T20 cricket is not known to be too kind to bowlers but efforts are being made to address the growing imbalance between bat and ball, at least in the Indian Premier League.
After years of listening to complaints about issues like size of cricket bats, small boundaries and growing restrictions on bowlers, this season, IPL officials have decided to take matters into their own hands, literally.
In what could be a significant move for cricket at all levels, match umpires have started to check the dimensions of bats the players are using during the course of a match in the ongoing IPL.
During Sunday's double header - Rajasthan Royals v Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals v Mumbai Indians - bats were checked on the field of play.
Umpires used a special gauge through which the bat has to pass in order to be deemed legal. According to the IPL's playing conditions, the bat should not exceed a depth of 2.68 inches, width of 4.33 inches, or have an edge more than 1.61 inches. Also, the curve or bulge of the bat must be within 0.20 inches.
On Tuesday, the gauge was pressed into action and this time, a few bats failed the test.
Kolkata Knight Riders batter Sunil Narine had his bat tested outside the field of play before the start of the second innings in Mullanpur against Punjab Kings. The reserve umpire was seen trying to pass Narine's bat through the gauge but could not, forcing the Caribbean star to opt for another bat.
Then, during the innings, tailender Anrich Nortje's bat was checked as he walked out in the chase with the match in the balance. The Kolkata pacer's bat too was also deemed to be beyond the recommended dimensions.
Interestingly, Kolkata failed to chase down 112 against Punjab and were bowled out for 95.
Why are bats getting bigger?
There is a famous image of South African great Barry Richards holding the bat he used in the 1970s in one hand, and David Warner's bat on the other. The dimensions are comically out of proportion.
However, that does not mean modern bats, that are bigger and thicker, are heavier than older bats. In fact, advances in technology mean players now get to add punch to the sweet spot of the bat, without adding a lot of weight and while also maintaining the balance of the equipment.
What this results in is that even mishits and edges flying off the bat and are going for sixes behind the wicket off miscues.
There were checks and balances in place to monitor the size of bats. Earlier, bats were checked before the start of a match but reports from the IPL suggest some players would sneak in their 'preferred' bats during the game and escape scrutiny. But it looks like that won't be possible any longer.
Also, there is the issue of penalty. If a bowler uses an 'outside' substance to augment his bowling, the rules are very strict and lead to immediate bans, even for the captain. However, batters using oversized bats to gain an unfair advantage still don't attract nearly as many penalties.
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David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
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.”
