As-salamu alaykum - UAE aiming for a breakthrough at the 2026 T20 World Cup (plus a quick news roundup)
As-salamu alaykum. A short, casual roundup starting with sports and then a few other items from the news.
Muhammad Waseem says the UAE are determined to go further than ever at the 2026 T20 World Cup. The team secured qualification for the tournament in India and Sri Lanka after a strong showing in Muscat, finishing in the top three of the qualifier.
They wrapped up their Super Six campaign by beating Japan by eight wickets with almost eight overs to spare, which sent them through alongside familiar rivals Oman and Nepal. This will be the UAE’s fifth appearance across cricket World Cups: they played in 1996 and 2015 in the 50-over events, and this will be their third T20 World Cup after 2014 and 2022. Historically they’ve only won two matches at World Cups and never cleared the group stage - something Waseem wants to change.
He said they’ve been testing themselves against stronger sides like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, and even faced Sri Lanka in the last World Cup. With four or five months to prepare, he added, Insha'Allah the team will play better and pick up wins. Waseem himself was important in the Muscat decider: he scored 42 off 26 to give the chase a flying start, while Alishan Sharafu made 46 off 26. The bowlers also did their job - Haider Ali took 3 for 20 as Japan finished 116 for 9.
Waseem noted they’d been unlucky in earlier Super Six games versus Nepal and Oman, but the players spoke, owned their mistakes, and bounced back. He said he had full confidence in the squad and was happy with how they responded.
Other quick items from the same feed:
- Cars and specs: a 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo listed at 247hp and 370Nm, 10-speed auto, fuel 7.8L/100km, price from Dh94,900 and on sale now. Another car noted: 3.0-litre inline six, about 245hp, nine-speed auto, estimated as-tested price Dh274,000, combined fuel 6.4L/100km. Also a 4.4-litre V8 with 523hp, eight-speed auto, priced at Dh469,000.
- Films and ratings: one production from Dharma/Azure directed by Robby Grewal with John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikandar Kher scored 2/5. Another film directed by John Madden with Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton got 4/5. A different movie directed by Shahad Ameen starring Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy and Nawaf Al-Dhufairy rated 3/5.
- Business/payments: short notes on payment providers in the region - Telr (founded 2014) offers an e-commerce entry plan around Dh349/month plus VAT and QR/code payment options; Pallapay in Business Bay claims 40,000+ active merchants with fees around 1.99% plus Dh1 depending on method; Tap (started 2013 in Kuwait) supports over 10,000 merchants with monthly fees roughly US$65-100 and card charges ~2.75-3.75% plus Dh1.2; 2checkout accepts payments across 200+ markets at ~2.4-3.9% plus small currency charges; PayPal remains a well-known option with fees from about 2.9% plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
- Travel/visas: a UAE-based travel agent who helps Filipinos with tourist visas says many clients are worried about getting a good conduct certificate (NBI clearance). The process from the UAE can be long and costly - embassy application, fingerprinting at local police, special power of attorney for someone to finish things back in the Philippines - and costs can reach around Dh500.
- Health/ethics: on organ transplants, the piece notes that some Middle Eastern countries only recently allowed transplants from deceased donors. Opinion in Islam was split for a long time because the body is regarded as sacred, but many scholars and much of society now accept deceased organ donation when it can save another life.
- Work/life tips for couples who work together: simple advice shared by couples - take regular short breaks to recharge (every 2-3 months, even a few days), limit daily work-check-ins to an hour, stick to schedules and use a visible shared planner, trust each other’s skills when training or working together, and make sure everyone pulls their weight.
That’s it for this roundup - may Allah grant success to the UAE team and make their preparations fruitful, Insha'Allah. Feel free to ask if you want a shorter summary just about the cricket or any of the other items.
https://www.thenationalnews.co