Writing in
The National, Paul Radley, charts out the craze for tape-ball cricket among people from various walks of life, including fast bowler Mohammed Naveed, who represented UAE in the 2015 World Cup.
While his teammates crouch between two Isuzu utility vehicles to shade themselves from the early morning sun, a batsman removes his sandals and stands in front a set of thin metal stumps.
It is an internal match between the staff of a construction firm, in the nearest car park to their company accommodation in Al Quoz. A friendly, as it were. Although it doesn't seem so friendly just at the moment.
With the Burj Khalifa cutting into the blue sky behind him, a bowler runs in, and hurls the ball down, full tilt. The batsman swings and, it appears, misses.
And there is about to be a row.
Words which, judged by the tone in which they are delivered, might well include expletives, are shouted between the opposing players in Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi.