In May 2003, just after Australia had won the Cricket World Cup for the third time, a trial was held in Kabul with a view to setting up an Afghanistan cricket team for the first time.
The aspiring players were newly returned from exile across the border in Pakistan, where they had learnt the favourite sport of their hosts while housed in refugee camps.
That team of pioneers started its competitive life on international cricket’s furthest extremities, playing against the likes of Japan, Jersey and Botswana.
None of the players had been on an airplane before their debut cricket tour. In transit in Dubai for the first time, they could not work out how to use the escalators.
Among them was Mohammed Nabi, the champion allrounder who has – 21 years later – just helped his side beat Australia to a place in a T20 World Cup semi-final.
Afghanistan’s team of cricketing supermen will play South Africa in Trinidad in the early hours of Thursday morning UAE time. Such has been their fairytale rise in the sport, there is no reason why they will feel further progress in the competition is beyond them.
On Tuesday, they sealed their place in the last four in the most gripping fashion imaginable – and at the expense of Australia.
They navigated rain delays in St Vincent, score revisions, an iffy pitch, and a Bangladesh side who themselves had a shot at advancing to clinch their place.
“It is like a dream for us as a team being in a semi-final,” Rashid Khan, the Afghanistan captain, said after the eight-run win over Bangladesh that sent them through in second place in the group behind India.
“It is all about how we started the tournament. The belief came from when we beat New Zealand. It is unbelievable. I don’t have the words to describe my feelings. Everyone back at home is so, so happy for this big achievement.”
The stage for their semi-final meeting against the Proteas might be a fitting one. Trinidad is the home island of Brian Lara, the West Indies great.
According to Rashid, Lara was one of the only people who backed the Afghans to make the last four of the competition.
“We proved him right,” he said. “It is what we discussed before the competition and the welcome party. I told him, ‘We won’t let you down, we will prove you right.’ I think that is something everyone is proud of. I’m super proud of the team.”
This T20 World Cup has been characterised by variable batting conditions, and it has made for captivating cricket.
Poor wickets in New York and elsewhere have meant the team defending have never been out of the game, no matter what they post.
Like the big one in the Big Apple when Win Predictor had Pakistan at over 90 percent to beat India during their chase of 120 to win. They ended up losing by six.
The opposite is true on flat wickets. The shirtfront in St Lucia, for example, meant India could never sit comfortably in their defence of 205 in their final Super Eight match against Australia.
Win, and Australia would guarantee themselves a place in the semis. Lose, and there was still an opportunity for Afghanistan or Bangladesh to pinch the spot.
Rohit Sharma assessed the importance of a fast start perfectly. The India captain’s blitz against Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins at the Daren Sammy International Stadium was a masterpiece.
At the other end, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant looked like they were still struggling in the park in Long Island, scratching around trying to make sense of things.
Rohit, by contrast, knew there was no time to waste, and got straight on the front foot. His 92 from 41 balls was thrilling stuff, but Australia started their chase with purpose.
While Travis Head was at the wicket, they were always a chance, but when he went for 76, the game swung inexorably India’s way. Their 24-run win had sizeable ramifications across the Caribbean Sea in Jamaica.
A win of any kind for Afghanistan would guarantee their progress. Bangladesh, meanwhile, needed an ever altering target, which eventually settled on needing to win within 12.1 overs, to make it through themselves.
The wicket proved to be of the challenging variety. It meant Afghanistan, with an enviable bowling attack, felt they had a chance even though they only posted 115 for five from their overs.
The fact they took wickets at regular intervals meant they always had belief, but the two sides flip-flopped in terms of who held the advantage.
Each time there was a rain interruption, though, it was always Afghanistan who held the edge according to the Duckworth Lewis Stern calculations.
In fact, so preoccupied were they by that scenario, at one point Gulbadin Naib – another of the originals in the side – went down holding his left hamstring, stalling for time.
The veracity of the injury was questioned by the commentators. When the sides did reemerge after the subsequent shower had passed, it was not long before Gulbadin had the ball in his hand. He delivered a vital wicket, too, with Bangladesh inching ever closer towards the target.
The equation reached the point where Bangladesh needed nine to win from the same number of deliveries. At which point, Naveen-ul-Haq started the party with two wickets in consecutive balls.
“We were dreaming and waiting for this day,” said Naveen, who took four for 26 in all. “When this day happens, it is a surreal experience. I am lost for words.
“These are the games where you never know what can happen. After conceding one boundary you feel like the game is gone, then suddenly you pick up a wicket and you are back again.
“We have worked for this day. We have worked for the semis and we are looking forward to that that now.”
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World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
Company%20profile
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Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
The%20specs
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
MATCH INFO
Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Meydan Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (Turf) 1,000m
7.40pm: Curlin Stakes – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (D) 2,200m
8.15pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
10pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
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.”
Company%20Profile
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Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
