Younis Khan was clean bowled by Chanaka Welegedara but not before he made an important 122-run contribution.
Younis Khan was clean bowled by Chanaka Welegedara but not before he made an important 122-run contribution.
Younis Khan was clean bowled by Chanaka Welegedara but not before he made an important 122-run contribution.
Younis Khan was clean bowled by Chanaka Welegedara but not before he made an important 122-run contribution.

Sport

Younis holds up Sri Lanka as Pakistan struggle in Sharjah Test

A confident century may not be enough of a fightback as the bowlers chip away at the wickets at the end of day three of the third Test.

Agencies

November 05, 2011

  • English
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SHARJAH // Chanaka Welegedara took two wickets with the second new ball, including that of the centurion Younis Khan, to give Sri Lanka the edge in the third Test against Pakistan at Sharjah Cricket Stadium yesterday.

Welegedara, the left-arm paceman, earned the plaudits of his bowling coach.

“He bowled superbly on a flat track and deserves a five-for,” Champaka Ramanayake said. “If we get them out quickly [today] we can force a win here, which would be great.”

Welegedara, 30, dismissed Younis (100) with the first delivery of the second new ball and then had Asad Shafiq (16) in the same spell to leave Pakistan at 282 for six  at the close on the third day.

Sri Lanka, who scored 413 in their first innings, still lead by 131 runs, and are seeking a big first-innings lead to give them a chance of levelling the series after losing the second Test by nine wickets in Dubai.

With just two overs to go the left-arm spinner Rangana Herath removed Adnan Akmal, leg before wicket, for seven to leave Sri Lanka on top.

At the close, the Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq, who reached his 13th half-century in the penultimate over, was unbeaten on 50 and Abdul Rehman was three not out.

Mohsin Khan, the Pakistan coach, deplored the loss of two quick wickets. “It’s a pity that we lost two wickets at the end,” said the former opener. “I would have liked Younis still batting, but he played wonderfully well for his hundred.”

The first two sessions had belonged to Pakistan as Younis added 98 for the third wicket with Azhar Ali (53) and another 100 with Misbah for the fourth wicket.

Misbah was mostly blocking before hitting the 53rd delivery he faced for his first boundary, ensuring Pakistan did not lose sight of winning 2-0, which they must do to jump one place in the Test rankings and replace Sri Lanka at No 5.

After tea, both the batsmen upped the tempo and took Pakistan past the follow-on mark of 213. Sri Lanka delayed the second new ball until the 91st over, but once they did Welegedara bowled Younis with a sharp incoming delivery. During his 211-ball knock, Younis hit 12 boundaries and two sixes.

He had completed his 18th Test hundred in the last over before tea, taking 188 balls which included 11 fours and a six.
Welegedara then had Shafiq caught behind.

While you're here
While you're here

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.”

if you go
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes
Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE

Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:

• Buy second hand stuff

 They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.

• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres

 Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.

• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.

Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.

• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home

Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.

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