Ireland's Trent Johnson, right, rejoices after dismissing UAE's Swapnil Patil during the second ODI match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Satish Kumar / The National
Ireland's Trent Johnson, right, rejoices after dismissing UAE's Swapnil Patil during the second ODI match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Satish Kumar / The National
Ireland's Trent Johnson, right, rejoices after dismissing UAE's Swapnil Patil during the second ODI match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Satish Kumar / The National
SHARJAH // Trent Johnston, the veteran bowler, says he definitely will not be on the plane back to the country of his birth, Australia, for the next World Cup - in spite of doing everything in his power to get his Ireland team get there.
The former Ireland captain, who was born in New South Wales and retains a distinct Australian brogue despite living in Ireland for so long, gave an exhibition in how swing bowlers should perform at Sharjah yesterday.
This ground rarely offers any assistance to bowlers of his ilk, yet he found a way to prosper as he took four for 25 to knock the heart out of the UAE batting order.
By the end of it he was visibly beat, hunkering on his haunches. Being well into his 39th year and given the heat, he could be forgiven for that.
And besides, his efforts had paved the way for a six-wicket win that means the Irish may as well book their tickets to the 2015 World Cup.
With four matches remaining in this qualifying league, they are six points clear of second place.
"I won't be on that plane unless [Phil Simmons, the Ireland coach] wants a bowling coach or something like that," Johnston said.
"My concern is getting the guys on that plane.
"I am still enjoying it, we have been successful for a long period of time now and I hope that can continue."
Thanks to Johnston's efforts with the new ball, the UAE were restricted to 195 all out and the Irish batsmen appeared in little trouble chasing their target for the loss of just four wickets.
William Porterfield, Johnston's successor as captain, anchored the chase with 77, which was the third time in four innings he has passed 50 over the past week.
"Getting these two wins puts us one step closer and we are in a pretty good position but we can't get complacent," Porterfield said.
"Mathematically we can do it if we get two wins in Holland [on Ireland's next outing in the competition] so that is what we will be aiming for."
The UAE's victory pursuit was undermined by injudicious stroke play, which saw them lose wickets in clusters.
It was the same failing that had blighted their opening game against the same opposition two days earlier and was a frustration for their captain Khurram Khan.
"We made the same mistakes again, we had a poor start, lost wickets at regular intervals and we were always playing catch up," he said.
"The guys fought back very well, and although Ireland are the top team among the Associate [nations] I think the guys acquitted themselves very well."
The fact they were beaten by the side commonly regarded as the best at this strata of the game was of little consolation for the UAE coach Aaqib Javed.
"When you are competing everyone wants to win and go all the way," he said.
"But I think it is a good experience for the UAE players to have seen a standard that is really high."
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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.”
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hall of shame
SUNDERLAND 2002-03
No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.
SUNDERLAND 2005-06
Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.
HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19
Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.
ASTON VILLA 2015-16
Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.
FULHAM 2018-19
Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.
LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.
BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions Publisher: LucasArts Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn Rating: 4/5
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
