MOHALI // Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the India captain, says his players are focused only on playing their best cricket in tomorrow's eagerly awaited World Cup semi-final against Pakistan — and not the possible political ramifications of the game.
A host of politicians — including the prime ministers of both countries — VIPs and celebrities will attend the match, which is expected to be watched by a record television audience exceeding one billion.
Dhoni told a news conference today the presence of such distinguished guests means "we have to be at our best," but says the team will ignore any outside influences which might affect their performance.
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More on cricket World Cup
• New Zealand happy to keep a low profile as they take on Sri Lanka
• Yuvraj shines bright for India when big match is on
• All roads lead to Mohali for India v Pakistan in World Cup semi-final
• Colombo, the nerve centre of Sri Lanka cricket
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Fans have been queuing outside the stadium for days in the hope of getting their hands on a ticket for the match, which has been sold out for a week. Reports persist of people paying extortionate prices on the black market.
The high-profile match is being seen as a possible first step toward improved diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan, which broke down following the militant attacks in Mumbai in 2008.
For Dhoni though, the match simply provides an opportunity for his team to reward its millions of ardent fans by moving a step closer to winning the World Cup on home soil.
"We are not getting involved [in the hype]," he said. "We are expected to play good cricket — all this has been part of Indian cricket for a long time."
Dhoni was asked seven times about how the hype surrounding the game might affect his team, and on each occasion Dhoni was unequivocal: "The only pressure on his team is the need to perform well.
"The biggest, distinguished guests will be there to see the game, but they are here to enjoy cricket, so we have to be at our best," he said.
"When you talk about the hype and the pressure, whether you're thinking about it or not thinking about it, it doesn't really help you perform. What's not helping you perform needs to be kept away. What needs to be done is topping up the skills. These are the vital areas we have been focusing on."
With that in mind, Dhoni said the team had not watched television throughout the tournament. If they had, they would have seen near-blanket coverage of the match being dubbed the "final before the final."
Instead, the players have been plotting how to deal with a Pakistan team including the tournament's leading bowler in Shahid Afridi and one of the world's best reverse swing exponents in Umar Gul.
"Afridi has been bowling really well," Dhoni said of the leg-spinner. "He has been the pick of their bowlers. Irrespective of the bowler, it is important to play the ball on merit.
"They have a very good bowling attack. Bowlers who can bowl quick and spinners who've been doing well. They've also got part-timers, similar to subcontinental teams where part-timers are off-spinners, left arm or leg spinners."
Dhoni ended his news conference by posing for photographs with the opposing skipper Afridi, prompting another flurry of frantic activity among the raft of photographers present.
Before he left, Dhoni had a reminder for anyone who might be tempted to lose their sense of perspective.
"Somebody has to lose this game, irrespective of what happens about the political talking," he said. "At the end of [tomorrow], you'll have one team losing and one team going into the final. That's part and parcel of sport, each and every sport."
Pakistan skip practice
Afridi also tried to provide the calming touch by resorting to humour and tagged India as favourites as he attempted to deflect the pressure off his team.
Pakistan decided to skip practice while the skipper amused the media with his one-liners. Asked why the team did not train, Afridi replied: "Why, you didn't like it?"
After drawing hoots of laughter, he added: "We have put in a lot of effort and today's off was absolutely necessary to save ourselves for tomorrow. New things should keep happening."
The inspirational captain was on a roll and ticked off the attributes of his teammates. "Young team. Average age is less. This is a match which will increase the average age," Afridi quipped as the assembled audience once again burst into laughter.
He soon turned more serious. "The boys are really doing a great job especially the youngsters. They are ready for this game," he said.
"We really worked hard at the practice session and took everything very seriously and made sure the boys are enjoying. We are playing as a unit and I am very happy as a captain."
Pakistan will also decide later today if Shoaib Akhtar, the fast bowler, is fit enough to return to the team.
Current and former Pakistan players have been calling for the experienced Akhtar to be restored to the team in a bid to unsettle India's batsmen with his pace.
But Afridi said that Akhtar is not 100 per cent but he's trying his level best and we will decide this evening.
Former captains Imran Khan and Javed Miandad are among those backing Akhtar's inclusion, and the 35-year-old veteran of 163 one-day internationals (ODI) has also received support from teammates Umar Gul and Misbah-ul-Haq.
Gul said that Akhtar's presence would take some pressure of him as Pakistan's front line fast bowler.
The Pakistan team rested Akhtar after the loss to New Zealand, his last involvement at the World Cup, in which the "Rawalpindi Express" conceded 70 runs, including 28 in one over.
But after missing the game against Zimbabwe, he was also left out of the subsequent wins over Australia and West Indies as Pakistan continued to build momentum.
His replacement Wahab Riaz has not made an impact though, and with the pitch at the Punjab Cricket Association ground expected to provide some help to quick bowlers, Akhtar is suddenly back in the frame.
Pakistan's interior minister has apologised to the country's cricket team after saying he was keeping a "close watch" on them ahead the semi-final.
Rehman Malik was quoted yesterday saying he had warned the team "there should be no match-fixing" and that the players were being closely monitored.
Afridi confirmed to the Associated Press today that Malik had telephoned him to apologise for his comments. Afridi said he did not want to comment further on the matter.
Malik said he was "sure the team has very clean members" but that he could not take any risks after the spot-fixing scandal last year which led to long-term bans for three key Pakistan players — Salman Butt, the captain at the time, Mohammed Asif and Mohammed Aamer.
The three players were found guilty of accepting bribes in return for making sure no-balls were bowled at certain times during a Test match in England last August.
Malik's remarks — and in particular the timing of them — were widely criticised in the Pakistan media and by other politicians, notably Imran Khan, who led Pakistan to the World Cup title in 1992.
A series of messages were later posted on Malik's Twitter account to explain his remarks.
One said that "a section of press has twisted my statement out of context, and wrongly projected my words."
Another said: "My only intention was and is that Pak cricket team play and perform their best. The support and prayers of the whole nation are [sic] with them."
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
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.”
MATCH INFO
Uefa Nations League
League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EHayao%20Miyazaki%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A0Soma%20Santoki%2C%20Masaki%20Suda%2C%20Ko%20Shibasaki%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE results
Lost to Oman by eight runs
Beat Namibia by three wickets
Lost to Oman by 12 runs
Beat Namibia by 43 runs
UAE fixtures
Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv
Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium
Monday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
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
From Conquest to Deportation
Jeronim Perovic, Hurst
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
Match info
Premier League
Manchester United 2 (Martial 30', Lingard 69')
Arsenal 2 (Mustafi 26', Rojo 68' OG)
SUE%20GRAY'S%20FINDINGS
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Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
Verdict: 4 Stars
Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Quick%20facts
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EStorstockholms%20Lokaltrafik%20(SL)%20offers%20free%20guided%20tours%20of%20art%20in%20the%20metro%20and%20at%20the%20stations%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EThe%20tours%20are%20free%20of%20charge%3B%20all%20you%20need%20is%20a%20valid%20SL%20ticket%2C%20for%20which%20a%20single%20journey%20(valid%20for%2075%20minutes)%20costs%2039%20Swedish%20krone%20(%243.75)%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ETravel%20cards%20for%20unlimited%20journeys%20are%20priced%20at%20165%20Swedish%20krone%20for%2024%20hours%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAvoid%20rush%20hour%20%E2%80%93%20between%209.30%20am%20and%204.30%20pm%20%E2%80%93%20to%20explore%20the%20artwork%20at%20leisure%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
Company info
Company name: Entrupy
Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist
Based: New York, New York
Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.
Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius.
Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place.
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
Points tally
1. Australia 52; 2. New Zealand 44; 3. South Africa 36; 4. Sri Lanka 35; 5. UAE 27; 6. India 27; 7. England 26; 8. Singapore 8; 9. Malaysia 3
Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
