wicketless in only one of the 13 matches he has played in 50-over cricket’s showpiece event, and that counted for little as they thrashed Ireland in Canberra anyway.
Tahir took four wickets, including the talisman Mahela Jayawardene, and was the man of the match as South Africa ended their World Cup knockout struggles against Sri Lanka to reach this point.
To escape the chokers tag, some have mischievously said, they needed to import a Pakistani to do the business.
Tahir did, after all, play 16 one-day internationals for Pakistan’s Under 19s at the start of his career. Do not doubt his allegiance now, though.
“I think I am more South African than Pakistani now,” Tahir said after taking five wickets in a Test match in Dubai in October 2013.
“I am really honoured to be playing for South Africa. I appreciate what I have got from South Africa, and I will always remember that till the day I die. The country will never be forgotten from my heart.”
Tahir even used his love for his adopted country as the reason to explain his manic wicket celebrations, after the quarter-final win over Sri Lanka in Sydney.
“It is just because I want to enjoy everything I do for this team,” said Tahir, who will celebrate his 36th birthday on Friday, two days before the final in Melbourne.
“This is a dream, you know. Because maybe there is a million people who do not have this opportunity I have.
“To play for this team is just an absolute honour, and I think every wicket I take is just for South Africa. It has just given me such joy.”
pradley@thenational.ae
Follow our sports coverage on Twitter @NatSportUAE
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Director: Paul Weitz
Stars: Kevin Hart
3/5 stars
The bio
Academics: Phd in strategic management in University of Wales
Number one caps: His best-seller caps are in shades of grey, blue, black and yellow
Reading: Is immersed in books on colours to understand more about the usage of different shades
Sport: Started playing polo two years ago. Helps him relax, plus he enjoys the speed and focus
Cars: Loves exotic cars and currently drives a Bentley Bentayga
Holiday: Favourite travel destinations are London and St Tropez
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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The specs
Price, base: Dh228,000 / Dh232,000 (est)
Engine: 5.7-litre Hemi V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 552Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.5L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 0.8-litre four cylinder
Power: 70bhp
Torque: 66Nm
Transmission: four-speed manual
Price: $1,075 new in 1967, now valued at $40,000
On sale: Models from 1966 to 1970
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Smart words at Make Smart Cool
Make Smart Cool is not your usual festival. Dubbed “edutainment” by organisers Najahi Events, Make Smart Cool aims to inspire its youthful target audience through a mix of interactive presentation by social media influencers and a concert finale featuring Example with DJ Wire. Here are some of the speakers sharing their inspiration and experiences on the night.
Prince Ea
With his social media videos accumulating more half a billion views, the American motivational speaker is hot on the college circuit in the US, with talks that focus on the many ways to generate passion and motivation when it comes to learning.
Khalid Al Ameri
The Emirati columnist and presenter is much loved by local youth, with writings and presentations about education, entrepreneurship and family balance. His lectures on career and personal development are sought after by the education and business sector.
Ben Ouattara
Born to an Ivorian father and German mother, the Dubai-based fitness instructor and motivational speaker is all about conquering fears and insecurities. His talk focuses on the need to gain emotional and physical fitness when facing life’s challenges. As well managing his film production company, Ouattara is one of the official ambassadors of Dubai Expo2020.
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,100,000 (est)
Engine 5.2-litre V10
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch
Power 630bhp @ 8,000rpm
Torque 600Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 15.7L / 100km (est)
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How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
Company%20Profile
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
