UAE batsman Alishan Sharafu has tested positive for Covid1-9. Antonie Robertson / The National
UAE batsman Alishan Sharafu has tested positive for Covid1-9. Antonie Robertson / The National
UAE batsman Alishan Sharafu has tested positive for Covid1-9. Antonie Robertson / The National
UAE batsman Alishan Sharafu has tested positive for Covid1-9. Antonie Robertson / The National

Cricket

Alishan Sharafu third UAE player to test positive for Covid-19

Batsman, who made his debut in Friday's first ODI against Ireland, is in isolation and awaiting transfer to a medical facility

Steve Luckings
Steve Luckings
Abu Dhabi

January 09, 2021

  • English
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UAE v Ireland

1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets

2nd ODI, January 12

3rd ODI, January 14

4th ODI, January 16

The UAE's Alishan Sharafu has tested positive for Covid-19, forcing the second ODI against Ireland to be pushed back a week, the Emirates Cricket Board confirmed.

Sharafu is the third player to test positive after Chirag Suri and Aryan Lakra ahead of Friday's first ODI in Abu Dhabi.

The 17-year-old made his debut in the national team's six-wicket win against the Irish, scoring 1 run.

The positive result was collected during the latest round of testing on all players and staff in the UAE team bubble on Friday. The ECB said Sharafu is in isolation awaiting transfer by the health authorities to a medical isolation facility.

Subhan Ahmed, Emirates Cricket Board adviser, said: “As part of our Covid-19 safety protocols for this series, all players were required to undergo and provide a negative Covid-19 test prior to entering the Bio-Bubble in Abu Dhabi.

"The tests that were carried out on December 29 were all negative. Players were then isolated in their separate rooms [in the team hotel] for three days. On January 7, Chirag Suri tested positive, followed by Aryan Lakra on January 8.

"Both Chirag and Aryan were isolated in their hotel rooms immediately after testing positive. As all remaining tests were negative, and after the tracing app data was reviewed, no further close contacts were traced.

"In accordance with the authorities’ directives, the isolated players remained in their rooms until the health authorities co-ordinated their move to an official isolation centre, where they remain.

"In the early hours of January 9, and following a seventh test carried out on January 8 on all players and staff in the UAE team bubble, Alishan Sharafu’s test also came back positive."

Emirates Cricket Management, in consultation with Abu Dhabi Cricket and Cricket Ireland, have agreed that the second ODI set to take place on Monday at Zayed Cricket Stadium will now be played next Saturday.

________________________________

UAE beat Ireland by 6 wickets

  • CP Rizwan hit 109 runs off 136 balls for the UAE against Ireland. Abu Dhabi Cricket
    CP Rizwan hit 109 runs off 136 balls for the UAE against Ireland. Abu Dhabi Cricket
  • Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
    Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
  • Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
    Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
  • Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
    Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
  • Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
    Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
  • Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
    Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
  • Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
    Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
  • Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
    Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
  • Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
    Action from UAE's win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Cricket
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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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UAE v Ireland

1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets

2nd ODI, January 12

3rd ODI, January 14

4th ODI, January 16

Cricket