Aryan Lakra provided a reminder of his potential in the opening game of the new Dream 11 Emirates D20 tournament.
The 18-year-old all-rounder took 5-16 as ECB Blues comfortably beat Abu Dhabi in the first exchanges of the 20-over competition at the Dubai International Stadium.
The tournament has been set up to give a platform for emerging talent to show their worth, as Robin Singh, the UAE coach, seeks to expand the player pool available for national team selection.
It achieved that aim at the very first opportunity. The ECB Blues are a development team that includes a number of players who featured in the UAE side at the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa in February.
Many of them thrived. Lakra, who captained the age-group team, led the way with his five-wicket haul.
As was so often the case in age-group cricket, he was joined in a fine bowling partnership by Karthik Meiyappan, who took 1-17 from his four overs of leg-spin.
Their former U19 colleagues Vriitya Aravind, Alishan Sharafu and Ansh Tandon all contributed to the 36-run win, too.
“A lot of the credit goes to the management and the people around us,” Lakra said.
“The senior players have created a very good environment in the men’s side, and we don’t feel like we are juniors.
“Everyone treats us equally, and they are willing to help us out. Robin-sir and Najeeb-sir [Najeeb Amar, the UAE assistant coach] have really helped us, and I think we are reaping the rewards.”
Under normal conditions, Lakra might have hoped to have debuted for the senior team by now.
He has seen Meiyappan, Aravind, Sharafu, and another player from the U19 World Cup side, Jonathan Figy, make the step up to the full side so far.
However, the pandemic has meant opportunities have been scarce. The national team have been without cricket since winning the ACC Western Region T20 in Oman in February.
It is possible they may resume international duty next month. Lakra, for his part, is pleased for his friends, and is content to wait for his chance to follow them into the senior side.
“I think they all deserved it, whoever has made their men’s debut so far,” Lakra said.
“I will just wait for my chance. If I do, I know I will get picked, then hopefully I can reap the rewards at international level.
“I feel as though going into the seniors at Associate level is not so much of a gap in skills, it is more about the mental set up, and how strong you are mentally.
“If you want to do well, it depends on how strong you are mentally.”
Singh, the former India all-rounder, has been impressed by what he has seen from the young talent in the UAE since he was instilled as coach in February.
“When I arrived, people said there were not enough players on the scene. I think that was an illusion,” Singh said.
“After that, we have managed to pull out a lot more players than we thought existed in UAE.
“Going forward with this D20 tournament, I think it will not only enhance the profile of the place, but will also give us a better chance to see the longevity of players, their fitness, and give us a platform to pick a lot more players in the future.
“There are a lot of young players, who I think will surprise people going forward.
“We want to ensure this team going forward in the UAE will be on the big stage soon.”
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.”
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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