AB de Villiers and Test cricket
Though he eventually committed to long-form cricket after South Africa's loss in Johannesburg, AB de Villiers' earlier prevarications set off the by-now regular bouts of cricket soul-searching.
His refusal to commit was, it was widely thought, a result of the Big Three coup last year and the resulting widening disparity between cricket’s haves and have-nots. There is more than a kernel of truth in that, of course.
But not entirely. The age of the freelance cricketer, or the early Test retirement, pre-dates what the Big Three did last year. The implications of that financial restructuring, in particular, have not become clear yet.
Read more: Osman Samiuddin on Stuart Broad, maybe not the world's best but, well, actually just maybe he is?
But the inequality between cricket nations has been a fact for years and it has been growing; the Big Three was only a formalisation of the status quo. Long before that, when the Indian Premier League began, the kind of fears raised by De Villiers and the idea of freelance cricketers had already been flagged.
Rohit Sharma, ODI giant
Two one-day internationals, two hundreds, two losses, such has been the lot of Rohit Sharma this last week. In fact, that has been a pattern: Rohit scores an ODI hundred, India lose. Of the last five times he has hit a hundred, India have won only one game.
But of more significance are the scores. Since his return to the Indian ODI side in 2013, these are the hundreds he has hit: 141*, 209, 264, 138, 137, 150, 171*, 124. In other words, we are talking skyscrapers here. This is what is setting him apart in world cricket at the moment, that when he does get a hundred, he makes sure it is a very big one.
It is a remarkable trait, because ODI batting greatness has rarely been judged by how big a batsman goes. Nobody has gone as big as regularly as Rohit has and it is testament to a rare skill. All he needs is for India to capitalise and maybe to translate that form into Tests.
Match-fixing, still
The news this week that one-time South Africa international Gulam Bodi has been charged by Cricket South Africa (CSA) for “contriving to fix, or otherwise improperly influence aspects of” their Twenty20 tournament is a reminder of the continuing dangers of corruption.
Read more: Osman Samiuddin on Mohammed Amir looking a man apart in the resumption of his international career
South Africa has legislation that deals with specific crimes such as match-fixing so there remains a possibility that Bodi faces criminal prosecution. Reports suggest that two other former internationals may also be involved.
CSA’s anti-corruption unit did its job: They had issued a release in November warning players to be alert of approaches. Then, in conjunction with the International Cricket Council, they identified Bodi and started building a case against him. So though it is heartening to note that a board, with assistance, has taken action, there remains the fear that the more cricket there is, the more difficult it is to stop those who wish to corrupt it.
Last week
Australia v India – 1st ODI, Australia won by five wickets; 2nd ODI, Australia won by seven wickets, 3rd ODI, Australia won by three wickets
New Zealand v Pakistan – 1st T20, Pakistan won by 17 runs; 2nd T20, New Zealand won by 10 wickets
South Africa v England – 3rd Test, England won by seven wickets (England lead series 2-0)
Bangladesh v Zimbabwe – 1st T20, Bangladesh won by four wickets; 2nd T20, Bangladesh won by 42 runs
Player of the week
Joe Root – Root's hundred in the first innings at Johannesburg was an innings for the ages. If the attack was not the toughest South Africa could have put out, it was still not an easy one. And conditions helped them greatly. Root batted as if he was in Abu Dhabi though, flowing, confident and untroubled.
This week
Australia v India – 4th ODI, Wednesday; 5th ODI, Saturday
New Zealand v Pakistan – 3rd T20, Friday
South Africa v England – 4th Test, from Friday
Bangladesh v Zimbabwe – 3rd T20, Wednesday; 4th T20, Friday
Players to watch
Dale Steyn – Fingers crossed, it will be Dale Steyn, not to see how he bowls but just to see him back in action. His absence through much of South Africa's last two series is a major reason why they have floundered. Even with him they may have lost both series but surely they would have done so with more of a snarl.
Stat of the week
224.31 – Rohit Sharma's strike rate in an ODI innings between the 43rd and 50th overs since January 2013. He is renowned for batting big and deep, but his burst at the death is phenomenal: he sits atop the list, ahead even of the likes of AB de Villiers.
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
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Afghanistan Premier League - at a glance
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Fixtures:
Tue, Oct 16, 8pm: Kandahar Knights v Kabul Zwanan; Wed, Oct 17, 4pm: Balkh Legends v Nangarhar Leopards; 8pm: Kandahar Knights v Paktia Panthers; Thu, Oct 18, 4pm: Balkh Legends v Kandahar Knights; 8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers; Fri, Oct 19, 8pm: First semi-final; Sat, Oct 20, 8pm: Second semi-final; Sun, Oct 21, 8pm: final
Table:
1. Balkh Legends 6 5 1 10
2. Paktia Panthers 6 4 2 8
3. Kabul Zwanan 6 3 3 6
4. Nagarhar Leopards 7 2 5 4
5. Kandahar Knights 5 1 4 2
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
The%20Specs
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All about the Sevens
Cape Town Sevens on Saturday and Sunday: Pools A – South Africa, Kenya, France, Russia; B – New Zealand, Australia, Spain, United States; C – England, Scotland, Argentina, Uganda; D – Fiji, Samoa, Canada, Wales
HSBC World Sevens Series standing after first leg in Dubai 1 South Africa; 2 New Zealand; 3 England; 4 Fiji; 5 Australia; 6 Samoa; 7 Kenya; 8 Scotland; 9 France; 10 Spain; 11 Argentina; 12 Canada; 13 Wales; 14 Uganda; 15 United States; 16 Russia
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh135,000
Engine 1.6L turbo
Gearbox Six speed automatic with manual and sports mode
Power 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
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Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
'Ashkal'
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Company%20profile
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