UAE player fileds the ball with Shan Maqsood of Pakistan looking on. Cricket match between Pakistan v UAE test match. Victor Besa for The National.
UAE player fileds the ball with Shan Maqsood of Pakistan looking on. Cricket match between Pakistan v UAE test match. Victor Besa for The National.

Sport

UAE youngster Yodhin Punja, 16, shines against Pakistan batters

When Yodhin Punja returns to classes at Cambridge High School on Sunday morning, he will have a few stories to tell his mates.

Paul Radley
Paul Radley
Dubai

October 09, 2015

ABU DHABI // If Pakistan’s tour match against a UAE select XI had started on Thursday, as originally scheduled, rather than Friday, Yodhin Punja would have been at school.

The delay, caused by Pakistan’s return to the UAE after their series against Zimbabwe, meant the 16-year-old seam bowler did not have to worry about mocking up a phoney sick-note, though.

When he does return to classes at Cambridge High School on Sunday morning, he will have a few stories to tell his mates.

Like how he sent down six maidens in the space of eight overs against Pakistan.

And how he dismissed Shan Masood, a likely opener for Pakistan when the Test starts on the main Zayed Stadium Oval on Tuesday.

It sure beats homework.

“I would have definitely skipped school,” Punja joked, when asked if he would have been available had the fixture followed the original itinerary.

“On Tuesday when we had UAE training in Dubai, Aaqib-sir (UAE coach Aaqib Javed) told me to come and play in this game.

“I was very excited. I wanted to prove myself. I have a chance of getting in to the UAE squad for the Hong Kong series [next month], and I think I did pretty well.”

It soon became apparent that this – as with England’s practice game against Pakistan ‘A’ in Sharjah – was just a glorified middle-practice rather than a “match” worthy of the description.

Wahab Riaz, Imran Khan and Rahat Ali all bowled for the UAE XI against their Pakistani teammates in the afternoon session.

Then after tea, seven Pakistanis wandered out to field with the home team, as well as the two batsmen, Ahmed Shahzad and Sarfraz Ahmed.

Luckily, Ahmed Raza, the UAE born and raised captain of the host side, has watched enough television over the years to know where each of his temporary teammates was best suited to field.

For example, he gave up his own place at slip to Younis Khan.

At least he had a little bit of wisdom to lean on, in the form of Misbah-ul-Haq.

Pakistan’s captain was also out in the field, but he left all the decision-making to his opposite number.

“I asked Misbah in the morning what we should do, if he would be leading, but he said I should lead and he would just be there for practice,” Raza said.

“He left me to it, but was giving me a few tips which hopefully will help me in the future.”

For some of the time he was sending down his left-arm spin, Raza also had Zulfiqar Babar just a few yards away. Pakistan’s Test left-armer was also dispensing advice.

“He was telling me how to get them out because he obviously knows them better than I do,” Raza said.

It clearly worked.

Raza, who will be celebrating his 27th birthday on the second day of the game on Saturday, took five wickets as Pakistan made 223 for seven.

pradley@thenational.ae

England’s Taylor and Bell among the runs

Sharjah // James Taylor and Ian Bell hit half-centuries in the drawn two-day game against Pakistan ‘A’ on Friday to give England some encouragement as they gear up for the three-Test series starting next week.

Taylor hit 61 and Bell scored 53 as England made an unimpressive 198 for nine on the second and final day at Sharjah cricket ground.

Pakistan ‘A’ had made 192 for nine declared in their knock.

But apart from Taylor and Bell, only wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler made any significant contribution with 39, while openers Alex Hales (9) and Moeen Ali (7) failed.

That leaves England’s problems over their top-order batting unresolved as they want either Moeen or Hales to partner captain Alastair Cook in the first Test against Pakistan, which starts at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

Since the Sharjah game was not a first-class encounter, Moeen was allowed two innings. But he only managed 11 in the second outing. His off-spin bowling may still earn him a place in the first Test.

Jonny Bairstow, who made a half-century in the first warm-up match, fell for nought while all-rounder Ben Stoke also failed to score, his second failure on the tour.

Bell and Taylor added 102 for the third wicket before the later retired to give others some batting practice. Bell hit four boundaries and a six during his sedate 100-ball stint.

Taylor knocked six boundaries during his 123-ball stay.

For Pakistan ‘A’, left-arm paceman Mir Hamza finished with four for 34 while Junaid Khan and Zafar Gohar took two wickets apiece.

The two teams will also play four one-day and three Twenty20 internationals after the Test series.

-- Agencies

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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.”