Re-born Zaheer returns to spearhead India’s pace attack in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG // If this Indian team is to become the first one to win a Test series in South Africa, or come anywhere close to threatening to do so, more will depend on Zaheer Khan than any other member of the 17-man squad picked to play two matches.

It goes without saying that nothing can be achieved without runs on the board, but it is bowlers who win you matches and there is none more primed for the job in the Indian attack than Zaheer.

The last year has been a difficult one for Zaheer, as being out of the team always is. But, at some point he had a choice: does he call time on his serious career, and milk the Indian Premier League for what it is worth, or does he mount a serious comeback?

Once he decided that his 35-year-old body still had overs left in it, Zaheer plotted his return. A punishing stint in the south of France with Tim Exeter, the former rugby international, who now specialises in fitness regimens for elite athletes, followed a spell with old mate and trainer Adrian Le Roux in Bloemfontein set the base.

From there on, Zaheer got on the treadmill of domestic cricket, playing first-class matches for India A and his local Mumbai side in the Ranji Trophy. There is more than one bowler rolled into Zaheer.

In 2000, there was the young tyro who excited Indians with his energetic leap, his pace and his aggression. Then came the decline, as the demands on his body grew and the passage of time took its toll.

Dropped from the Indian team, a second Zaheer emerged in 2007, the man they called Zippy Zakky, when picked up 78 wickets for Worcestershire in domestic cricket, and made a comeback to the Indian team. This was Zaheer the Wise, a bowler who worked out batsmen because he could not blast them out anymore. This was a bowler who picked up early wickets abroad and yet was a demon with the old ball at home.

Now, in 2013, making what could be his final comeback, stands before us Zaheer the Consolidated. He has dropped all his excess weight – he will not say how many kilogrammes – and looks as young as he was in 2000.

The thought that he was the seniormost player in the mix did not even enter Zaheer’s head, though he is indeed that man, with Sachin Tendulkar having moved on. “I haven’t really experienced the thought which you’re …” began Zaheer, breaking into laugher when it was suggested he should demand a bit more respect from the young tykes in the team. “You’ve definitely put that thought in my mind now.”

But his teammates do not need to be reminded. “He has done it in the past and it’s not like we are putting any extra pressure or expectations on him, but we know what he is capable of,” said the off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

“He is definitely going to be the leader of our attack and there are no two ways about that. I think we’ve got to be ready for a fight no matter what happens and as Zaheer said, the bowlers have got better with the one-dayers progressing. He will really mentor the guys.”

Zaheer knows what it takes to win in South Africa, having starred in India’s triumphs at the Wanderers in 2006 and at Kingsmead in 2010. In those wins, Zaheer struck every 35 balls and each wicket cost him only 18.54 runs.

“First of all, you got to have that belief and you got to back yourself and play good cricket,” said Zaheer. “For any team to do well anywhere, you need to have good days together and keep coming back all the time and have the belief. So I would say that was our success mantra during the earlier tours, and this tour also we will look to do the same.”

Zaheer said that he “can’t be happier” with his preparations leading into the series and that the time for talk was drawing to a close. “Talks is talk. You can talk as much as you like outside. Once you go on to the field, it’s all about doing. And I think this Indian team will do the needful. Whatever it’s going to take to win this series,” said Zaheer.

“It is very important for any fast bowling unit to pick up early wickets and that really sets the tone. Especially in Test matches, if you can make early inroads … that is the responsibility of the opening bowlers.”

In South Africa, India have quickly learnt that you need bowlers who hit the deck, not merely float the ball out there and hope that swing will do the job. The course correction, in terms of team selection, happened swiftly in the ODIs, and come the Tests, India have the added advantage Zaheer showing them the way, much as Dale Steyn does with his colleagues.

“I am very happy that finally I am making a comeback, and this is definitely the beginning of a new journey for me, one which I am going to enjoy,” said Zaheer. “It’s been a great learning curve, and I have always had faith in my ability. I knew that if I do what I have to do, I could make a comeback. I was never looking at the results for I knew the results would take care of themselves. That’s how I approach the whole journey.”

Just when you thought a fast bowler turned wily seamer had become a philosopher, Zaheer showed that the cheeky bugger in him was very much alive.

When asked about what he needed to do to dismiss Graeme Smith, South Africa’s captain – something that has happened in each of the last six Tests when the two have squared off – Zippy Zakky came to the fore: “I think I just have to turn up.”

Anand Vasu is managing editor at Wisden India.

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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.

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“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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Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching