SRI LANKA
Sri Lanka should never be ruled out of any ICC event, especially one on the subcontinent.
They arrive in excellent limited overs form with a squad well equipped to thrive. As ever, their bowling has the variety the format rewards. Their batting has the class and power the format needs.
Destiny might be siding with them for there can be no better farewell to Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene than to win here.
Prediction: The only problem with Sri Lanka in recent ICC events has been winning them. They get to the semis and finals but have lost all since 2007. Runners-up.
Hit: It would be entirely apt for Sangakkara, the greatest Sri Lankan batsman of the modern era, possibly ever, to stamp his authority and win a world title for his country. It is proof of his quality how well he has lately adapted to the format.
Miss: Tillakaratne Dilshan is a format legend and he was awesome in taking Sri Lanka to the 2009 World T20 final. He will again be instrumental to their chances but it is gearing up to be the kind of tournament that calls time on a wonderful career.
ENGLAND
England on the subcontinent in a global limited overs tournament? That usually does not end well does it? The 2010 champions have an interesting and newish squad.
But as their series loss to the West Indies last week showed, they lack some intrinsic Twenty20 nous. They do not possess the power hitting of other sides, or the death bowling. They may be further hampered by slowish pitches.
Prediction: Fortunately, they are in the easier group. Sri Lanka should beat them but they can take points off South Africa and a qualifier, which leaves New Zealand as the key game. Group stage.
Hit: Chris Jordan has something about him. He has good pace and an even better, reversing yorker. On a good day he can biff the ball pretty hard if needed. Altogether he may just have that something that England need.
Miss: Rarely an England Twenty20 international goes by without some snide joke about Jade Dernbach. The problem for England is that he does not do enough to make them redundant.
Sometimes he tries too many things and an economy rate of 8.52 is not encouraging.
SOUTH AFRICA
Most of us know the drill by now. Big tournament, fancied side, smooth progress through the group stages and then the “c” word is mentioned at the end.
The exception here is that South Africa do not enter as favourites, but they do with some decent recent form.
They lost a rain-curtailed series to Australia but beat both Pakistan and Sri Lanka late last year in the region.
Prediction: Less expectations may not help them much this time. But they will be competitive enough to duel with New Zealand for a place in the last four. Group stage.
Hit: With so many stalwarts gone, AB de Villiers is suddenly the new main man for South Africa. It is handy that he is, possibly, the most gifted player they have, the best cross-format batsman in the world right now.
Miss: South Africa might play spin better than ever but they also need a good spinner to boost their chances.
Imran Tahir, unfortunately, is not that man. He is more likely to do well in limited overs matches, but against quality batting sides, he will be a liability.
NEW ZEALAND
It could be time, finally, for New Zealand to win a major tournament. For years they have punched above their weight to go deeper than they should at ICC events.
This time they arrive in rude health, with some good home form behind them. Brendon McCullum is proving his worth as a leader and they have a side that should do well in the format.
Prediction: If New Zealand do not make it to the knockout stages of the tournament it is usually a surprise. From this group they should be able to negotiate a path to the last four. Beyond that looks difficult. Semi-final.
Hit: No player has lit the public imagination in the past few months like Corey Anderson. He is a monster hitter in monstrous form (ODI strike rate 159.39, Twenty20 strike rate 132.25). His explosiveness will be absolutely vital.
Miss: Mitchell McClenaghan is a fine, bustling pacer, especially in helpful conditions. But the suspicion is that he remains better equipped for conditions that are not subcontinental.
In this environment fast bowlers that are one dimensional can go for runs.
osamiuddin@thenational.ae
Follow us on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Match info:
Burnley 0
Manchester United 2
Lukaku (22', 44')
Red card: Marcus Rashford (Man United)
Man of the match: Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United)
Super Bowl LIII schedule
What Super Bowl LIII
Who is playing New England Patriots v Los Angeles Rams
Where Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, United States
When Sunday (start time is 3.30am on Monday UAE time)
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results
6.30pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes Group Three US$200,000 (Turf) 2,000m; Winner: Ghaiyyath, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Cliffs Of Capri, Tadhg O’Shea, Jamie Osborne.
7.40pm: UAE Oaks Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.15pm: Zabeel Mile Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Zakouski, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby.
8.50pm: Meydan Sprint Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: Waady, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.
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.”
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
All about the Sevens
Cape Town Sevens on Saturday and Sunday: Pools A – South Africa, Kenya, France, Russia; B – New Zealand, Australia, Spain, United States; C – England, Scotland, Argentina, Uganda; D – Fiji, Samoa, Canada, Wales
HSBC World Sevens Series standing after first leg in Dubai 1 South Africa; 2 New Zealand; 3 England; 4 Fiji; 5 Australia; 6 Samoa; 7 Kenya; 8 Scotland; 9 France; 10 Spain; 11 Argentina; 12 Canada; 13 Wales; 14 Uganda; 15 United States; 16 Russia
Results
6pm: Dubai Trophy – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
Winner: Silent Speech, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby
(trainer)
6.35pm: Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m
Winner: Island Falcon, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Dirt)
1,400m
Winner: Rawy, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
7.45pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Desert Fire, Hector Crouch, Saeed bin Suroor
8.20pm: Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Naval Crown, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.55pm: Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Al Tariq, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watsons
9.30pm: Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Dubai Icon, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
