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'This is
our chance to undo the wrongs' . The
question of PCB's non-existent foreign policy The craze for Twenty20 cricket seems to have no limits. The IPL is a glaring proof of this. Thousands of spectators watch matches that have an instant excitement to offer. The hype created through the glamour provide colour and excitement to those on the ground and also to those viewing it on television. It provides millions in India and many more around the world an opportunity to gamble which provides its own brand of additional spectators.
Maradona needs to bridge the Messi divide
Pakistan-India take rivalry to the rugby field
'This is
our chance to undo the wrongs' Growing up in the 1990s, I have memories of Pakistan's murky political situation, our 1992 World Cup victory and then my sudden love for sports -- cricket in particular. But it was only in 1996 after Shahid Afridi's 37-ball century that I became a huge fan of his. I don't remember missing any of Pakistan ODIs since then. Of course I would skip the test because for about Afridi's first 60 ODIs till 1998 he wasn't given the test cap. At the age of 16, Shahid
Afridi's mother worried about his future. She was unsure whether her son
would ever do "All mothers worry, mine was no different. They all worry about their children's future. My mother's fears were justified because in our tribe no one had ever played professional cricket. Either they were businessmen or army men," he says. Recently Shahid Afridi was honoured with the country's highest civilian award, Pride of Performance. He was also voted Cricketer of the decade in the ESPN Star contest. He won against the likes of MS Dhoni and Andrew Symonds in the public poll. Oblivious to having won these kudos, he remarked, "Oh Really? I had no idea. Wow! That is a great feeling. What can I say except express my gratitude to all those thousands of people who voted. Thanks a lot". Initially many thought that Afridi made more heads turns than he made the wickets fall but 14 years of perseverance prove that he is as good when it comes to the latter. Only too often captains and coaches would be baffled at his early exits but no one could reform him. "I am glad that I didn't pay much attention to any advice." Afridi's three daughters, who often make TV appearances, do their best to keep him grounded. In one such appearance Aqsa said, "I get cross when he gets out." But Anshaa thought, "When Baba does strange things." I wonder what was the kid trying to refer to pitch tempering or the bitegate incident Naila this is not clear "Anshaa runs in the house with the bat shouting fiercely aur Boom Boom out -- I tell her at least let me make a few runs at home," and he laughs out loud. Following are excerpts
from his interview done on the sidelines of the ICC World T20 camp in
Lahore.
The News on Sunday: You've had a 14-year innings in cricket. How do you feel when you look back at the journey? Shahid Afridi: It's been a mixed bag of joys and sorrows. Good days go by easily and the bad days stay with you for a while. I think I have enjoyed playing cricket to the fullest and you tend to rely on those memories of achievement when the pressure builds and the going gets tough. In the process I earned a great deal of respect and learned a lot about life off the field, being exposed to all sorts of people. It helps in a way because you learn to differentiate between your genuine friends and the ones who only claim it and don't mean it (he smiles ruefully and meaningfully). TNS: How was it to be honoured with the country's highest civilian award, the Pride of Performance? SA: It was a wonderful acknowledgment of many years of effort and endurance. To be recognized by the President of Pakistan after having played for 14 years was not just a tribute to me but a kind of recognition and encouragement for all the young, aspiring players out there. TNS: But there have been those bad moments for you when you were fined for ball tampering while other players were banned. Are you allowed to talk openly on the subject? SA: Main openly hee baat
karta hoon! (I can only talk openly) TNS: Great. Many say that the PCB has an arbitrary way of working. Do you believe there is some method behind their madness? SA: If something had been brewing in the team decisions should have been taken immediately. For instance if I have made a mistake then naturally I should be punished but as the Chairman has already mentioned, you cannot slap dual penalties on one charge. As for the other players who are being accused of infighting, many officials and players had recorded their reservations in front of the committee. So I think there is something suspicious and that is why these punishments have been meted out. The Board cannot take any decision without pertinent cause. I am sure there is something in it. TNS: Does the PCB have any solid evidence against the banned players? SA: Obviously, how can you ban the likes of Younis Khan, Mohmmad Yousuf, Rana Naveed or Shoaib Malik without justifiable cause? The Board might not be eager to leak out the evidence they have (and rightly so) but the example has to be set and I think it is a step in the right direction. It all started from the test series in New Zealand and a lot of issues were being raised about the team's performance. Though I went to New Zealand for the ODIs, nothing came out in front of me. However, all disciplinary irregularities on both Australian and the New Zealand tours were reported by the Manager and though the decision should be lauded for setting an example for future players, these are my colleagues and my sympathies are with the players. TNS: After being in the dumps for the last few months how is the team responding to the situation? What is the spirit like? SA: If you glance at the cricket calendar, all cricket-playing nations are busy playing, other than Pakistan, and in a way it is good that we have got this time to regroup. For one and a half months I have tried to keep the team together and tried to put it through to everyone that whatever wrong has been done by others is history: This is our chance to undo the wrongs. As a captain I am attempting to lift the self confidence of my players and so far the camp has been productive and the boys are responding well to my call. So the off season has been beneficial in soothing our ruffled nerves. TNS: And what is Afridi's strategy to unity? SA: (ponders) As captain, my success has been determined by following simple yet magically winning rules -- I keep my players close to me as I know that almost all problems stem out of a communication gap within the team. If I have a problem with any particular player I would go and talk to him directly rather than taking feedback from other mates. Even minor issues are aggravated if you don't communicate immediately. The senior players have to play their role. It's not time to think about our own survival in the team, rather, we have a larger burden of responsibility on our shoulders. We must give back what we owe the team for our successes. TNS: Bob Woolmer's advice to you was "Go and play your natural game," which you all took to heart and it brought forth the best in you. Tell us what batting position you are likely to opt for in the Caribbean tour? Will you open, or come in one-down or utilise your talents as a floater? SA: After Bob, I always tell my boys to go out and play their natural game. I remind them that they don't have to worry about the media or the spectators and they should make full use of their talent. You know, this is the strength of the Australians. Even if they are two down, for say 10 runs, the third batsman will come and play his natural game. You should never stop or change your natural strengths. Mujhey bhee baray logon nay change karny ki koshish kiÖ mein tu naheen change huaÖ han albata mein nay un sab ko change kar diyaÖ (laughs facetiously) And in T20 we will have to remain positive and keep the scoreboard ticking. The T20 team has been selected by the chief selector; neither the captain nor the coach had any say in it. Now if I take three to four openers for the T20WC and then I decide to open myself (he pauses) I think it will be unjust to the players and the team. I want to lead the team from the front. I don't want to go in the 6th or 7th position, make 20 to 25 runs which secures my place in team, that's not what I'll be aiming at. I want to keep a flexible position specially since T20 demands quick decisions according to the situation. TNS: Is our bowling artillery good enough to operate on some flat tracks in West Indies? SA: We have a good bowling strength -- in fast bowling we have experienced campaigners like Mohd Asif, Gul and Razzaq who know the art of reverse swing. Similarly amongst the spinners, I have hopes for Mohd Hafeez, he is one bowler who can effectively share the ball with me even against Chris Gayle. Then we also have Saeed Ajmal and these days I'm working on Fawad Alam's bowling. I'm satisfied with the bowling section. TNS: A lot of people want to know why you bit the ball. SA: We had lost to Sri Lanka and, New Zealand. Since the T20 final we hadn't been able to pull off any major win. There is a limit to how much defeat you can take and my patience is limited as it is. I just wanted to end the series on a happy note. I knew what winning a match would have done back home. I knew that there is always one camera on the ball but it was sheer frustration and I couldn't control myself. But I know I made a mistake (he concludes regretfully). TNS: Will a win in T20WC mean that you'll retire just like Imran Khan in 1992 or Younis Khan in 2009? SA: I still feel there are three to four years of cricket left in me. I am fit enough and will never become a burden on the team. Two years ago, when my batting performance was going down I had then asked the selectors to drop me. Twice I made a decision to call it a day but now I will not make any emotional decisions. I want to win more laurels for my country.
nailainayat@gmail.com .
The question of PCB's non-existent
foreign policy Shoaib
Malik the ex-Pakistan captain and Sania Mirza, India's tennis heartthrob
are marrying each other later in the The capacity of cricket to contribute to social change must not be overstated but history has proven that possibilities for change do exist. Cricket has changed individuals' lives and, more importantly, contributed to and facilitated larger social change within and across societies. While it's easy to get swept up in the commercialism at major cricket events, one shouldn't ignore the transformative capacity of it to produce social change. Historically, the potential for cricket lies not with the values it promotes, since it is invariably unjust and uneven. Instead, the possibilities that exist within the game are those that bridge divides between societies with radically different views of the world. International cricket events offer opportunities to foster trust, stress obligations, and promote a shared respect for it. While many politicians wish to separate cricket from politics and social change, ignoring the capacity for it to help bring about social change isn't an option for policymakers and the world of cricket itself. Here cricket between two countries is a catalyst for a social or a socio-political change and not marriage between two individuals of different nationalities. How could people be so myopic? Reality is that in addition to the lack of economic, political, geo-political and institutional strength, PCB has failed to evolve a relative, parallel or a viable foreign policy. It is true that Pakistan has been isolated, may it be due to the incessant surge of terrorism and unstable times, the Sri Lanka team being targeted and the country being overwhelmingly alienated from world sports. It is disgraceful that, barring the interruptions due to their jaundiced overview of Pakistan as a country itself by the West, we have also contributed surplus in this unwarranted alienation. We haven't been given the work-space internationally because we as product have regressed into nothingness. Policies and plans are only made where conscientious people are at work? On the contrary, India's placement of cricket within its international development portfolio signifies a shift in emphasis within the international development assistance agenda. The Indian Premier League as part of the Kerry Packer legacy, if it really is, has had strategic objectives to use cricket and play programmes to institute mechanism for money-spinning and economic development (sports economy) plus to attract the world to see India as a growing nucleus of the game. China first and then India determinedly started to dexterously make sports institutions, the benefits from using sports as a development tool or for peace-building and implementing sports sociology effectively to educate their generations through competitive and recreational games alike. Instead of realizing that 'cricket' could really be used as an agent of social change for individuals with rising inflation, insecurity and inherent frustrations, to remodel it to provide opportunities for lifelong learning and sustain not just education but an involvement in healthy physical activity, to increase knowledge and skills and in a broader sense contribute relationships, networking and making connections; to encourage critical debate about key public issues and, support sports development programs across the war-torn country using cricket as a tool or incentive for participation, we have only been living in a world of self-denial. Historically cricket and education have been the key avenues of social mobility and an escape from poverty for some. Improving life chances requires a coordinated effort and as such any contribution that cricket can make must also build upon a wider coalition of sustained support for social and progressive policies. Late writer Susan Sontag was a fervent believer in the capacity of art to delight, to inform and transform the world in which we live. Such arguments are readily accepted about the arts but they need also make sense in relation to other areas of social life such as sport and in particular the possible capacity of sport to fulfill its potential and to enlarge one's sense of human possibilities, to delight, to inform and ultimately help to transform the world in which we live. In Pakistan, social dimension and possibilities of cricket remain as empty slogans, and constant reminders proclaiming the 'progressive' product have not sufficed to make a reality of it. The PCB needs to be more practicable and less rhetorical. Just to divert their intention to the real 'power' of cricket I must try delivering my resolutely understood views in an unremitting series of changeable contentions and affirmations. Undivided India, of course, was not without its plight in the 1920s-militancy, religious factions, ethnicity, caste struggles, political manipulation, apartheid, inflation, economic deficiencies, paucity of educational opportunities, the princely influences and their grandiosities, self-indictment, pitying and poverty had led to relentless social recession and downturn and the first successful challenge to British Empire in the period. Yet Muslims, a strong community abstained radicalism and adopted temperance, restraint and moderation. It was a disparate realm largely at discomfort with itself. And cricket played its part in this. The essence of Muslims' cricket in the undivided India was that freedom could be imprisoned in the flesh, restricted to the unrestricted soul, each must hearken to the inner voice, even when there seemed but little choice, demanding nothing more than being whole, opening each gift of time afresh, maintaining through one's courage and one's control. The social and cultural world of Muslims' cricket does much to make clear the degree of stability within the Indian society and such was game's impact that in one of the Bombay Quadrangular finals Mohammad Ali Jinnah was the spectator. Had a strong awareness of social animosity existed in other areas of Indian life, it seems unlikely that the social distinctions of cricket would have provoked so little protest or criticism. Without such a wide measure of cultural and social harmony in India, there could not have remained such a widespread acceptance of Muslims' cricket as a symbol of secularism. The social and cultural harmony found in Muslims' cricket was not restricted to cricket. It both reflected and strengthened cultural and social harmony of their community which evidently triggered concepts of two separate nations philosophically creation of Islam Gymkhana close to the Hindu Gymkhana was the first step to the evolution of the 'The Two Nation Theory'. Cricket is a powerful tool if the social and political magnitude it brings with it is keenly understood; ironically like he was quoted Ijaz Butt and many more are only stuck with the Shoaib-Sania marriage? Twenty20 and the Windies By Malik Arshed Gilani p.s.n. The craze for Twenty20 cricket seems to have no
limits. The IPL is a glaring proof of this. Thousands We can call this meaningless cricket but, the public does not agree. The ICC, who are required to keep a close eye on illegal shenanigans in the game have not, and I understand have been allowed a presence by the IPL and were told that the IPL would oversee these tournaments. This is strange. I cannot believe any other organisation would have been allowed to get away with such a stance. It all clearly indicates that big money makes its own rules. In cricketing terms, this form of the game has created its own strategies and tactics. Spin bowling has surprisingly become vital. Increasingly we see teams opening the bowling with a spinner. Taking speed off the ball, the 'slow bouncer' has been developed and has been successful. It is incredible to see the charge being given to world class fast bowlers by ordinary batsmen and them getting away with it. Dexterous over the head shots have been perfected. The Yorker within the stumps is relatively less used than a widish one outside the off stump as it prevents runs. New controversies have arisen as to how and why individuals are awarded the 'man of the match'. There is the hint of a suggestion that national loyalty in the commentary box has an impact. Finally when all is done and dusted, many billions of dollars change hands involving history's largest ever unofficial gambling syndicates. The numbers of spectators and others involved adequately prove the popularity of this form of the game. Unconnectedly, it is ironic that the wedding date of one cricketer who actually confessed to 'fixing' a match is also open to betting. I wonder if he would take a lead from the yesteryear Australian cricketers and place an 'honest' wager! The IPL is providing the lead up to the World Twenty20 Championship in the West Indies. I can think of no more suitable surroundings for this form of the game. The West Indians love cricket. They live in some of the most scenic parts of the world where sun, music, drink and frolic are all ways of life. If one could blow ones own trumpet, in 1973, the undersigned was individually most responsible for putting together the first ever live television broadcast of Pakistan's tour to the Windies. It gave one the opportunity to befriend and gain cricket insights from some of the greats of the game; Sir Clyde Walcott and Sir Garfield Sobers, to name just two and see this incredible region which once produced the greatest teams in the history of this game. Sadly the lack of money and bad management has greatly lessened the call by this game for the young. The proximity to America has encouraged the children to lean towards baseball and basketball to the detriment of cricket. The speed of the modern world, the lack of spare time available to individuals and indeed the cost of watching top level cricket combined with the 'instant fix' of Twenty20 cricket is inevitably having its effect on the long form of the game. Whether the traditionalists of the game like it or not, this is happening and big money will continue its ruthless course. The market does not respect traditions; it only respects profit. In countries where industry, services or the economy do not create enough competition and thus a need to advertise, money for the promotion of sports is always in short supply. India is a prime example of what I am trying to express. In spite of 80% of the population living below world poverty levels the other 20% provide a market of some 200 million consumers that the world is chasing. The result; good management and an eye on profit produced the IPL. The earnings this form of cricket provides to the cricketers will hardly endear the long form of the game to the youth of today. This effect will be even more apparent in countries with less money and poor management. It is not too far in the future when the huge American market will commercially provide international T20 cricket and follow India's lead. Whilst the ICC was able to prevent competition in India and sanctify IPL against the other league, the pressure of money will prevent this kind of embargo in another country especially if the country's cricket body is involved. The US Cricket Association and Mr Stanford must surely be thinking on these lines. The pressure of these realities is already impacting the players. For just six weeks work they earn more than they would otherwise in a year. Increasingly players will only pay lip service to Test Cricket. I suggest that it is only a matter of time that change in the form of cricket is inevitable. Lessons from history of various sports advises us that wise administrators, when facing an inevitable uncontrolled change, would be well advised to face matter squarely and lead the change for the good of the game.
malikgilani2002@gmail.com
Maradona needs to bridge the Messi divide By Umaid Wasim By the look of things, Argentina's hopes in this
year's World Cup rest on one player -- Lionel Messi. The young Barcelona forward made his mark at the 2006 World Cup with a goal in his first game in the competition at 18. Messi torments defenders with his ball control, pulling them out of position to set up goals for teammates or weaving through to hit the target. Without a World Cup triumph since 1986, Argentina badly need him to be in full flow. The Barcelona superstar's four-goal super show in the 4-1 Champions League quarter-final thrashing of Arsenal on Tuesday has captured the world's imagination two months before the World Cup kicks off in South Africa. The four goals against Arsenal; a left-foot stunner, a right-foot chip, a lob and a blaster through keeper Manuel Almunia's legs, took Barcelona into the Champions League semifinals, tying him and Rivaldo as the club's leading scorers in the competition with 25 goals. The World Player of the Year has also scored 26 goals
in 27 La Liga matches this season. Messi, who is already hailed as the man to overtake his national team boss Diego Maradona as the greatest player of all time, sent a chilling warning to teams ahead of the World Cup, saying that he can still get better. "I'm so happy with the victory against Arsenal and how the game went but I know I have to keep improving," he told The Sun in an interview. Argentine fans, however, are again asking if the world's best footballer will ever play for his national team like he does for Barcelona. "Argentine fans believe there are two Messis," Buenos Aires based newspaper La Nacion said. Argentina are in Group B at the World Cup in with Nigeria, South Korea and Greece and coach Diego Maradona is yet to find a way to get Messi to reproduce his seemingly unstoppable club form for the national side. While Messi is the main man for Barca, he is a shadow
of his brilliant self for Argentina -- a fact noticed when the Albiceleste
pained through the qualifiers to the World Cup; only securing Maradona should recognise and embrace the challenge of constructing a team around Messi but, thus far, results have been as erratic. Maradona has called up 102 players in 18 months. Messi has played wide and also as a second striker, both roles he can perform beautifully in the slick Barcelona team so brilliantly organised by Pep Guardiola, but Maradona needs to settle on a system. Argentina are spoilt for choice in attack, where Messi can be joined by the in-form Carlos Tevez or, most recently against Germany, by Gonzalo HiguaÌn who has been impressing at Real Madrid. There is further backup from Sergio Aguero and Diego Milito. The ideal solution would be to have Diego Milito as the target-man with Messi and Aguero flanking him in a three-pronged attack; very similar to the Barca system with Zleatan Ibrahimovic as the target-man and Messi and Thierry Henry or Bojan on opposite sides. That would however mean that Argentina would have to sacrifice the talents of highly regarded Benfica winger Angel Di Maria. A three-pronged attack system would mean that the Argentineans would have to bank upon Messi and Aguero to run through the channels on the wings and have a three-man midfield with a playmaker and a couple of holding midfielders. Maradona's relations with the inspirational Juan Roman Riquelme are sour if anything and chances of him doing the 'Xavi' role are little. Benfica's Pablo Aimar could be the player to fit that role and so could the ever-green Juan Sebastian Veron and Boca Juniors' playmaker Federico Insua. For holding players, Maradona can call on Liverpool's Javier Mascherano and Inter Milan's Esteban Cambiasso, as well as Real Madrid's Fernando Gago. Pacy wing-backs would be needed to support the 'Messi' system. A call-up for Inter captain Javier Zanetti could be the right decision. He has been a consistent performer for both club and country over the last decade and he could be a viable option for Maradona. Gabiel Heinze, at left-back is good enough to provide the midfield with enough options while going forward. Gabriel Milito's return from long-term injury at Barcelona provides another centre-half alongside Walter Samuel and Martin Demichelis. There are weaknesses, notably in goal, but it is a squad capable of reaching the semifinals with sound leadership which, with Maradona in charge, remains a big 'if'. It would be a terrible shame if Messi's talent were wasted for a second consecutive time. He was only 18 at the previous World Cup but it was painful to watch as Argentina succumbed to Germany on penalties in the quarter-finals, with Messi looking on disconsolately from the bench. People still question Jose Pekerman's decision to leave Messi on the bench during that match. The whole of that nation prays that history will not repeat itself. And while the World Cup finals become a coronation ceremony for the best footballer on the planet -- Pele in 1970, Maradona in 1986, Zinedine Zidane in 1998 and Ronaldo in 2002, it could be Messi in 2010 only if Maradona bridges the 'Messi' divide.
Pakistan-India take rivalry to the rugby field Its intriguing, its exciting and its fun and it is high time that Pakistan and India should scrum on the rugby pitch now By Abdul Ahad Farshori When talking about a sports competition between
Pakistan and India, the first thing that comes to Rugby Sevens is the format to be exact, a game which concludes in fifteen minutes -- including a minute of half-time. The frenetic activity is divided into two halves of seven minutes each; with a minute break in the middle. Unlike its parent game -- rugby, which stretches over 80 minutes and consists of fifteen players a side, it is slightly more intriguing. An advantage that the game has over hockey (Pakistan and India's national sport) and cricket is that it takes less than half the time it takes a hockey match to complete and the format is way shorter than the shortest format of cricket -- Twenty20. The following of this combat sport is very limited in Pakistan with the game being played in a few cities, prominently Lahore, Islamabad and Bahawalnagar with around 1,000-1,500 people attached to around 20 clubs. It may be short but it can turn out to be huge alternative for cricket and hockey between the two arch-rivals. As people of the both the neighbouring countries are always up for a good sporting show, so why limit them to just two, maybe three sports if you also consider football. It is short, it is intriguing and it is fun! In a Group A encounter of the recently concluded Asian
Rugby Sevens Championships, played on the fields of Delhi University last
Friday, the Greenshirts charged down the pitch against across the border
rivals. The match was eventually won by India 38-5, but the score-line
does not reveal the gripping excitement surrounding the match. India
secured fourth position in the tournament while Malaysia won the event. Although, this was the first time that Pakistanis found out that they even have a rugby team but the thrill of the match against traditional rivals was enough to increase the anticipation and curiosity for the result of the match. In the two neighbouring countries where cricket runs the disciplines, it may be considered as an awe of relief to find other things to compete at. And why not, if there can be a cricket series, hockey tests then why can't be there a tournament of rugby? In Pakistan, the Pakistan Rugby Union (PRU) controls the show and has reported to have hired help for the development of the game. A sport which has been in the country since 1946, is somehow still in its growing stage and is fighting to build up a following (the game resumed in Pakistan in 1991). The competition is not just about the Rugby Sevens it can also be of a regular rugby game, which is not that long at least when compared to cricket. Both the countries are growing nations in terms of rugby and can easily support each other in development of the game on both sides of the borders. Cross border tournaments can be helpful for both the countries in building up the hype for the sport. Nonetheless, it can be a possibility that the two nations can emerge as Rugby giants of at least of the Asian continent after a few mutually benefiting series. And maybe it can serve as a welcome escape from the regular sports between the two countries and there could eventually more to the sporting rivalry of Pakistan and India than just cricket. And as a true fan of sports one awaits the sight of Indo-Pak players locked in a scrum on the field. India are currently ranked 85th in the world out of the 95 teams whereas Pakistan are yet to make it on the list. |
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anything substantial in life. His passion was cricket and he it was
against all odds that he emerged as one of the best all-rounders in
cricket history.
month. Gauntlet of country's glitterati and politicians has commented on
the intended wedding of these two celebrities. Marriage is a solemn and
a very personal event but in Shoaib's case it hasn't only made the news
but a controversy of varying intensity has also haunted him recently.
And amongst the responsible people, the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket
Board Ijaz Butt has also been allegedly quoted having stated, as
reported in one of the channels, that this event could stir the
relationships between the two countries, India and Pakistan. This puts
him, yet again, in a shallow light. As the head of Pakistan cricket's
governing body, he could contemplate that an event that has become a
media blitz could really act as a buffer between the two 'estranged'
nations, if he ever said.
of spectators watch matches that have an instant excitement to offer.
The hype created through the glamour provide colour and excitement to
those on the ground and also to those viewing it on television. It
provides millions in India and many more around the world an opportunity
to gamble which provides its own brand of additional spectators.
Messi has been in inspirational form over the last few years; the sort of
form that saw him win the FIFA World Player of the Year award for 2009 as
his club side Barcelona won an unprecedented six trophies. Under Argentina
coach Diego Maradona's guidance, however, he has failed to reproduce his
club success at international level.
qualification in their last game.
mind is a cricket match between the two arch-rivals. And if you have
much developed imagination maybe you will come up with a hockey match
but none would expect the men in greens and blues to meet on a rugby
pitch.
