AD200910711309876AR
AD200910711309876AR

Too much one-day cricket is hurting Test batting: Alam



The Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam thinks too much one-day and Twenty20 cricket is detracting from his young batsmen's Test performances. Since late January, Pakistan have played 22 ODIs and 13 Twenty20 internationals, including the ICC World Twenty20, which they won. In the same period they played just five Tests before the series opener against New Zealand in Dunedin last week, which they lost by 32 runs.

"It's a mental game really for the openers. They've got to stay at the wicket," said Intikhab, who feels the batsmen were not used to digging in for the long haul. "The obvious reason is that we play too much one-day cricket and Twenty20 cricket. We're not playing Test cricket regularly so you need to apply yourself according to the playing conditions and stay at the wicket and try to build your innings.

"We have a good pace attack that we can bowl New Zealand out twice, but I'm concerned about our batting, especially the middle order and opening batsmen. "They are youngsters and it will take time, but we have to get things together." The teams begin the second Test in Wellington on Thursday and the New Zealand all-rounder Grant Elliott is keen to contribute more with the ball. A knee injury reduced his bowling workload to just two overs in Dunedin. "It definitely hurts me not to be able to do that [bowl] because you saw how hard the bowlers toiled," said Elliott.

"It's tendonitis. I've just been battling with that a bit. I had it in Wellington, but hopefully I can take a load off the bowlers." Meanwhile, the West Indies have been hit by the news that key bowler Jerome Taylor will miss the remainder of their tour of Australia. The 25-year-old paceman injured his left hip and back after bowling just nine overs in the first Test in Brisbane, which the Windies lost by an innings and 65 runs.

The Australians will be without Ben Hilfenhaus for the second Test, which begins on Thursday in Adelaide. The paceman, who marked his debut Test on Australian soil with five for 70 against the Windies, has a knee injury. * With agencies

Results

Light Flyweight (49kg): Mirzakhmedov Nodirjon (UZB) beat Daniyal Sabit (KAZ) by points 5-0.

Flyweight (52kg): Zoirov Shakhobidin (UZB) beat Amit Panghol (IND) 3-2.

Bantamweight (56kg): Kharkhuu Enkh-Amar (MGL) beat Mirazizbek Mirzahalilov (UZB) 3-2.

Lightweight (60kg): Erdenebat Tsendbaatar (MGL) beat Daniyal Shahbakhsh (IRI) 5-0.

Light Welterweight (64kg): Baatarsukh Chinzorig (MGL) beat Shiva Thapa (IND) 3-2.

Welterweight (69kg): Bobo-Usmon Baturov (UZB) beat Ablaikhan Zhussupov (KAZ) RSC round-1.

Middleweight (75kg): Jafarov Saidjamshid (UZB) beat Abilkhan Amankul (KAZ) 4-1.

Light Heavyweight (81kg): Ruzmetov Dilshodbek (UZB) beat Meysam Gheshlaghi (IRI) 3-2.

Heavyweight (91kg): Sanjeet (IND) beat Vassiliy Levit (KAZ) 4-1.

Super Heavyweight ( 91kg): Jalolov Bakhodir (UZB) beat Kamshibek Kunkabayev (KAZ) 5-0.

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

MATCH INFO

Champions League last 16, first leg

Tottenham v RB Leipzig, Wednesday, midnight (UAE)

Adele: The Stories Behind The Songs
Caroline Sullivan
Carlton Books

Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

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.”

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

Results

2.15pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m

Winner: Maqam, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).

2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m

Winner: Mamia Al Reef, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.

3.15pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m

Winner: Jaahiz, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.

3.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m

Winner: Qanoon, Szczepan Mazur, Irfan Ellahi.

4.15pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Cup Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 1,700m.

Winner: Philosopher, Tadhg O’Shea, Salem bin Ghadayer.

54.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m

Winner: Jap Al Yassoob, Fernando Jara, Irfan Ellahi.

Tuesday's fixtures
Group A
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
Iran v Uzbekistan, 8pm
N Korea v UAE, 10.15pm
Manchester United v Liverpool

Premier League, kick off 7.30pm (UAE)