The decline had long begun by the time West Indies arrived in Australia at the end of 2000. They had lost all five Tests on a tour of South Africa two years previously and they had also been clean swept by Pakistan at home.
But even then, occasionally, and usually inspired by Brian Lara, or Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, they could pull off a result that suggested their fortunes could be salvaged, like when they drew with Australia in the Caribbean, or beat Pakistan there.
But it was that tour, 15 years ago now, which they lost 5-0 as well that well and truly confirmed, beyond a shadow of doubt, that the West Indies were in the pits and that they would not rise thereafter. Some last sense, of hope, of resurgence, went in that series
At least in South Africa they could claim the disruption of a pay dispute before the tour.
In Australia they had no such excuse, other than that they were just not a good side. They lost two Tests by an innings and one by 352 runs. It was the sixth away series they had lost in a row and, at one point, had lost 10 of their 11 first-class games.
That was also the last time they were considered good enough opponents to have five Tests in an Australian summer.
To be fair, though, that was the last time any side other than England played a five-Test series in Australia.
There has not been any sustained revival since, just the occasional gasps of air, such as a Champions Trophy triumph, in 2004, or the World Twenty20, in 2012, or a series win against England.
They begin a three-Test series in Australia tomorrow in Brisbane at what would usually be called a low ebb, except that the very idea has lost scale with West Indies.
What is a low ebb for them in the modern age?
Is it when a Caricom review panel says the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is “antiquated” and “obsolete”, and calls for the current board to be dissolved immediately and for all members to resign? The board has yet to officially respond.
Never especially flush with finances, they are also burdened by a US$42 million (Dh154.3m) damages claim by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, emanating from their aborted tour of India in October 2014. The pay dispute that preceded the South Africa tour all those years ago was not a one-off, it is now clear, but a template.
Almost every other year, the players and board seem entangled in one.
That has led to West Indies rarely playing their best team, or at least the board alienating several of their best players. Five West Indians, it feels absurd to point out, will be playing in the Big Bash League in Australia at the same time as the series.
Its effects are forever rippling through their game: Phil Simmons, for speaking out about it, was suspended as coach though now has been restored. Dysfunction does not begin to describe it.
It could get gruesome, especially given the run they are currently on, of having lost their past four Tests.
The 10-wicket loss to a fresh Cricket Australia XI, as a warm-up ahead of the first Test, further sours a bitter period.
osamiuddin@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter at NatSportUAE
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Sukuk are Sharia-compliant financial certificates issued by governments, corporates and other entities. While as an asset class they resemble conventional bonds, there are some significant differences. As interest is prohibited under Sharia, sukuk must contain an underlying transaction, for example a leaseback agreement, and the income that is paid to investors is generated by the underlying asset. Investors must also be prepared to share in both the profits and losses of an enterprise. Nevertheless, sukuk are similar to conventional bonds in that they provide regular payments, and are considered less risky than equities. Most investors would not buy sukuk directly due to high minimum subscriptions, but invest via funds.
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Transmission: 6-speed automatic
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5,000 - 9,999 steps - lightly active
10,000 - 12,500 steps - active
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Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
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Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
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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.
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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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