BRIDGETOWN // The opener Lendl Simmons hit a stroke-filled 76 off 70 balls to lift West Indies to a one-run victory over Pakistan in a rain-hit fourth one-day international at Kensington Oval.
The West Indies were set a revised target of 223 off 39 overs after showers during the interval, and were 154 for more off 29.5 overs when more bad weather ended the match.
At that stage, the hosts were ahead by one run on the Duckworth/Lewis system, ensuring they avoided a sweep in the five-match series which Pakistan now leads 3-1.
The victory was West Indies' first over a top-seven nation since June 2009.
"We needed that. It's been a while since we hadn't won against a higher ranked opposition and to do that, the guys will take the positives," West Indies captain Darren Sammy said. "We created an opportunity today and it was good to see the guys pulling us through in the end."
Simmons struck four fours and three sixes to anchor the chase along with Ramnaresh Sarwan (28) and Darren Bravo (21).
Dwayne Bravo struck a crucial six off Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi to push West Indies ahead of the required total just before the rain had the final say. Left-arm seamer Junaid Khan led the visitors' bowling with 2-26.
Earlier, Mohammad Hafeez struck his second one-day century to form the backbone of Pakistan's challenging 248 for nine off 50 overs. The 30-year-old all-rounder lashed seven fours and three sixes in a career-best 121 off 138 deliveries. He shared a brilliant second wicket stand of 153 with fellow right-hander Asad Shafiq, who contributed 71. Shafiq cracked four fours off 102 balls.
But the innings subsided after that solid platform as the hosts fought back.
Legspinner Devendra Bishoo claimed 3-37 in his 10 overs, while there were two wickets apiece for seamers Dwayne Bravo (2-60) and Kemar Roach (2-67).
"We thought we would score about 270-275 but I think we really missed that chance," Afridi said. "We're disappointed because we missed an opportunity to score a higher score."
West Indies won the toss and got a good start when Roach claimed Ahmed Shehzad at 15-1. Shehzad top-edged a hook and Bravo took a brilliant catch running back 15 yards from square leg.
But Hafeez and the 25-year-old Shafiq laid the platform for a challenging total with their sound stand, although the Pakistan middle order couldn't supply the necessary tempo towards the end as Bishoo continued his fine rookie season.
Only tail-ender Tanvir Ahmed, with 18 off 12 balls, managed to reach double figures after Hafeez and Shafiq.
The West Indies chase, stalled initially by rain, got off to a terrible start when Junaid had Kirk Edwards caught behind first ball. But Simmons and Darren Bravo added 56 in 8.2 overs to revive the pursuit before Bravo fell to Junaid, slicing to third man at 57-2. Simmons and Sarwan then shared a partnership of 75 that tilted the balance to the West Indies.
But when both fell in successive overs, Pakistan were back in the hunt. Sarwan lofted Hafeez to long-off while Simmons skied Tanvir Ahmed to deep cover.
However, with the rain closing in, Dwayne Bravo swatted Afridi into the midwicket stands to seal the victory.
SCORECARD
Pakistan:
Mohammad Hafeez b Bishoo 121
Ahmed Shehzad c D.J. Bravo b Roach 6
Asad Shafiq c Simmons b D.J. Bravo 71
Shahid Afridi c Rampaul b Roach 8
Misbah-ul-Haq b Bishoo 5
Hammad Azam c Roach b Bishoo 1
Usman Salahuddin run out 5
Mohammad Salman run out 0
Tanvir Ahmed b D.J. Bravo 18
Saeed Ajmal not out 5
Junaid Khan not out 1
Extras (lb1, w5, nb1) 7
Total (9 wkts, 50 overs) 248
Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Ahmed Shehzad, 4.3 overs); 2-168 (Asad Shafiq, 38.2); 3-182 (Shahid Afridi, 40.4); 4-210 (Misbah-ul-Haq, 43.5); 5-219 (Mohammad Hafeez, 45.1); 6-220 (Hammad Azam, 45.4); 7-220 (Mohammad Salman, 46.1); 8-236 (Usman Salahuddin, 48.4); 9-244 (Tanvir Ahmed, 49.3)
Bowling: Roach 10-0-67-2 (nb1, w1); Rampaul 10-2-37-0 (w1); D.J. Bravo 10-0-60-2 (w2); Sammy 10-0-46-0 (w1); Bishoo 10-0-37-3
Overs: 50
West Indies (target: 154 off 29.5 overs):
Lendl Simmons c Salahuddin b Tanvir Ahmed 76
Keith Edwards c Mohammad Salman b Junaid Khan 0
DM Bravo c Tanvir Ahmed b Junaid Khan 21
Ramnaresh Sarwan c Junaid Khan b Mohammad Hafeez 28
Marlon Samuels not out 8
DJ Bravo not out 11
Extras (w9, nb1) 10
TOTAL (4 wkts, 29.5 overs) 154
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Edwards, 0.2 overs); 2-57 (D.M. Bravo, 8.4); 3-132 (Sarwan, 24.3); 4-135 (Simmons, 25.4)
Bowling: Junaid Khan 6-0-26-2 (w1); Tanvir Ahmed 6-0-45-1 (nb1); Shahid Afridi 6.5-0-32-0 (w7); Saeed Ajmal 4-0-16-0; Mohammad Hafeez 6-0-26-1 (w1); Hammad Azam 1-0-9-0
Result: West Indies won by one run (D/L Method)
Series: Pakistan lead five-match series 3-1
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.”
Company Profile
Company name: Cargoz
Date started: January 2022
Founders: Premlal Pullisserry and Lijo Antony
Based: Dubai
Number of staff: 30
Investment stage: Seed
MATCH DETAILS
Barcelona 0
Slavia Prague 0
WHAT IS THE LICENSING PROCESS FOR VARA?
Vara will cater to three categories of companies in Dubai (except the DIFC):
Category A: Minimum viable product (MVP) applicants that are currently in the process of securing an MVP licence: This is a three-stage process starting with [1] a provisional permit, graduating to [2] preparatory licence and concluding with [3] operational licence. Applicants that are already in the MVP process will be advised by Vara to either continue within the MVP framework or be transitioned to the full market product licensing process.
Category B: Existing legacy virtual asset service providers prior to February 7, 2023, which are required to come under Vara supervision. All operating service proviers in Dubai (excluding the DIFC) fall under Vara’s supervision.
Category C: New applicants seeking a Vara licence or existing applicants adding new activities. All applicants that do not fall under Category A or B can begin the application process through their current or prospective commercial licensor — the DET or Free Zone Authority — or directly through Vara in the instance that they have yet to determine the commercial operating zone in Dubai.
Company Profile
Name: HyveGeo
Started: 2023
Founders: Abdulaziz bin Redha, Dr Samsurin Welch, Eva Morales and Dr Harjit Singh
Based: Cambridge and Dubai
Number of employees: 8
Industry: Sustainability & Environment
Funding: $200,000 plus undisclosed grant
Investors: Venture capital and government
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
A Long Way Home by Peter Carey
Faber & Faber
Stamp duty timeline
December 2014: Former UK chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne reforms stamp duty land tax (SDLT), replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 – 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; More than £1.5m – 12%
April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.
July 2020: Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.
March 2021: Mr Sunak extends the SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget until the end of June.
April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.
June 2021: SDLT holiday on transactions up to £500,000 expires on June 30.
July 2021: Tax break on transactions between £125,000 to £250,000 starts on July 1 and runs until September 30.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Klipit
Started: 2022
Founders: Venkat Reddy, Mohammed Al Bulooki, Bilal Merchant, Asif Ahmed, Ovais Merchant
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Digital receipts, finance, blockchain
Funding: $4 million
Investors: Privately/self-funded
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
AS IT STANDS IN POOL A
1. Japan - Played 3, Won 3, Points 14
2. Ireland - Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, Points 11
3. Scotland - Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Points 5
Remaining fixtures
Scotland v Russia – Wednesday, 11.15am
Ireland v Samoa – Saturday, 2.45pm
Japan v Scotland – Sunday, 2.45pm
Buy farm-fresh food
The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.
In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others.
In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food.
In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra.
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Favourite book: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Holiday choice: Anything Disney-related
Proudest achievement: Receiving a presidential award for foreign services.
Family: Wife and three children.
Like motto: You always get what you ask for, the universe listens.
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Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
'The Predator'
Dir: Shane Black
Starring: Olivia Munn, Boyd Holbrook, Keegan-Michael Key
Two and a half stars
'Manmarziyaan' (Colour Yellow Productions, Phantom Films)
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal
Rating: 3.5/5
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)