When Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz started hitting sixes fluently on Saturday, a banner appeared, saying: ‘Shabaas Gurbaz’. Many Pakistan fans had turned up for the match and they cheered Gurbaz’s aggressive batting style. Although he plays for Afghanistan, Pakistan fans cheered for him since his father is from Peshawar.

Skoda, one of the sponsors of the Asia Cup, has displayed their new car model, Octavia, prominently near the long-on boundary. Some fans pointed out that the car was in danger of being hit by a sixer from Gurbaz, who, in the course of his 84 runs, hit six maximums.

Surely, the sponsors, as well as the man dusting the car before the match began, would have kept their fingers crossed hoping it remained safe from the big hits.

Sharjah’s hero

Pakistan’s legendary left-arm pacer Wasim Akram, who produced two hat-tricks at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, is everyone’s hero here. His hat-tricks on this ground came in the 1989 Champions Trophy and the 1990 Austral-Asia Cup. Inside the Sharjah Stadium, there are many framed photographs of Akram from his playing days. Akram is here as a commentator and received a lot of cheer from the crowd, which he kindly acknowledged.

Lankan taste

Sri Lankans are known to enjoy their delicacies. For the media dinner on Saturday, Sri Lankan okra salad with sliced onions was served. Almost everyone here enjoys the variety available in Sri Lankan tea. One of their popular brands in the UAE, Dilmah Tea, is served at the Media centre. Incidentally, Afghanistan’s most popular and traditional tea is called ‘Kahawah’, which is prepared by mixing green tea, cardamom, cinnamon and saffron, and is served in Afghani restaurants here.

Afghan super fan

It is said that nothing can stop an ardent cricket fan from watching a cricket match. Seventy-five-year-old Gulpari Safi is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer and is wheelchair-bound, but she turns up for every Afghanistan match to cheer for her team with her son. They came to watch both the Afghanistan matches, against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. When The Telegraph requested for a photograph, they readily agreed, positioned their country’s flag in front of them and smiled.

Quick response

The medical response to any injury to players during the Asia Cup has been extremely quick. Anyone walking into the stadium cannot miss a fleet of ambulances stationed there. These ambulances are called Response Plus since the medical service provider for this Asia Cup is Response Plus Holding PJSC. This company has been the medical service provider for many prestigious events here, which includes the IPL and the T20 World Cup.