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Afridi’s
moment of truth Interview
Hang the
coloured kit, Younis
The overdose
of cricket
A
much-needed triumph for Aisam
The warriors
in games
Afridi’s moment of truth The former captain might not agree but it may be time for him to quit ODIs and focus on his favourite Twenty20 format By Khalid Hussain When Pakistan
name their final 15-man squad for this June’s ICC Champions Trophy
next month, the selection of one man is bound to attract both criticism
and praise in equal measure. That man is Shahid Afridi. It is quite clear that
on current form alone, Afridi isn’t an automatic choice when it comes
to Pakistan’s One-day International squad. The star all-rounder may
still make the cut for the Twenty20 line-up but the way he has performed
in recent times makes it quite tough for even his most ardent fans to
justify Afridi’s automatic selection in the touring party for the
Champions Trophy. After all, he seems to have lost his ability to take
wickets. And barring what was a stunning 88 against the Proteas in a
one-day game that Pakistan eventually lost, Afridi’s bat hasn’t been
producing many runs either. But when it comes to a
major assignment like the Champions Trophy, it is difficult to overlook
a seasoned performer with solid credentials in limited-overs cricket.
Whatever his critics have to say about Afridi, the fact is that he is
easily one of the most accomplished all-rounders in the one-day game.
With 7201 runs and 348 wickets in ODIs, Afridi is by far the most
experienced and accomplished player in Pakistan’s 30-man preliminary
squad for the Champions Trophy to be played in England and Wales this
summer. The presence of experienced players like Afridi can boost a team
competing in a high-pressure event like the eight-nation Champions
Trophy. That could be the reason why the national selection committee
opted to include Afridi in the provisional squad in spite of strong
criticism directed at the player following his below-par run in the
limited-overs series against South Africa. But in spite of an
initial show of confidence from national selectors, Afridi is still far
from retaining his spot on Pakistan’s one-day squad. He has to justify
his place by doing well in the ongoing President’s Cup one-day
tournament. The event features most of Pakistan’s top cricketers and
should serve as an excellent platform for Afridi to convince national
selectors that he is still an asset for Pakistan’s ODI squad both as a
leggie and a lower-order pinch-hitter. Assuming that Afridi
manages to do well in the President’s Cup to give national selector a
big enough reason to retain him in the Pakistan team, the player’s
next challenge would be to make his presence felt in the Champions
Trophy. In the tournament, both his fans as well as critics would settle
for nothing less than the sort of heroics Afridi produced at the ICC
World Twenty20 Championship in England back in 2009. At that event,
Afridi was the prime reason why Pakistan went on to win the world title
with the all-rounder finishing as the country’s most valuable player. Repeating such
match-winning outings at the Champions Trophy would really be a tough
task for Afridi considering that he has lost much of his mojo after
giving some of his best performances at the 2009 World Twenty20 and the
2011 World Cup. Whatever happens over
the coming weeks, Afridi will have to take what would be one the most
important decisions of his professional career. Pakistan must begin
rebuilding their one-day squad after the Champions Trophy in order to be
ready for World Cup 2015 to be held in Australia and New Zealand. It
would be difficult for Afridi to justify his place in the pool of
players which would be identified for the 50-over World Cup. The former captain
doesn’t think so but it may be time for him to quit ODIs and focus on
his favourite Twenty20 format. His critics might want
to argue on this point but I believe that Afridi still has a lot to
offer in the Twenty20 format. He is an impact player with the ability to
change the course of a match both with the bat and ball. The game’s
fastest format suits Afridi’s adventurous nature. Twenty20 might appear
to be a young man’s game but the outcome of numerous matches at the
international level has proved time and again that teams that are low on
experience often pay for that shortcoming. Having played 59
Twenty20 Internationals, Afridi is one of the most accomplished players
in this format with 864 runs and 63 wickets. And he is not finished yet.
Afridi remains hungry for more international glory and that’s
precisely the reason why I think he would not disappoint in the T20
arena. Khalid Hussain is
Editor Sports of The News, Karachi Khalid.hussain@thenews.com.pk
Interview When Pakistan
announced their 30-man preliminary squad for this summer’s ICC
Champions Trophy, to be played in England, I was hoping that the
national selectors would opt for the introduction of new faces in the
list. There were some rookies in the line-up but I was disappointed to
see several deserving young names missing from it. One such name is that
of the 23-year-old Shaan Masood. Known among his friends, family and
fellow cricketers as ‘Shaani’, this left-handed batsman is one of
the most prolific scorers on the domestic circuit. In addition, the
Kuwait-born Shaan has also made a mark on youth cricket in England,
where he studies. In fact, Shaan made his bones as a reliable batsman in
England by starting playing for his school called Stamford. In 2010 he
was the second highest runs-getter in school cricket in England. His
achievement was unique as it was mentioned in Wisden 2010. He has played for MCC
University Durham in 2011 and now this season he will be representing
MCC Loughborough University, one of the best universities especially
when it comes to sports. In Pakistan, Shaan
piled up 1123 in the recently-concluded domestic season which makes him
the third highest run-scorer of the season behind Umar Amin and Imran
Farhat. Unlike Umar and Imran, Shaan has never been given a chance to
play for Pakistan. But he has played for Pakistan under-19, Pakistan
‘A’ and emerging teams. He is the backbone of Habib Bank batting
line-up for last few seasons where they have batters like Younis Khan,
Imran Farhat, Asad Shafiq and Ahmed Shehzad. Regarded among the best
fielders in the country, Shaan is the only non international in the HBL
line-up yet he was the second highest scorer for them in President Cup. Former Test stars
including Zaheer Abbas, Basit Ali and Rashid Latif rate Shaan among the
most technically sound batsmen in Pakistan. It’s difficult to
ignore such a talented young batsman especially at a time when Pakistan
are looking at ways and means to bolster their fragile batting line-up
ahead of major assignments like this June’s ICC Champions Trophy that
would be followed by a tour of the West Indies. But unfortunately, Shaan
remains off the selectors’ radar. Thankfully though, the
youngster remains patient. TNS recently interviewed Shaan in which he
talked about his passion for cricket and why he regards Younis Khan and
Alistair Cook as his role models. Here are some excerpts. TNS: What was the
reason behind your decision to opt for cricket as a career? SM: cricket was just
my passion. I had no such family background associated with cricket
apart from my uncle coming close to representing Pakistan juniors once. TNS: Who are your
cricketing role models? SM: I’ve been
finally able to have a shortlist of two cricketers as far as my role
models are concerned. As a human being and a cricket player I always
look up to Younis Khan — his hard work, determination and dedication
to the game is second to none. As far as my own game is concerned I
always look up to Alistair Cook since he is someone I can refer to when
I talk about how I play. TNS: How much have you
learned while playing in England? SM: I didn’t only
learn about how to cope with conditions in England but also how to gear
myself up against international bowlers such as Liam Plunkett and Ajmal
Shahzad. I’ve always worked a lot on the technical aspect of my game
and England provided me with a base for doing that. Apart from that
I’ve learnt about how to stay fit in terms of working out and to have
a special diet plan as well to stay fit. I have also learnt there that
fielding is as important as batting. TNS: Do you believe
you are ready for the international game? SM: I have believed
that since a long time back but realistically after having scored
heavily this season and with runs behind me consistently for the past
four years I’m in the best possible position to represent Pakistan and
represent them for a long time to come. What people underestimate is how
I’ve managed to find a regular spot for a side like HBL where I’m
the only non international player in the playing eleven most of the
times. I have areas to improve but I feel being an international
cricketer will bring more out of me as a cricketer because it will
provide me with a huge boost. TNS: Tell us about the
coaches with you’ve worked with so far? SM: There are many but
I’d like to thank Mansoor Rana a lot for this season as we closely
worked together on the specifics and I was rewarded with a successful
season. I’d like to thank Aaqib Javed and Ather Laiq and Mohsin Sheikh
who’ve been great mentors. Mansoor Akhtar, who was responsible for
bringing me into competitive cricket and preparing me for it, also
deserves to be praised. A big mention would go to Muddassar Nazar who
made me believe in the potential I had. TNS: What is your most
cherished dream as a cricketer? SM: My dream is to
become one of the best players Pakistan have ever produced. I want to be
up there in every calendar year for runs and I want to be known as one
of the best batsmen around in the game. TNS: what do you
believe is your strong point as a cricketer? SM: I think I’m
technically sound, I can occupy the crease, I’m someone dependable. I
can play according to the situation and that I’m someone who is always
trying to work harder and learn more about the game. Apart from that
I’d put myself as one of the best fielders around. bilalsports86@yahoo.com Top five performers of
the domestic season Umar Amin
1321
@45 Imran Farhat
1171
@69 Shan Masood
1123
@42 Abid Ali
1083
@38 Fawad Alam
1069
@48 caption Shaan Masood
Hang the
coloured kit, Younis At his prime
Younis Khan was an automatic selection in Test and One-day
Internationals. His silken drives, cuts, pulls and maneuvering of the
strike were features that made him a class act. The South African
safari though was a sad reflection on a waning career as he failed to
post even a single half century in the five-match one-day series. Younis,
who was recalled to the ODI squad for the series against India last
December, made a big impact with a half-century in the first match in
Chennai. His Test match form was also reasonable in South Africa. But the ODI skirmishes
left a lot to be desired and a prudent query was raised by journalists
covering the series. Some even labeled the fifth game in Benoni as the
last for Younis in the coloured kit for Pakistan. After settling in for
a decent partnership with Kamran Akmal he left the fans seething by
falling to part-timer Farhan Behardeen. His rank long-hop was
snaffled brilliantly by Hashim Amla at mid-wicket and in a way the
dismissal summed up the series for Younis. Younis has been
undoubtedly a great servant of Pakistan cricket and his 7000 plus runs
in 253 ODIs is a testament of the fact, but now he needs to realise that
“all good things must come to an end”. If Younis steps aside
he will make way for Asad Shafiq or Umar Akmal. I feel that both these
batsmen can serve at the pivotal number three position. Umar, who has been
criticised often for his cavalier approach, is a stroke player and the
men in green desperately need a batsman who can rip the opposition apart
at any given time. Asad on the other hand
is more in the mould of Mohammad Yousuf. In fact Yousuf has time and
again stated that Asad is the best batting talent in the country and
needs to be groomed and given a run at the highest level without break. Besides the duo the
national selection committee needs to search for a left-handed batsman
who can be slotted in the middle-order. Harris Sohail remains
the obvious choice. The word is that he is recovering from an ankle
trouble and should be in contention for the Champions Trophy.
After a long while there seems to be little debate on the opening
slots in the ODI squad. Though Nasir Jamshed didn’t quite live up to
his reputation in South Africa he has done enough to remain part of the
squad for at least a series or two more. Imran Farhat who has
rarely been in the hearts of Pakistani fans slogged it out with an
ungainly 90 odd in the Durban ODI and the knock would make him first
choice opener at least at the start of the Champions trophy. The batting
composition needs to be closely looked at for the tournament and beyond
as the men in green target the 2015 World Cup. While the likes of
Younis Khan and Misbah-Ul-Haq are not going to feature in the premier
event and even Shahid Afridi is unlikely, replacements need to be given
an extended run and the practice should start in the four ODI matches
slated against Scotland and Ireland on the eve of the Champions Trophy. emmadhameed@hotmail.com
The overdose
of cricket “If music be
the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, The
appetite may sicken, and so die.” Thus spake Duke Orsino
in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Had the bard lived today he would have
had something to say about cricket. Excess of cricket is visibly taking
toll of tournaments, teams and players all over the world, with the
result that the ICC is taking steps to curtail this surfeit and bring
some semblance of normalcy in the cricket calendar; and regularise and
streamline the cricket activities. One example being the discontinuation
of the ICC Champions Trophy of ODIs (formerly ICC Knockout Tournament
and also referred to as the “Mini World Cup”) after its 7th edition
scheduled to be held in England and Wales in two months time. But more
on that a little later. In the recent past
there has been so much of all formats of cricket — Tests, ODIs,
Twenty20s, four/three day matches, six a side — that the appetite of
the organisers, players and fans is in danger of dying. For all cricket does
not seem to be an enjoyable and relaxing pastime any more but a 9-to-5
job, almost a drudgery. Gone are the days when people said cricket was
the result of the industrial revolution in England — the machines did
the work while the English played cricket. Now the cricketers work
overtime but as long as they are paid sufficiently. It will not be wrong
to say that they are almost like robots devoid of any enjoyment of the
game. We now have players
who are “auctioned” and have price tags. They are managed by
professional managers who get a percentage of their fees. However, this
is neither the place nor the time to go into that!! May be another time.
Recently we had all
the 10 Test playing countries competing against one another in different
parts of the world from the Caribbean to New Zealand in various
bilateral series at the same time. Because of the time zones a diehard
fan with cable television was able to watch live cricket round the
clock. While the Pakistanis
were being steamrolled in South Africa (0-3), the Australians were being
swept clean (0-4) by the Indians on their specially-prepared
spin-friendly pitches. New Zealand were
taking on England, the West Indians locked horns with the Zimbabweans,
while the Sri Lankan Lions showed their prowess against the Bengal
Tigers from Bangladesh. The associate members
of the ICC such as Afghanistan, Nepal, Hong Kong, Maldives and UAE are
playing for the Asian Cricket Council’s Twenty20 Trophy at Lalitpur
and Kirtipur. And the Ladies are
playing their matches in Vadodra. Besides there are domestic Leagues and
Tournaments in progress in India, South Africa and Sri Lanka. In Pakistan we have
just concluded the very popular Faysal Bank Super Eight Twenty/20 Cup in
Lahore. The title was won by Faisalabad Wolves, brilliantly led by
Misbah-ul-Haq, who also topped the batting at a decent strike rate and
hopefully silenced all his critics. Misbah also proved his fitness
during the competitions. Full marks must go to
the PCB for an efficiently-organised and trouble-free tournament. The
final was witnessed by a disciplined capacity crowd at the Gaddafi
Stadium Lahore — always a heartwarming sight. Geo Super was wonderful
in covering all the matches. This not only gives a treat to the fans
watching at their homes but also provides impetus and incentive to the
players as they realise they are on show and under scrutiny of millions
of knowledgeable viewers. This event was also
covered live by Radio Pakistan. It was refreshing that for a change the
national radio broadcast ball-by-ball commentary from the ground rather
than sitting cooped up in a studio and describing play off the tube by
watching television. Hopefully Radio will
return to its past practice of covering all matches involving the
national team live from the venue. Well played PCB, Geo and Radio. The local organisers
at Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore have over the last four years amply
demonstrated that Pakistani grounds and cities are as safe as any around
the world. Although the Pakistan
Super League proved to be a non starter this should not be a
discouragement but be taken up as a challenge. The mistakes made in the
PSL project should not be repeated. The right personnel should be
appointed and sufficient homework including aggressive lobbying should
be undertaken. If we bring in high
profile advisors and consultants who have nothing at stake we will end
up with egg on our faces. We must realise that
we have many friends in the cricketing world. They only have to be
approached for assistance and they would be more than willing to help.
Let us climb down from our pedestal, roll up our sleeves and get down to
earnest work rather than sit back and “outsource” most activities of
our “home series” abroad. If we continue this way it may be too late
and the talented managers and staff of the PCB may forget how to go
about organising a big event at home. Moreover, the current domestic
tournaments can be given an international touch by including foreign
players in every side. It is only a matter of money of which there is no
dearth in Pakistan. Some sort of a “tax holiday” could be offered to
the sponsors. I leave it to the experts to devise ways and means of
funding this idea. Now a brief mention of
the event which has suffered because of, as Orsino put it, “surfeit”
and the appetite has died — the ICC Champions Trophy. The tournament
started in 1998 and was to be a knockout biennial affair. From the third
edition onwards it was converted to round robin with groups. South
Africa won the first held in Bangladesh in 1998, New Zealand bagged the
title in 2000 in Kenya, India and Sri Lanka shared the Cup in 2002 in
the latter’s homeland after the two days of the final including the
reserve day were washed out. West Indies won it in
England in 2004 and Australia in India in 2006. Pakistan were slated to
hold the event in 2008 but for “security reasons” it was postponed
to 2009 and shifted to South Africa and won by Australia, who are the
holders. The 2013 event will be
staged in England and Wales — Edgbaston in Birmingham; The Oval in
South London; and Sofia Gardens in Cardiff Wales. Eight top ODI teams
will participate which means no Bangladesh and no Zimbabwe. After this
there is no mention of the event in the Future Tours Programme of the
ICC as it is going to be discontinued. It is becoming evident
that with the ever growing popularity of the Twenty20 the
50-overs-a-side version will be eventually phased out. chishty.mujahid@yahoo.co.uk
A
much-needed triumph for Aisam Aisam-ul-Haq
Qureshi’s second ATP-1000 Masters title — first with current partner
Jean-Julien Rojer — is a major milestone for the World No 9 doubles
player. Victory at the Sony Ericsson Cup in Miami comes at a time when
Aisam is at an intriguing crossroads in his career. And despite having
conjured a similar triumph in the ATP Masters in Paris in 2011, there
are many reasons why the conquest in Miami is Aisam’s biggest tennis
achievement thus far. Following the
disbandment of the Indo-Pak Express at the tail-end of 2011,
international tennis pundits were forecasting a downward spiral for the
Pakistani tennis star. His understanding with Rohan Bopanna — both on
and off the court — that saw him reach the US Open final in 2010 and
win the Paris Masters, was cited as major reason for the Pakistani
tennis star’s ascent to the top ten in the global rankings. And so
when Aisam and Bopanna bid each other adieu, or alvida, the general
consensus was that their careers were headed in opposite directions,
especially since the Indian half of the Indo-Pak Express was attaching
itself to Mahesh Bhupathi, a 12-time Grand Slam champion, while the
Pakistani half had seeming clung on to a Dutch player who hadn’t
exactly set the world afire till then. Hence, the fact that Aisam’s
current ranking is one spot away from his peak ranking bears testimony
to the fact that Aisam has cemented himself, individually, as being one
of the very best doubles player in the world today. Aisam and Rojer are
gelling together nicely in the lead up to the busiest five-month period
in tennis, which would see five ATP-Masters 1000 titles being contested
along with the remaining three majors of the season, on all three
surfaces. If the Pak-Dutch duo can keep the momentum going they can
build on last summer’s impressive showings and go a step further at
Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows after reaching the semifinals at both
the French and US Open last year. Aisam’s showing on clay might have
improved — although without any tangible accolades — since he teamed
up with Rojer, who’s used to playing on European clay, but Wimbledon
remains the duo’s best bet of landing a Grand Slam title. Being two sets to love
down against eventual winners Jonathan Marray and Frederik Nielson in
the third round at Wimbledon last year, Aisam and Rojer clawed back to
level the match up at two sets all, before bowing out after losing a
cliffhanger of a final set. That match is an example of the relative
lack of certitude in themselves, that allowed the Pak-Dutch combo to
allow their opponents to run away to a significant lead. The Aisam-Rojer duo of
2013 is a lot more self-assured, and the confidence has been given a
massive boost thanks to the victory in Miami. They would definitely have
more than just a shout in the majors, and the combined game of the team
that is now well-moulded to adapt to any surface they play on. The Miami title is by
far and away the biggest result that Aisam has had in the first quarter
of the calendar year, and this sets him up nicely for the remainder of
the year. We now have a two-month clay court period which would
culminate at Roland Garros, where they were a tie-break away from
turning things around against the Bryan Brothers and reaching the final
last year. The Pak-Dutch team can also get encouragement from the fact
that Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor — arguably the best doubles team on
clay in recent times — are no longer playing together. With clay being
Bryan Brothers’ least favourite surface as well, the clay court
silverware is pretty much up for grab. If Aisam and Rojer can get
positive results on clay, they would go into the grass court season full
of confidence, and would have a serious tilt at Wimbledon as well. khulduneshahid@gmail.com
The warriors
in games Wars and
conflicts are part of a soldier’s life. Where there are tales of
valour and chivalry to tell, there are also ordeals to reveal. On a bright and sunny
day of February, I went to see an old friend at the Combined Military
Hospital Rawalpindi. As I entered the officer’s ward, I couldn’t
take my eyes off a young, tall and handsome officer from Pakistan Army
walking with the help of clutches. He had a riveting look and eccentric
blaze in his eyes that made me stop beside him. I shook his iron hand
and inquired about his health. He told me that he was seriously injured
during an encounter with terrorists, but this doesn’t worry him as
injuries are a part of soldier’s life. What worries him is the loss of
his leg that had to be amputated due to gangrene, which has brought a
sudden end to his illustrious volleyball career. His eyes brightened
when I told him about the Paralympics and how injured combatants can
stage a comeback to normal life through a sitting volleyball programme
in Sri Lanka. Sitting volleyball is
an adapted sport that, unlike conventional volleyball, allows persons
with various limb amputations to participate. It prevents vertical
trauma associated with jumping on a prosthetic lower limb in
conventional volleyball. Of the 650 million
people with disabilities globally, 450 million are in the global south
of poor countries. It is recognised by the UN that the disabled
constitute the largest minority in the world. Approximately 10 percent
of people of working age in almost any given country have a disability. In countries like the
US, Canada and the UK there are programmes that seek to engage injured
warriors in Paralympic sports. The approach of Dr
Ludwig Guttman, the founder of Paralympics, to the caring of injured
soldiers continues even today with the “American Warrior Games”, the
“Canadian Soldier On Programme” and the “UK Programme Battle
Back”. USA volleyball
organises several clinics a year, including Paralympic military summit
to address the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Samir, who was the
captain of Bosnian sitting volleyball team in 1996, proudly says that
the sport has created an opportunity for an identity change. A sense of
emptiness and hopelessness has been transformed into possibility and
energy. He recalls countless friends who had amputations during the war
and would hide at home for months to end, afraid to be seen in public. He reveals how the
sport proved to be a vital link in the road to recovery for many
veterans with disabilities. He says that sitting
volleyball plays an important role in boosting self esteem and providing
camaraderie among war survivors. Paralympics have given
a new hope to the war injured heroes who want to participate in sports.
Paralympics movement aims to create more equitable societies and
supports inclusion of persons with disabilities. The motto of
Paralympics Games is: “To enable Paralympic athletes to achieve
sporting excellence and inspire and excite the world.” These games were first
organised in 1948 at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England, where Dr
Guttman held sports events for the World War 2 veterans with spinal cord
injuries. This small step that only involved 16 British athletes grew to
become international in 1952 and the first Paralympic or Paraplegic
games were held in Rome in 1960. Taking inspiration
from Dr Guttman was Eunice Kennedy Shriver who promoted games for
children with intellectual disabilities, leading to the global Special
Olympics. Additionally, the
international organisation Deaflympics includes sporting events held
separately from the other two global organisations due to special
communication needs of the participants and the fact that many in the
deaf community do not see deafness as a disability. Also, the World
Transplant Games Federation became a global sport organisation in 1987.
These organisations played a very important role in promoting sports for
the disabled worldwide. Pakistan Armed Forces
in general and Army in particular have immensely contributed to the
growth and development of sports in the country. However, sports for the
disabled were given attention only recently when a large number of
wounded soldiers in the ongoing war on terror underwent a rehabilitation
programme at the Armed Forces Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (AFIRM).
One hopes this small
step taken by AFIRM will go a long way not only in the socio-psycho
rehab of the injured soldiers but also in raising a well-trained fleet
of potential Paralympians who can represent Pakistan at international
forums. AFIRM must share its
experience with Army Sports Directorate and Pakistan Paralympic
Association. Fauji Foundation should help AFIRM to meet the financial
and technical needs under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
initiatives of its various organisations. One hopes that through this
combined effort the disabled will soon have mobility devices,
wheelchairs, walkers, Braille signs and even accessible toilets and
special transport with ramps. We are indeed proud of
our soldiers who either laid down their lives or were injured during
war. It is our responsibility to help the injured soldiers with
restricted mobility and make their lives once again enjoyable. sdfsports@gmail.com |
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