It is safe to say this is going to be one of the most-watched T20 matches of all time not involving the Indian team.
When Afghanistan take on New Zealand at the T20 World Cup, fans outside the two countries will be as interested in the game, maybe even more. After all, the result of this match will decide who joins Pakistan as the second semi-finalists from Group 2.
It's the final Super 12 stage game for the Afghans and Kiwis. The Black Caps have six points from four games and Afghanistan four from four. If New Zealand win on Sunday, they will jump to eight points and qualify for the semi-finals.
However, if Afghanistan manage to stun New Zealand, that will open up the possibility of a three-way tie with India, with the semi-finalists then decided on net run rate.
Below are the details of the match and what the teams needs to do to progress.
What?
Afghanistan v New Zealand, T20 World Cup Group 2 match
When?
Sunday, November 7, 2021, 2pm UAE time
Where?
Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
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India players celebrate their 66-run win over Afghanistan in Group 2 of the T20 World Cup on November 3, 2021 at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Getty Images -

Naveen-ul-Haq of Afghanistan unsuccessfully appeals for the LBW of Rohit Sharma of India. Getty Images -

Rohit Sharma of India plays a shot on his way to a 47-ball 79. Getty Images -

Afghanistan's Gulbadin Naib celebrates the dismissal of India's Rohit Sharma. AP Photo -

Afghanistan's Rashid Khan, right, talks to captain Mohammad Nabi after he was hit for a six by India's Rohit Sharma. AP Photo -

KL Rahul of India plays a shot as Mohammad Shahzad of Afghanistan looks on. Getty Images -

Fans of Afghanistan. Getty Images -

India's Virat Kohli with KL Rahul. Reuters -

India's KL Rahul is bowled by Afghanistan's Gulbadin Naib. Reuters -

Afghan and India fans in the stands. Getty Images -

General view of play at Zayed Cricket Stadium. Getty Images -

Sharafuddin Ashraf and Karim Janat of Afghanistan interact. Getty Images -

General view of play. Getty Images -

Fans of Afghanistan cheer their team. Getty Images -

Gulbadin Naib of Afghanistan plays a shot as Rishabh Pant of India looks on. Getty Images
How to watch in the UAE
Fans can watch can watch the game on CricLife Max channel (Etisalat eLife TV), Switch TV, and the Starzplay app in the UAE.
What New Zealand need to do
The equation is simple for the Kiwis - defeat Afghanistan by any margin and qualify for the semi-finals. Williamson's side have been thoroughly professional so far in the World Cup, but Afghanistan's spin attack on a conducive Abu Dhabi pitch can sow seeds of doubt in a must-win match.
What Afghanistan need to do
The equation is tough for the Asian side as even a victory by a decent margin might not be enough to qualify for the semi-finals, as India's net run rate has improved dramatically in two games and Virat Kohli's team will most likely stay ahead of them at the end of the group phase.
How can India qualify for the semi-finals?
There is only one way the Indians can make it to the last four. First, Afghanistan must defeat New Zealand. Then, they will need to defeat Namibia on Monday in order to move to six points alongside the Kiwis and Afghans, wherein India will qualify on the basis of a superior net run rate. As on Saturday, India have a NRR of +1.619, Afghanistan +1.481, and New Zealand +1.277.
However, if New Zealand win on Sunday, it will be end of India's campaign.
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A packed crowd attended the T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Dubai International Stadium on October 29, but many inside the ground did not have tickets. Getty Images -

Fans watch the T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Dubai International Stadium. Getty Images -

General view of play during the T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Dubai International Stadium. Getty Images -

A packed crowd watches the T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Dubai International Stadium. Getty Images -

A packed crowd watches the T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Dubai International Stadium. Getty Images -

General view of play during the T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Dubai International Stadium. Getty Images -

Fans watch the T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Dubai International Stadium. Getty Images -

Fans watch the T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Dubai International Stadium. Getty Images -

Fans watch the T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Dubai International Stadium. Getty Images -

Fans watch the T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Dubai International Stadium. Getty Images -

Fans watch the T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Dubai International Stadium. Getty Images -

Fans watch the T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Dubai International Stadium. Getty Images -

Fans watch the T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Dubai International Stadium. Getty Images -

General view of play during the T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Dubai International Stadium. Getty Images -

Fans watch the T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan at Dubai International Stadium. Getty Images -

Fans gather outside the Dubai International Stadium ahead of the IT20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Getty Images
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.”
Men’s singles
Group A: Son Wan-ho (Kor), Lee Chong Wei (Mas), Ng Long Angus (HK), Chen Long (Chn)
Group B: Kidambi Srikanth (Ind), Shi Yugi (Chn), Chou Tien Chen (Tpe), Viktor Axelsen (Den)
Women’s Singles
Group A: Akane Yamaguchi (Jpn), Pusarla Sindhu (Ind), Sayaka Sato (Jpn), He Bingjiao (Chn)
Group B: Tai Tzu Ying (Tpe), Sung Hi-hyun (Kor), Ratchanok Intanon (Tha), Chen Yufei (Chn)
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Results:
6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) | US$175,000 2,410m | Winner: Bin Battuta, Christophe Soumillon (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer)
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (Dirt) | $100,000 | 1,400m | Winner: Al Hayette, Fabrice Veron, Ismail Mohammed
7.40pm: Handicap (T) | $145,000 | 1,000m | Winner: Faatinah, Jim Crowley, David Hayes
8.15pm: Dubawi Stakes Group 3 (D) | $200,000 | 1,200m | Winner: Raven’s Corner, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
8.50pm: Singspiel Stakes Group 3 (T) | $200,000 | 1,800m | Winner: Dream Castle, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor
9.25pm: Handicap (T) | $175,000 | 1,400m | Winner: Another Batt, Connor Beasley, George Scott
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What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
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JERSEY INFO
Red Jersey
General Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the leader of the General Classification by time.
Green Jersey
Points Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the fastest sprinter, who has obtained the best positions in each stage and intermediate sprints.
White Jersey
Young Rider Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the best young rider born after January 1, 1995 in the overall classification by time (U25).
Black Jersey
Intermediate Sprint Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the rider who has gained the most Intermediate Sprint Points.
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Euro 2020 qualifier
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Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
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As he spoke, Mr Aboul Gheit repeatedly referred to the need to tackle issues affecting the welfare of people across the region both in terms of preventing conflict and in pushing development.
Lebanon is scheduled to host the fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in January that will see regional leaders gather to tackle the challenges facing the Middle East. The last such summit was held in 2013. Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki told The National that the Beirut Summit “will be an opportunity for Arab leaders to discuss solely economic and social issues, the conference will not focus on political concerns such as Palestine, Syria or Libya". He added that its slogan will be “the individual is at the heart of development”, adding that it will focus on all elements of human capital.
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