THE ICC WOMEN'S T 20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIER TOURNAMENT DUBLIN JULY-AUG 2013. Through the eyes of the tournament referee Part 1

International cricket match referee, Devdas Govindjee shares his current travel experience with all the blog readers. Dev is currently in Ireland for the ICC Women's T 20 world cup qualifier tournament.I am so blessed to be acquainted with such a wonderful human being who loves to impart and share his knowledge and experiences with the rest of the world.

The Women cricketers representing eight countries are gathering in Dublin Ireland to take part in the ICC's T20 World Cup Qualifier- only 3 of these teams will make it into the draw for the T20 World Cup event scheduled to be held in Bangladesh next year.

Hosts Ireland will have to compete against teams from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Netherlands,Japan, Thailand and Canada for a place at the prestigious World cup event so everything points to some exciting matches starting on Tuesday in Dublin.

As Tournament Referee to the event I left Port Elizabeth on Friday and it was a smooth uneventful journey via Johannesburg and London into Dublin on Saturday around midday.

The majestic Croke Park Stadium is pointed out by the driver when one approaches the hotel with the same name. He informs me that the 82 000 seater is home to popular Gaellic Rugby and the sport of Hurling.

Within walking distance of the hotel one immediately immerses into the Irish lifestyle- the streets have so many homes with the trademark colourful doors and the flowers clustered around lamp poles makes such a pretty sight.

Getting into the Temple Bar area brings the visitor into an entirely new environment - scores of locals and tourists come to this iconic part of the city where the river Liffey glides along and the area just cluttered with brightly painted pubs each with special names- these will provide patrons with good old fashioned Irish dishes or a menu to satisfy the tastes of any visitor. 

Musicians entertain crowds inside pubs and restaurants as street corners or pavements have groups or individuals all exhibiting their own unique entertainment.It creates a buzz in the area which is just so infectious and even a teetotaler like myself would end up sitting in a bar and taking in all that it has to offer.

One could also just find a quiet spot and spend time watching the different visitors from various parts of the world and absorb the sometimes risque dress codes of passers by. With camera in hand it does become a paradise for one with an eye for that "Kodak" moment.

With the sun only going down at around 10 pm there is certainly enough joviality around not to mention litres of Guiness that will get consumed.

With the serious business of a tournament in mind it is time to head back to the hotel and take in a good night's rest- ahead there are stadium inspections, umpire workshops, technical briefings with managers, coaches and captains of the respective teams and a welcome function on Monday evening before the first ball gets bowled at The hills and the YMCA grounds on Tuesday. The morning matches have hosts Ireland playing against Japan and Netherlands playing Zimbabwe with the afternoon matches pitting Sri Lanka against Canada and Pakistan against Thailand.

For update and live scores log into www.espncricinfo.com

The centrally situated Croke Park hotel with the massive Gaellic Football & Hurling stadium across from it. That shall require a special visit during my stay here.

A glimpse of the impressive Croke Park Stadium

After settling in and a rest, time to get familiar with the surrounds.

A quiet Saturday afternoon in this part of Dublin- not so once you hit the city centre and the Temple Bar area where it buzzes!

                                       Calm and tranquil scene- just to take a moment to savour it it all

Along the walk near the hotel had to identify future eating houses- knew there would be a Curry Den somewhere.

Early evening took a short cab drive to the Temple Bar region with ICC Tournament Director David Thorley and media representative Mary - selection of places to east is mind-boggling. We chose the "yellow" establishment.Waitress of Canadian origin did mention that that the burgers did not come with "buns!"

The world famous Temple Bar !Note the young lady in the foreground attracting customers to dine somewhere. People just flock to this area and the atmosphere is fantastic with live musicians on the streets and in the countless pubs.

This flautist and his group straight out of the Jethro Tull era!

The Liffey River is central to Dublin.

Day 1 comes to an end as the sun goes down around 10 pm! Time to call it a day and relax in a quiet cosy corner of The Library at the hotel.

Fresh Home Made Naan

Sister Shameela Sadek requested for Rey's naan recipe after I posted a picture of it on facebook. No soup, kitchro or haleem is complete without freshly baked home made naan. Simply follow the easy steps below and you are guaranteed bakery fresh naan that will leave your family and friends totally impressed.

                                1. Add 2 ounce of butter and 2 tablespoons sugar in a mixing bowl

                                2. Beat the butter and sugar together until it forms a creamy
                                    consistency. Then add one egg to the mixture and beat well

                                3. Now add 4 and a half cups of flour to the mixture.

                                5. Add 1 teaspoon salt

                                6. Add 1 teaspoon sawmf (fenel)

                                7. Add 1 packet of Anchor instant yeast

                                8. Add 600ml of a milk and water mixture (300ml water with
                                    300ml milk). Warm the milk water mixture in the microwave
                                    before adding to the flour.

                                9. Knead the dough into a soft smooth consistency as depicted
                                    above. Now cover the dough with a cloth and allow to rise.

                                10. Divide the contents of the dough into three portions. Pat each
                                       portion into a round tray as illustrated above.

                                11. Brush egg over the dough.

                                12. Now sprinkle sesame seeds (tal seeds) over the dough.Allow
                                      the dough to rise further before baking in the oven at 220 degrees
                                      until golden brown.

                                13. The end product.

NELSON MANDELA - A heart of gold with a lack of foresight

(Me in the background making my way from the canteen after meeting with the Mandela entourage)

Those of you out there who know me on a personal level will acknowledge that I am not a person who likes hanging out or partying in clubs or going to shopping centres unnecessarily. I prefer spending quality time with family and friends over a cup of coffee or a formal lunch or dinner. Yesterday I had a really fulfilling day visiting the ill at a hospital located close to my home. My family and I enjoyed ourselves being in the company of a 92 year old gentleman who has absolutely no real sickness with the exception of old age. It was the first time in his life that he was admitted to hospital for dehydration. It was fascinating listening to his childhood stories and stories of his youth. His eyes lit up as he related to us stories about his acquaintances with Nelson Mandela decades ago. His speech was filled with words of wisdom and advice. Someone once told me that you are definitely South African if you know someone or has a family member who was associated with the international iconic figure. Fifteen years ago Nelson Mandela was admitted at the hospital I worked for in Riyadh. He was a guest of the Saudi government. My colleague brother Ahmed who has been at the hospital for the last 25 years told me his experience when he met Mandela for the first time. He was walking alone in the hospital gardens with no security or anyone at his side. Brother Ahmed went up to him and greeted him. Mandela enquired about his roots and his occupation in the hospital. During their conversation a group of Saudi men came up to greet Mr. Mandela and told him that for a man of such stature it is not wise for him to walk alone without being accompanied by a security guard. Brother Ahmed said that he will never ever forget Mandela's facial expression as he replied to the gentlemen saying: "My name is Mandela. I am a man of peace. Only a man who has enemies will be afraid to walk alone." The Saudi gentleman were taken aback with his words of wisdom. Various other staff told me about Mandela's simplicity and humble nature. He instructed staff in the VIP ward to allow anyone to meet him. Expatriates from various African countries residing in the Kingdom made their way to the hospital to meet and spend some time with their hero. I was fortunate to have met Mandela myself on a few occasions during his medical check ups at Milpark hospital in Johannesburg. On many occasions he arrived at the hospital unannounced without any prior arrangements. The general public sitting in the foyer would be surprised and flabbergasted as he made his way through the main entrance. There were times when both adults and children would approach him to take pictures with them. Despite his ill health and old age he would never refuse but rather he would oblige with a smile.No doubt he has a heart of gold. I always thought of Mandela as being a man of vision and foresight and yet there are times when I feel that if a man loved his country immensely he would have protected the citizens of his country by keeping the death penalty and also implementing stricter border control measures when he became president. Perhaps if Madiba was released from prison earlier at a younger age, the South Africa we have today which is riddled with crime, murders, rape, hijackings, lawlessness, police brutality and corruption could have been a country he envisaged, a country of hope, freedom, peace and prosperity for one and all.

Why Savouries???

                                                           www.durban-north.co.za

A good facebook friend has left me in stitches of laughter after reading his inbox messages. He asked me when am I writing an article titled "From laban and khubz to samoosas and death bringing savories....the transition of fasting from makkah to Jozi" lol....He goes on to say," I miss laban and dates....the steamy combo yields such interesting effects.....have u ever wondered why many Arab women fill the Gynae clinic 9 months post Ramadaan?? Well its all thanks to the Badam (almonds) and dates acting up on Saudi men like a clinical trial of some sort lol".....Whilst chatting to my brother Aadil yesterday, both of us couldn't comprehend the big hype and fuss about savouries that most of the South African Indian women panic to prepare from months ahead. In our house mom makes savouries throughout the year so by the time Ramadhaan approaches the novelty and hype has actually worn out. Savouries in Ramadhaan is actually very unhealthy and fattening. In our house we generally prefer a normal cooked meal. Either a rice dish or a meal that will be accompanied with roti. Shourba addas (Lentil soup) and Tamar Hindi (Tamarind drink) are specially prepared during the month of Ramadhaan in the Middle East. Tamarind acts as a mild laxative and is also used to treat bile disorders in addition to promoting a healthy heart and lowering cholesterol levels. The Arabs in general eat all the right foods that assist their bodies with the detoxification process during the month of Ramadhaan. Laban cools the stomach down and of course dates and zamzam water replenishes the body with all the vital vitamins and minerals that the body requires.It is strange that when you in Makkah and Medina, there is so much of barkat in the food that a little bit of food goes such a long way. Remember that the fasting month is a month where we should be empathizing with those who are less fortunate than we are. Having lavish parties and do's along with fancy foods defeats the purpose and objective of the month. Rather stick to the basic simple foods and eat less. Whilst visiting a Saudi family in Medina last year, I loved the fact that their entire family ate together for the whole month of Ramadhaan and at every fatoor they would prepare one dish that the Prophet Muhammed (saw) loved eating.I wonder who came up with this silly concept that we need to eat savouries during the month of Ramadhaan.....If you do know, please let me know...:))))))...This person needs to be clobbered lololol....