Waheed’s heroics not enough as Saudi Arabia lose to Bahrain

Special Waheed’s heroics not enough as Saudi Arabia lose to Bahrain
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Abdul Waheed’s century proved in vain as Saudi Arabia lost to Bahrain in their first match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier B in Doha, Qatar. (AN Photo/Subas Humagain)
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Updated 20 November 2024
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Waheed’s heroics not enough as Saudi Arabia lose to Bahrain

Waheed’s heroics not enough as Saudi Arabia lose to Bahrain
  • Opener Abdul Waheed scores a century but Kingdom defeated in Qatar
  • Waheed is confident that the team are capable of turning the tables in their upcoming matches

RIYADH: Opener Abdul Waheed went through a bittersweet experience as his maiden T20I century proved in vain as Saudi Arabia lost to Bahrain in their first match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier B in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday.

Waheed, who almost single-handedly led Saudi Arabia’s chase of 189 runs, was caught out on the last ball as the Kingdom ended three runs short of Bahrain’s total. Saudi Arabia ended on 185-9 in reply to Bahrain’s 188-5 in 20 overs.

Saudi Arabia needed 11 runs to win off Bahrain player Imran Anwar’s last over, with Waheed off the strike. Usman Najeeb ran a bye to give the talisman his chance. Waheed then ran a couple on the second ball. Anwar then bowled two dots in the next two balls as Waheed felt the pressure.

With eight required off the last two balls, Waheed scored a boundary on the penultimate ball. But his shot on the final ball failed to beat the fielder and Saudi ended up losing the match. Anwar, under pressure, bowled a full toss that Waheed clobbered toward the long-off region but it failed to clear the boundary.

Waheed’s innings ended on 110 runs, which included eight fours and seven sixes. After being dismissed for 99 earlier in February against Cambodia, Waheed finally reached his ton, despite his side failing to register victory.

Saudi had earlier invited Bahrain to bat first at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium. Skipper Haider Ali stood tall for Bahrain as he hammered 67 not out off 51 balls to take the team to 188-5, hitting six fours and two maximums in the process.

Imran Anwar set the tone for the team with 53 off 35 balls, which included two fours and four sixes. Haider and Anwar shared a 95-run partnership for the fourth wicket in just 66 balls. Ishtiaq Ahmad and Usman Najeeb took two wickets each for Saudi Arabia.

Chasing an impressive total, Saudi Arabia kept losing wickets at regular intervals, but Waheed maintained the pace until the end. Vice captain Abdul Manan Ali was the next main contributor with 25 runs off 19 balls.

Manan Ali and Waheed put on 61 runs for the fourth wicket, but Waheed kept running out of partners. Ali Dawood, Imran Khan, and Imran Anwar took two wickets each for Bahrain, with Anwar taking the prized wickets of Manan Ali and Waheed.

Waheed, speaking to Arab News after the match, was disappointed not to have crossed the finish line but was not too downhearted.

He said: “I had the self-belief that if I could take the match to the end, we could win.

“Even though there was no strong support from the other end apart from Manan, I knew the chase was possible. I saw the scoreboard when we needed around 40 runs and knew one big over would bring the match to our side. We got 16 runs from the 18th over, and I completed my century too.

“I know 18 runs in the last two overs were possible, but it’s unfortunate we couldn’t do it. There were some difficult balls to play, but we didn’t execute our plans there.

“The first four balls in the last over were really good. After I hit a four on the fifth ball, there was a belief I could hit the last one too.

“The last ball was the easiest of the match, and I hit it well too. (It was) bad luck — the wind was against the play, and the long-on fielder held on to the catch.”

Waheed believes there were lessons to be learned, not just for him but the whole squad after five new players featured within their ranks.

He added: “I took the match to the end expecting to finish, but the support was not there.

“If I am in a similar situation next time, I will try to finish it two or three balls earlier so there’s less pressure. Other players in the team also understood how important it is to support a set batter in the middle.”

Waheed said he was too focused on the game to celebrate his milestone, adding: “I was just looking at the per-over economy rather than enjoying the century.

“Individual scores don’t mean anything if the team doesn’t win. I would swap it if it meant the team would win. Yes, a little bit of happiness is there for the milestone, but the team losing hurts more.”

Waheed is nevertheless confident that the team are capable of turning the tables in their upcoming matches. Saudi Arabia face the UAE on Wednesday, and he believes it could represent a good chance of victory.

He said: “We have a good batting unit this time, with batters who can come in at eight or nine and hit big. But we lack experience. There are five new players in the team and they learned a good lesson today.

“I have been playing for 12 years and have faced big teams. Those matches have prepared me to face bigger challenges. We have good batters and they just need to express themselves now.

“The UAE is our next opponent. We came up with extra plans this time to not just participate but to win as well. We knew matches would be close and if we win against the UAE it will open doors. We are focused on the tournament.”

In other matches on Tuesday, the UAE defeated Bhutan by 63 runs, while Qatar beat Thailand by five wickets.

Seven nations are taking part in the tournament with hosts Qatar joined by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Bhutan, Cambodia, Thailand, and the UAE. The top two teams from the qualifier will compete in the Asia-East Asia-Pacific regional final, which is a pathway for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to be held in 2026.

Malaysia and Kuwait have already qualified for the regional final from the Asia Group A qualifier, while Samoa and Japan are representing in the East Asia-Pacific A and East Asia-Pacific B qualifiers, respectively.

Nepal, Oman, and Papua New Guinea have also qualified for the regional finals.


New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson to miss the Champions Trophy with a foot injury

New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson to miss the Champions Trophy with a foot injury
Updated 59 min 24 sec ago
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New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson to miss the Champions Trophy with a foot injury

New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson to miss the Champions Trophy with a foot injury
  • Coach Gary Stead calls Ferguson key part of the bowling group who was excited about the tournament
  • His place will be taken by Kyle Jamieson, who played his most-recent ODI match in September, 2023

WELLINGTON, New Zealand: New Zealand has had another setback ahead of the International Cricket Council’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan, losing fast bowler Lockie Ferguson to a foot injury.
Ferguson was injured in a warm-up match against Afghanistan on Sunday. He will return home immediately and his place in the New Zealand squad will be taken by Kyle Jamieson, who played his most-recent one-day international in September, 2023.
The injury to Ferguson follows the loss of another fast bowler, Ben Sears, to a hamstring injury.
“We’re really disappointed for Lockie,” New Zealand coach Gary Stead said. “Lockie is a key part of the bowling group and brings a lot of major tournament experience and we know how much he was looking forward to representing New Zealand at another major event.
“We wish him well for his recovery and hope he is back firing soon.”


Stead said Jamieson has a skill set which makes him an effective replacement for Ferguson.
“Kyle brings plenty of pace and extra bounce which will suit the conditions here in Pakistan,” Stead said. “He’s shown since returning in the (New Zealand domestic cricket) how effective he can be in the shorter forms of the game and he’s bowled with real pace and energy, which is what you’re looking for.”
New Zealand plays its first match in the Champions Trophy against host Pakistan on Wednesday.


Bebeto’s baby Mattheus Oliveira now chasing success at UAE’s Al-Nasr

Bebeto’s baby Mattheus Oliveira now chasing success at UAE’s Al-Nasr
Updated 18 February 2025
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Bebeto’s baby Mattheus Oliveira now chasing success at UAE’s Al-Nasr

Bebeto’s baby Mattheus Oliveira now chasing success at UAE’s Al-Nasr
  • The player made famous years ago by his father’s iconic goal celebration spoke to Arab News about the UAE move and his friendship with Vinicius Jr.

LONDON: There is nothing atypical about a father going to watch his son play football, even when it is thousands of kilometers from home. What is a little more unusual, however, is when the team is Khor Fakkan and the father is one of the greatest Brazilian players of all time.

In early January, the 7,500-capacity Saqr bin Mohammad Al-Qassimi Stadium hosted Bebeto, whose glittering 20-year career included star turns on the pitches of iconic grounds such as the Maracana, Camp Nou and the Bernabeu.

The legendary Brazilian striker was in town to watch his son Mattheus Oliviera, who put in his best display yet for Khor Fakkan — setting up two goals in a 5-2 victory over Baniyas.

Mattheus, in his first season in the UAE Pro League, has since joined Al-Nasr — making a switch this week that sees him trade a relegation battle for a fight for third place and a spot in the AFC Champions League 2 group stage.

The winger ended nearly a decade-long spell in Portuguese football to move to the UAE last summer.

“It is completely new for me but I’m liking the football here so far,” Mattheus told Arab News in an exclusive interview. “It’s difficult with the heat but I am enjoying how different it is and the people are very warm here in the UAE.”

Mattheus’ decision to swap Portugal for the Gulf came after he sought advice from his brother-in-law Carlos Eduardo.

The midfielder was an influential player for Al-Hilal, Shabab Al-Ahli and Al-Ahli Jeddah before returning to Brazil, where he won a historic Copa Libertadores title with Botafogo last November.

“I spoke with him a lot when I was in Brazil last summer,” Mattheus revealed. “I wanted to know about the country, the league and of course the culture.

“He said a lot of good things to me so it helped me decide to sign the contract. I spoke with my family too and we agreed it was time for a new project in our lives.”

Of course, Mattheus also consulted his father. The 30-year-old midfielder has followed in the footsteps of many Brazilian players who have made the UAE Pro League their home — though Bebeto is not one of them.

Bebeto — whose 35 goals for the Brazil national team are only surpassed by Zico, Romario, Ronaldo, Pele and Neymar — did play in the Gulf, but it was for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad. The Jeddah giants were the final club of his illustrious career.

“We lived in Saudi for a few months. I was probably about 8 years old,” Mattheus recalled.

“I can really remember him playing at Al-Ittihad, it was the last six months of his career. It’s funny now that I’m back here in the region.”

It is not the first time that Mattheus’ career path has crossed his father’s. In Brazil, the attacking midfielder came through the youth system at Flamengo, where Bebeto scored most of his goals in domestic football.

It was here that Mattheus was first alerted to the ability of another, younger player in Flamengo’s academy.

“The first time I saw Vinicius Jr. he was around 9 years old; by the time he was 12, you already knew that he was a special player,” Mattheus said.

“He was very fast and very confident. He can lose the ball 20 times in a game but he will try 50 more times to make things happen and one he’s going to score for sure.

“I’m very happy for him because he’s my friend. I know him and I know his family. We had a good relationship and he’s a very humble guy. He is playing for Real Madrid in the top of the world but is the same guy he was as a kid.

“What he did last year and he continued to do this year is completely amazing and it has been great to see because I know he deserves this.”

Vinicius Jr. was snapped up by Real Madrid at the age of 18 but for Mattheus, the move to Europe came at a slightly later age.

After finding the label of “Bebeto’s son” tough to deal with at Flamengo, a 21-year-old Mattheus — by that time a Brazil under-20 international —initially went on loan to Portuguese side Estoril and later moved to Sporting in 2021.

“In Brazil it was very difficult to be his son because he’s a legend of the game there,” Mattheus said.

“They were comparing me the whole time and you hear people saying ‘you are only here at Flamengo and you are only going to the national team because you are Bebeto’s son.’

“It was the main reason I wanted to go to Europe because I didn’t want those comparisons; I think the whole experience made me grow up faster.

“But to me it will always be a blessing to have Bebeto as my father. I’ve had my own personal coach, a legend of the game, teaching me the right things to do on the pitch.”

It was on the pitch that Bebeto created one of football’s most iconic moments during the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the US.

After scoring Brazil’s second goal against Netherlands in the quarterfinal, Bebeto delighted the crowd at Dallas’ Cotton Bowl with a ‘baby rocking’ celebration — along with teammates Romario and Mazinho.

It was an instinctive, emotional tribute to Mattheus, who had been born two days earlier.

“It’s completely crazy because I travel a lot with my family and everywhere we go, people look at me and say to him, ‘this is the kid you did the celebration for?’ It was 30 years ago and people are still doing it to him now.

“To him, the celebration was a natural thing to do because when my brother and my sister were born, he was there to get them in his arms. When he was playing in the World Cup, he wasn’t there with my mother, so he did this. I love that he did it.”

Mattheus still has the photo of the celebration hanging above his bed at his family home in Brazil, but the midfielder has now forged his own path in football.

At Sporting, he counted Rafael Leao and Bruno Fernandes as friends and teammates, and played under current Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim.

In the UAE he emerged as a key creative force for Khor Fakkan, earning the move to Al-Nasr for the rest of the 2024-25 season. Still, Mattheus knows that whatever his circumstances and wherever in the world he plays, his father will always be on hand to support him.

“After the game (against Baniyas in January), we went back to my house and he’s still giving me advice. I think it’s the most beautiful thing to play a game of football and have him talk to me about it afterwards.

“My dad was a football player; he made history in football. I think it was in my blood to play this game and it is something special. It is a gift.”


‘Couldn’t have scripted it better’ — Baseball United chief’s pride after record UAE Series attendance and viewing

‘Couldn’t have scripted it better’ — Baseball United chief’s pride after record UAE Series attendance and viewing
Updated 18 February 2025
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‘Couldn’t have scripted it better’ — Baseball United chief’s pride after record UAE Series attendance and viewing

‘Couldn’t have scripted it better’ — Baseball United chief’s pride after record UAE Series attendance and viewing
  • The historic 3-game series between the Arabia Wolves and Mid East Falcons — the UAE’s first professional baseball teams — was watched in more than 100 countries

DUBAI: A record three million viewers watched the three-game UAE Series between the Arabia Wolves and the Mid East Falcons last weekend, Baseball United has announced.

The series was carried by 17 linear and digital broadcast partners and drew viewers from more than 100 countries including the US, Canada, Mexico, Japan, France, the UK, Italy, Australia, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, India, Pakistan, South Africa and Saudi Arabia, making it the most-watched baseball event in the history of the region.

The series marked the first time the Wolves and the Falcons — the league’s two UAE-based franchises — took the field. The Dubai-based Wolves won all three games, including a close 5-4 victory in Sunday’s finale.

The series was hosted at Baseball United’s new ballpark at The Sevens sports and entertainment complex in Dubai and was a complete sellout. The modular seating currently accommodates 3,000 fans, with plans to scale up to 10,000 for future events.

“We are truly grateful to reach another set of milestones on our journey toward building the region’s next great sport,” said Kash Shaikh, chairman, CEO and co-founder of Baseball United, the first professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and Indian subcontinent.

“This past weekend, we put two of our franchises on the field for the first time. We had several of the world’s best baseball players playing for the first time at our new ballpark. We sold out each night. We reached millions of new fans on social media. And we had a record number of broadcast partners and viewers. And, of course, we had three great games of high-quality baseball. We couldn’t have scripted it any better. I’m very thankful to all of our partners, and very proud of our Baseball United team.”

The Arabia Wolves won the opening game 6-5, with left-fielder Courtney Hawkins hitting a solo home run to provide the difference. Brian Schlitter, who previously played in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics, and in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Saitama Seibu Lions, got the win.

On Saturday night, the Wolves ran away with an 11-0 victory behind a dominant pitching performance from starter Cameron Gann. Gann pitched five innings and struck out nine for the win. Wolves prospect Ernest Ohandza, the first professional baseball player in the history of Cameroon, struck out the final batter to end the night.

Sunday night was another close affair, with the Falcons mounting a late rally to turn a four-run deficit into a one-run game. Local prospect Lorenzo Riddle got the win for the hometown Wolves, with Connor Panas and Didi Gregorius both going deep for the red and black. Panas was originally drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015, and Gregorius spent 11 years in MLB, including five as the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees.

The teams were managed by game veterans John McLaren (Wolves) and Dennis Cook (Falcons), while future baseball hall of famer Albert Pujols was part of the pregame ceremonies and served as the broadcast analyst for all three games.

Baseball United built its new ballpark in just 38 days last year. Since then it has hosted the largest international amateur baseball tournament in the history of the region, the Arab Classic, along with this past weekend’s inaugural professional games. The league will be on hiatus during Ramadan and the summer months, returning to action in October.


LIV Golf stars Garcia and Reed set for International Series Macau

LIV Golf stars Garcia and Reed set for International Series Macau
Updated 18 February 2025
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LIV Golf stars Garcia and Reed set for International Series Macau

LIV Golf stars Garcia and Reed set for International Series Macau
  • The Asian Tour event has this year been named as a qualifying pathway event for The Open

MACAU: Major champions Sergio Garcia and Patrick Reed are the latest big names confirmed for the International Series Macau presented by Wynn, the elevated Asian Tour tournament that is a qualifying event for The Open this year.

The 2017 and 2018 Masters champions, respectively, will be part of a stellar field at Macau Golf and Country Club from March 20 to 23. The lineup includes defending champion John Catlin, who shot a historic 59 to claim a thrilling playoff victory at the same venue last year.

Spaniard Garcia, captain of the Fireballs GC in the LIV Golf League, will bring his entire team for the second of 10 elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar.

Mexican Abraham Ancer, the LIV Golf Hong Kong 2024 champion, Spaniard David Puig, who lost in the playoff to Catlin last year, and close-season recruit Luis Masaveu will all line up in Macau.

All four Fireballs GC players have shown good form this season, having secured the team title at the recent LIV Golf Adelaide by an emphatic six strokes.  

Hong Kong native Taichi Kho, the 2023 World City Championship winner, is also confirmed as part of a truly international field, with more big names to be revealed soon.

Garcia had an impressive 2024, recording his maiden win in the LIV Golf League at LIV Golf Andalucia, having lost in two playoffs — Mayakoba and Miami — earlier in the season.

The Ryder Cup legend finished third in the league’s overall individual standings, behind Jon Rahm and Joaquin Niemann.

Reed, who won the famous green jacket at Augusta a year after Garcia in 2018 and lined up against the Spaniard three times in the Ryder Cup, also had an impressive 2024.

The American, who plays for 4Aces GC in the LIV Golf league, stormed to a runaway victory at the Link Hong Kong Open on The International Series, ending a four-year drought.

The Macau contest was recently named as a tournament on The Open Qualifying Series for 2025, with the top three finishers set to earn a coveted spot in the field for this year’s fourth major.

Rahul Singh, head of The International Series, said: “Welcoming a field of this caliber, featuring major champions, LIV Golf stars, and rising talent, takes International Series Macau presented by Wynn to another level.

“The presence of globally recognized players alongside proven winners from The International Series and Asian Tour adds incredible depth to the competition, making this a must-watch event. With so much at stake, including three places in the field for The Open, we’re set for an electrifying week of world-class golf.”


Arab star Ons Jabeur fights through pain, but comes up short against Peyton Stearns in Dubai

Arab star Ons Jabeur fights through pain, but comes up short against Peyton Stearns in Dubai
Updated 18 February 2025
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Arab star Ons Jabeur fights through pain, but comes up short against Peyton Stearns in Dubai

Arab star Ons Jabeur fights through pain, but comes up short against Peyton Stearns in Dubai
  • ‘I didn’t want to just retire,’ says Arab No. 1 Jabeur, who was appearing at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships for first time since 2022, as emirate celebrates 25-year anniversary of its WTA event

DUBAI: Ons Jabeur let a lead slip and grimaced in pain as she crashed out of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Monday night, falling in the first round to American Peyton Stearns 6-7(6), 4-6 in front of a vocal Centre Court crowd.

The Tunisian, a former world No. 2 who became the first Arab to reach a Grand Slam final at Wimbledon three years ago, had been forced to miss the past two editions of the Dubai tournament through injury.

Yet she was determined to be a part of this year’s lineup, which marks the landmark 25th anniversary of the women’s event in the emirate.

Enjoying strong support inside the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium with a series of Tunisian flags dotted among the crowd, the three-time Grand Slam finalist raced into the lead, breaking Stearns in the American’s first service game.

Yet she was unable to capitalize and allowed her opponent — ranked 14 places below her at No. 46 — back into the tie after serving a double fault on a break point in the fourth game.

Jabeur even managed to break again and found herself serving for the first set, but failed to close it out, and throwing her racquet on the ground in anger.

During a tight tie-break, another double fault saw Jabeur hand Stearns the momentum at 5-6 and the American went on to convert her first set point to claim the opener.

“Peyton is a really good player,” Jabeur said. “We practice a lot together, more last year and the year before, but yeah, she’s a tough opponent.

“She has a lot to improve for sure, but I see her in a much better ranking than this. I wish her all the best for the future. She handled moments very well during the match and hope she can make it very far.”

Jabeur is a resident of Dubai and was one of the most popular players in a field stacked with 36 of the top 40 women this week.

Understandably then, despite calling a medical timeout to assess her left thigh, she was keen to battle on, saving three break points in the opening exchanges of the second set.

It was not enough though and despite showing the fight for which she has become renowned, her service was broken in the third game and Stearns held on to complete a straight sets win.

“It was pretty tough today,” admitted Jabeur, who arrived in Dubai after quarterfinal runs in both Abu Dhabi and Doha in the past fortnight.

“I wasn’t 100 percent, obviously. I didn’t think I had enough time to recover from both tournaments, but I was there, trying my best. I didn’t want to just retire. I wanted to try more and see how it went.”

On her thigh issue, she added: “It’s nothing really serious. I just wasn’t feeling 100 percent physically. I feel I’ve been tired; I haven’t been sleeping as well as I was hoping to be sleeping.

“It was difficult to really recover from Abu Dhabi, Doha, and now to come here. I felt it was like a long tour for me. I was hoping to really play good here, but unfortunately it wasn’t the case.”

For her part, Stearns — making only her second appearance in the emirate — stood up to the challenge when it mattered most to claim an 11th career win against a top-50 player.

She faces another tough test on Tuesday against No. 7 seed Zheng Qinwen of China.

“I’m super happy with myself that I stayed in the match,” said Stearns. “I fought hard, dug deep, and all that good stuff. Ons is a great player and also a great person. It’s never fun playing those kind of people, but I knew I would need to play well against her.”

Earlier in the day, No. 13 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia was eliminated by Anastasia Potapova 3-6, 0-6 before No. 10 seed Daria Kasatkina also lost 1-6, 6-4 to Romanian wildcard Sorana Cirstea.

Jelena Ostapenko — the winner here in 2022 — also slipped out in the first round, with Japanese qualifier Moyuka Uchijima claiming a memorable 6-3, 6-3 win.

Tuesday will have the eight top seeds get their Dubai 2025 campaigns underway, with all four of the world’s leading players in action on Centre Court.

Reigning Dubai champion Jasmine Paolini meets German qualifier Eva Lys in the day’s first match, before world No. 2 Iga Swiatek faces Victoria Azarenka, and No. 3 seed Coco Gauff takes on fellow American McCartney Kessler.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will be in the last match of the day, when she meets 2022 finalist Veronika Kudermetova.

The 25th edition of the annual WTA 1000 event is running until Feb. 22, before the 33rd staging of Dubai’s ATP Tour 500 tournament from Feb. 24 to March 1.