DUBAI // Graeme Smith has reiterated he is still serious about the idea of returning to competitive cricket.
Last month, the former South Africa captain said the Masters Champions League, which starts on Thursday in Dubai, could be a platform for him to make a comeback.
At the time, the Proteas side he captained for 11 years were in the midst of a woeful run of form and on their way to a series defeat by England.
Hashim Amla has since resigned the captaincy, while speculation has suggested his replacement, AB de Villiers, may be eying retirement from the Test game himself.
Masters Champions League: All of The National's MCL T20 preview coverage and reporting in one place
Smith, who retired aged 33 last March, was even drafted in as a short-term consultant ahead of the second Test against England.
He arrived in Dubai this week after commentating on the series in his homeland, and nothing he has seen over the past month had dissuaded him from the idea of a return.
On the same day as South Africa thrashed England by 280 runs to claim the series, Smith said his view remains the same on returning to playing full time.
“My answer hasn’t changed,” Smith said, speaking ahead of the start of the MCL, in which he will captain Virgo Super Kings.
“I am happy with where I am in life, but if the tournament does go well, I enjoy it again and play well, I will definitely consider it.
“Right now I think it would be a brave answer for me to say, ‘Yes’. I want to do as well as possible.”
Herschelle Gibbs, Smith’s former opening colleague for South Africa, said last week he hopes to advertise his services to potential employers in other T20 leagues around the world via the MCL.
Smith said he is just excited about the prospect of getting back on the field.
“It is very difficult to compare now, as we are still in the build up phase,” Smith said.
“Seeing all the other players, there is a lot of excitement and the players want to perform well. I’ve been lucky enough to play in a lot of those other leagues and I’m looking forward to playing in this one.
“It is an opportunity for all of us to get back in and play some good cricket.”
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1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
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Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
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Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
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Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
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Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
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Thursday
Burnley v Watford (9pm)
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Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
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7. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) 57:56
8. Adrien Briffod (SUI) 57:57
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Start-up hopes to end Japan's love affair with cash
Across most of Asia, people pay for taxi rides, restaurant meals and merchandise with smartphone-readable barcodes — except in Japan, where cash still rules. Now, as the country’s biggest web companies race to dominate the payments market, one Tokyo-based startup says it has a fighting chance to win with its QR app.
Origami had a head start when it introduced a QR-code payment service in late 2015 and has since signed up fast-food chain KFC, Tokyo’s largest cab company Nihon Kotsu and convenience store operator Lawson. The company raised $66 million in September to expand nationwide and plans to more than double its staff of about 100 employees, says founder Yoshiki Yasui.
Origami is betting that stores, which until now relied on direct mail and email newsletters, will pay for the ability to reach customers on their smartphones. For example, a hair salon using Origami’s payment app would be able to send a message to past customers with a coupon for their next haircut.
Quick Response codes, the dotted squares that can be read by smartphone cameras, were invented in the 1990s by a unit of Toyota Motor to track automotive parts. But when the Japanese pioneered digital payments almost two decades ago with contactless cards for train fares, they chose the so-called near-field communications technology. The high cost of rolling out NFC payments, convenient ATMs and a culture where lost wallets are often returned have all been cited as reasons why cash remains king in the archipelago. In China, however, QR codes dominate.
Cashless payments, which includes credit cards, accounted for just 20 per cent of total consumer spending in Japan during 2016, compared with 60 per cent in China and 89 per cent in South Korea, according to a report by the Bank of Japan.
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1 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 10 wins 387 points
2 Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 4 wins, 314 points
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5 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1 win, 230 points
