For a variety of reasons, 2010 was a year from hell for Pakistan sports. But then it was also a year of happiness with Pakistani women winning an Asian Games gold and the hockey team finally ending its title drought in Guangzhou, a Chinese commerce hub located at the north of the Pearl River delta.

Perhaps even better was the fact that Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi became the first Pakistani tennis player to reach a Grand Slam final. In fact he played in back-to-back finals of the men's doubles and mixed doubles events at the US Open to finally put Pakistan on the world tennis map. But sadly, 2010 was also about a few horror stories.

Cricket — our national pastime — remained mired in controversy with little positive signs visible in the lead up to World Cup 2011, which will explode into action on February 19 in Mirpur, Bangladesh.

With Ijaz Butt — the much-criticised chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) — still at the helm, even the most optimistic of Pakistan sports fans won't be much optimistic about the immediate future of cricket our country. It was cricket which provided Pakistan sports with both its highest and lowest points of 2010.

In August, Pakistan officially became the most corruption-tainted team in the cricket-playing world when three of the country's leading players were accused of spot-fixing. It was a story that rocked the cricket world and is now threatening to cut short the international careers of three leading Pakistani stars — Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt.

For a change, Pakistan cricket was celebrating three months later when their women bagged a surprise gold at the Asian Games in November. It was a historic occasion, considering the fact that cricket made its debut in the regional extravaganza in Guangzhou and it were the girls in green, who grabbed the gold. With the title-winning triumph, Pakistan's women cricketers proved that they are now an emerging force in regional cricket. Unlike in the past when nobody took women's cricket seriously in Pakistan, everybody is now talking about how our ladies can go on to become a force at the world level.

Ironically, while our women won the title, Pakistan flopped miserably in the men's event as they crashed out in the semifinals following a shocking defeat against minnows Afghanistan. Pakistan were firm favourites to win the gold which eventually went to Bangladesh, who conquered the Afghans in the title match.

While the women were greeted as national heroes on their return home, their male counterparts were accused of match-fixing.

Early in the year, Pakistan returned home from Australia following a catastrophic tour during which they lost all their matches under senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf, who flopped miserably as the team's captain.

A probe carried out by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) concluded that several of the national team players were guilty of serious disciplinary breaches. The Board banned and fined a number of leading players but as usual most of the punishments were never really carried out.

Pakistan went to the Caribbean a few months later and failed to defend their World Twenty20 title, falling to Australia from a seemingly-winning position.

Their bad run continued in Sri Lanka where the Pakistanis failed to reach the final following losses against India and Sri Lanka.

From Sri Lanka, Pakistan flew out for England on what was a marathon tour featuring back-to-back series against Australia and England.

Shahid Afridi, who was promoted as Pakistan captain for all three formats, dropped a bombshell when he announced his retirement from Test cricket forcing PCB to install his deputy Salman Butt as the new Test captain.

The left-handed opener made a stunning start to his captaincy stint by leading Pakistan to a series-equalling triumph over the Aussie in the second Test.

It seemed Pakistan had finally managed to appoint the right man for the job. But just weeks later, things went horribly wrong for both Butt and Pakistan.

Pakistan lost the opening two Tests against England before bouncing back with a vengeance to crush the hosts in the third Test at The Oval. In the fourth and final Test at Lord's, Mohammad Amir ripped through the England batting line-up on the opening day and it seemed Pakistan were on their way to another series-leveling victory.

But all of that became irrelevant when News Of The World — a British tabloid — splashed a sensational story accusing the trio of Butt, Amir and Asif of spot-fixing.

It claimed that Amir and Asif bowled deliberate no-balls during the Lord's Test. The players were provisionally suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and could be banned for life if an independent tribunal finds them guilty following a full hearing in Doha from January 6-11.

Butt's exit made way for Misbah-ul-Haq, who guided Pakistan to a 0-0 draw in their two-Test series against South Africa in the UAE in November.

In hockey, Pakistan suffered from a series of embarrassing results at the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games before they bounced back to win the Asian Games crown.

Pakistan's squash chiefs, too, endured several frustrating results before their previously under-achieving players landed the team gold at Guangzhou.

However, squash legend Jahangir Khan advised the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) to keep its eyes on the ball instead of getting distracted by what he termed as a minor title. In response, the PSF roped in Jansher Khan — Jahangir's one-time rival — as the new national coach as well as its chief advisor.

Soon after his appointment, Jansher declared that he can put Pakistan back on track and promised that a Pakistani player will win the world individual crown in Belgium next August. Jansher was the last Pakistani to win that title back in 1986.

Khalid Hussain is Editor Sports of The News, Karachi.

Khalidhraj@gmail.com

In the go-go nineties, many people in world cricket were carried away by making money and lowered their ethical standards as they raced to cash in. But nowhere was this more surprising worldwide. It was only left to Sachin Tendulkar to be viewed as a sober, prudent man in India colours who kept his focus on evolving as a real legend, aesthetically, technically and psychologically a batsman even a tier higher than Sir Donald Bradman. He didn't like scandals and bad press, and his determination, masked pretentiousness, highbrow demeanour, commitment and inexhaustible and insatiable vigour to delight at least couple of billion people globally prevented moral bankruptcy and additionally conveying a silent message that 'he respects cricket and cricket respects him'.

Not even his contemporaries within the Indian team could come even close to his contributions both as a player and as an ambassador of international cricket, all over. His 50th Test hundred and to go with 46 in One-day Internationals is only a testimony to his devotion to cricket; he has been a true reflection of C L R James' philosophy of cricket not being a game but delineation of ethics and morality, two basic instincts differentiating the good from the evil.

Evil though outrightly rejected by Sachin (and here he isn't referred to as India's batsman but international cricket's iconic icon) was picked up on the roadside by few of the Pakistan upstarts. I feel, the youthful exuberant Pakistanis would take it as a slur condemning me being damningly comparative, or being biased towards this legend from India. Here, I try figuring out, above the India-Pakistan war line and animosity that had inherently existed since subcontinent's partition in 1947. To me Sachin doesn't belong to India, he is torchbearer of international cricket. When I use the word upstarts for few of the Pakistan players plus a conspicuous group from within the management, I try referring to much that changed in the 1990s: we backed and touted bad stocks, administrators helped protecting few 'tainted' cricketers kneeling in front of their indispensability, concealing the liabilities, and engaged in all sorts of unsavoury activities.

Recently, Pakistan cricket has been involved in one scandal after another, and what concerns me is not so much the individual stories and the misdoings of a few greedy players but the effect that the denigration of the team has had on the society; the negative impact and intolerable ramifications of failed managements have given to us; we couldn't develop a reputation of reliability. By obfuscating the problems inherent in the PCB and the team they have brought to Pakistan; it has to be believed that the self-conceited governments and freaking players contributed to the erosion of the quality of work-ethics and high integrity that was once synonym with Pakistan and its people.

Recently, it was shameful to listen to arguments made by Salman Butt to protect himself and surprisingly he tried bringing people like Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram to shame. What sort of self-defence was this? And legally wronged, Butt's lawyers presumably failed to read the entire script of Justice Quyyum's inquiry report; contrary to the claims made by Butt that the ICC wasn't neutral as Waqar is the coach of the Pakistan team in spite of being reprimanded for his alleged involvement in match-fixing and also Akram being associated with the cricket setup in spite of having been chastised.

The inferences made in Justice Quyyum's report were Akram being recommended not to be permitted to hold position of responsibility in cricket management or otherwise whilst Waqar was cautioned and penalised for not having revealed information that the court found he was privy to; no such recommendations were made against him that could debar him to work as a coach etc.

Mushtaq Ahmad had been warned and the recommendations made against him were definitely about not being facilitated in any role of responsibility (his is the only case where he has been hired by the England Cricket Board and even during Inzamam-ul-Haq's times as captain he was recruited as an assistant coach). Two wrongs never make a right. Salman Butt's arguments clearly show the fallible selfishness and eccentricity where he has tried to bring players much bigger in stature to disrepute. It reflects paucity of nationalism; there could have been many legal instruments judged in proper perspectives within the scope of the changing circumstances. It's not about talking in defence of Wasim and Waqar or to argue that they were seraphs whilst Salman Butt is a rogue. It is about the mindset? For us Pakistan comes first and rhetoric or lip service isn't going to help, we should feel nationalism and patriotism inside our hearts no matter how big a cost we all have to pay?

Butt was supposed to provide information to the ICC helping him to plead 'not guilty', to reduce the disparity between informed insiders and outsiders. Instead, asymmetries of information were maintained or increased; in his case he must have known the real state of affairs he was in the middle but the public does not. World's confidence in Pakistan's operating systems significantly after Salman Butt's shallow exposition has declined sharply.

Why people like Salman have been willing to provide misleading information is related to the question of personal incentives. It is like elucidating that if previous stars were corrupt or 'tainted', his misadventures become pardonable. His counterbalancing arguments are seemingly weak or absent, because of what is called 'tit for tat'; it looks every bit a case where the moth had an attraction for the flames and presumably he has pressed the self-destruct button. His response to the provisional ban imposed by the ICC is precisely opposite of what he has been fighting for himself.

It seems Salman Butt has been looking to advance his own interests contrary to what he should have done, advancing his own viewpoints by persuasion, not by bullying, but using threats of exposing the wrongs done in the past; his becomes a weak argument. He and his advisers should know they will import what they have tried exporting.

The fight about referring to who escaped in the past about a neighbour being exonerated in spite of being a criminal doesn't give us the legal right committing a murder. The real battle is more profound: it is about the nature of an individual and his relationship between him and the society. Salman's philosophy puts him at the centre. He should know how he functions is going to have a major impact on the well-being of each of us. His philosophy has been about rugged individualism in which each individual's success or failure is the result of his own efforts, and his efforts alone. The reality of course, is far different. In Butt's case, both in what he does and what he does nor did, is going to play a key role in many of his failures. It seems, his has been a case of 'wrong advice'; on one end keep Sachin Tendulkar and on the other Salman Butt, both ex-captains, one a true role model and the other a model who hasn't had defined his role? Pakistan cricket is shambles!

naumanniaz@hotmail.com

India lost the first Test against South Africa by a huge margin but the Test became another memorable match for India's little master Sachin Tendulkar who scored a record 50th Test century. Tendulkar went where no other cricketer has ever gone before, displaying a typical sense of occasion to lift a downcast team struggling to avoid an innings defeat, and the hopes of millions of cricket fans.

Tendulkar has set the standard so high by scoring 50 Test centuries that it would be hard for the other cricketers to surpass his record. In batting, he has reached a stage that others can only dream of. He has destroyed practically every bowling attack in the world.

Twenty years after he made his first century as a 17-year-old against England in 1990 at Old Trafford, his 50th ton underlined his class.

It is interesting to note that Tendulkar scored his first century when legends like Shane Warne and Brian Lara had not even made their debuts, while his colleague Jaidev Unadkat who made his Test debut in Centurion was even not born when Tendulkar made his Test debut against Pakistan in 1989.

The 37-year-old is the most prolific batsman in history with a record 46 one-day hundreds to go with his 50 Test centuries and has been in outstanding form in 2010 as he completed the journey from 13,000 to 14,000 runs in the fewest number of innings.

He completed 13,000 Test early this year, against Bangladesh in Chittagong. After that he took just 12 innings to reach the 14,000 mark. During this period he scored seven hundreds and five fifties. He has, after the first Test at Centurion, scored 1,543 Test runs in 2010 and needs 246 runs to break Muhammad Yousuf's record of 1788 Test runs in a calendar year.

He has already passed 1000 runs for the year for a record sixth time (Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting and Mathew Hayden have done it five times each).

In 1996-97 he was appointed as the captain of the Indian side, making him the second youngest captain in the history of Indian cricket after Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi who was named captain at the age of 21.

Tendulkar, regarded amongst the premier batsmen in the world in the last decade, is ranked second in both the all-time Test and one-day lists prepared by Wisden, behind Australia's Don Bradman and West Indies' Viv Richards, respectively.

khurrams87@yahoo.com

Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave 100 50

Overall 175 286 31 14513 248* 56.91 50 59

v Australia 31 59 7 3151 241* 60.59 11 13

v Bangladesh 7 9 3 820 248* 136.66 5 0

v England 24 39 4 2150 193 61.42 7 10

v New Zealand 22 36 5 1532 217 49.41 4 8

v Pakistan 18 27 2 1057 194* 42.28 2 7

v South Africa 23 41 3 1562 169 41.10 6 5

v Sri Lanka 25 36 3 1995 203 60.45 9 6

v West Indies 16 25 2 1328 179 57.73 3 7

v Zimbabwe 9 14 2 918 201* 76.50 3 3

All is well that ends well. Nobody would agree with this saying more than Pakistan's hockey officials who saw their team touching rock bottom on 2010 only to finish the year with the country's biggest hockey title in almost 16 years.

Pakistan's hockey team flopped miserably in World Cup 2010 last March when it crashed to a humiliating last-place finish in New Delhi. The Greenshirts didn't fare much better when they turned out to be a major disappointment in the Commonwealth Games in October also in the Indian capital.

But when not many were giving them any chance of winning the title in the Asian Games in November, Pakistan clicked when it mattered most by annexing the Asian crown for the first time in 20 years in the Chinese city of Guangzhou.

By winning the Asian Games title, Pakistan have managed to secure a direct berth for London Olympics 2012, which experts believe would give their Olympic hopes a huge boost.

However, during the same year earlier in February-March during the Hockey World Cup held in India, the green-shirts endured the worst ever rankings in the history of the event -- ending at rock-bottom 12th spot in the 12-team extravaganza.

Later, there was a major controversy when the selection committee headed by former Olympian Hanif Khan didn't consider senior players for Sultan Azlan Shah Cup held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Pakistan decided to send a new-look team and ended at a disappointing fifth spot in a seven-team spectacle.

They also failed to impress much in the Commonwealth Games, ending sixth after losing their fifth-place playoff match to underdogs South Africa.

However, on November 25 in Guangzhou the Greenshirts thrashed Malaysia 2-0 in the final of Asian Games hockey event to clinch gold medal after 20 years.

"We have managed to do well at the Asian stage in the year 2010 and now we are looking for to make our presence felt in the international circuit," said PHF secretary Asif Bajwa.

Bajwa said that they, with the Asian Games title, have achieved what they had promised the people when he and fellow officials took over the federation back in 2008. However, he added that now they would be looking for international recognition, with impressive showings in next yearís Champions Trophy, London Olympics 2012 and World Cup 2014.

Meanwhile, Pakistan team's assistant coach Ahmed Alam said that in his view, 2010 has been a highly successful year for Pakistan hockey except the World Cup, which was like a nightmare for him.

"The World Cup was a bad experience, however, apart from that the year 2010 was a successful one for Pakistan hockey. We managed to win Asian Games hockey title after 20 years, which I think is a very big feat for us," Ahmed said.

He said that the Pakistan's Dutch coach Michel van den Heuval has been very helpful for lifting the game of the team. "The team is getting better under Michel and I think the federation's decision to bring him in as coach, has paid off."

He said that the pressure to perform was very high on the players in the Asian Games.

"There was pressure on the players throughout the year as they had been told to perform in Asian Games. However, the pressure finally paid in the form of Asian Games gold medal," he explained.

Ahmed also said, "PHF President Qasim Zia became the member of FIH Executive board, which is a big achievement for Pakistan hockey."

Qasim Zia secured 36 votes out of 65 in the FIH Congress to claim a place in the FIH's executive board.

Former Pakistan skipper and legendary Olympian Samiullah also defined Pakistan's title winning campaign in Asian Games as a great feat. However, he said that the title in a continental tournament cannot blur out the spot of worst ever performance in the World Cup.

"They have not defeated a top-four team in the year 2010 and I am yet to see any remarkable player produced during the year. It may me called an average year because calling it a highly successful year will be an exaggeration," Samiullah said.

Samiullah added that new players should be introduced on the international circuit as there are no players for effective replacement right now.

Pakistan fell to arch-rivals India on each occasion they played against each other during 2010. They lost to India in the World Cup and later in Commonwealth Games. However, both the matches were played on Indian soil, giving an edge to the hosts.

Pakistan coach and even PHF officials claimed that the Greenshirts would stun the Indians, if they were stripped off the home-ground advantage. But India managed to complete a hat-trick against Pakistan, when they brushed aside the Greenshirts 3-2 in their Asian Games group match on Chinese soil.

bilalsports86@yahoo.com

After all the corruption, match-fixing allegations, defeats and humiliation in Pakistan cricket, many cricket fans are heart-broken these days.

In a country rife with political instability and poor economic conditions, cricket is the national pastime and the best entertainment. Even though it has lost its popularity, some die-hard fans are still optimistic about its future.

From the tea stalls at the street corner and the queues in the banks for paying bills to the parties at the four-star hotels and the city's elite clubs, the most discussed topic still is 'cricket'.

So 'The News on Sunday' decided to go on the streets and interview the 'ordinary' people instead of 'big shots' and judge why common fans are still interested in the game.

"I don’t think our team will do any better in Tests in New Zealand," Azeem Khan, a taxi driver, told 'The News on Sunday'. "But we still have the chance in one-dayers or Twenty20s."

"I'm not too excited about this tour to New Zealand," said Faheem Mirza, an IT (information technology) technician at the local bank. "I would be glad if they would've been playing right here at the National Stadium in Karachi so I could've gone there to watch them."

Foreign teams have abandoned their tours to the country after the Sri Lankan team was attacked by gunmen in March, 2009 in Lahore and Pakistan was stripped of its status as a co-host for the 2011 World Cup due to security concerns.

The New Zealand and Zimbabwe cricket board had offered to play matches in Pakistan to raise funds for those affected by the devastating floods, but the deal could not get the green signal.

"Pakistan could do better if Mohammad Amir is included in the team, I'm really concerned about this young player's career," Ammad, a dentist in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, a middle-class locality of Karachi, said. "I admire him a lot. He could become the next Wasim Akram for our team in the future."

"And look at Zulqarnain Haider, what they did to him that he had to run away not just from our cricket team but the country itself," he frowned.

Mohammad Amir has been suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and is under investigation over spot-fixing allegations during their recent to England.

Zulqarnain Haider, a former wicket-keeper of Pakistan team, fled to United Kingdom after receiving death threats when he refused to fix the matches -- according to him -- during fourth of their five One-day International home-series against South Africa on November 9 in Dubai.

"I don't watch too much cricket but I get happy whenever Pakistan win from other teams especially India," said a radio show host, Yasir Hasan. "I always talk about how we won the match in my radio show, whenever Pakistan team succeeds."

"I just love it (cricket). I watch or listen almost every match that our team play and try to catch up with the scores soon I get the chance," Asim Gul Bhootani, a real estate agent at Hub Chowki in suburban Karachi, said. "I'm confident that Pakistan will win most of their matches, but don't under-estimate New Zealand team because they've already been humiliated in India during their recent tour and you know the wounded lion is far more dangerous then the full stomached one."

junaid905@gmail.com

Looking back at the Pakistan's domestic cricket in the past year, the highlight would be the find of Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali; both whom have shown a resolute character in the international arena. The two batsmen have been a new ray of hope as Mohammad Yousuf's and Younis Khan's careers come to an end. The nation can trust the two youngsters that they can steady the ship for Pakistan just like Younis and Yousuf did after the retirement of Inzamam-ul-Haq.

Asad Shafiq has shown the capability of performing well in all three formats. Meanwhile, Azhar Ali has been limited to Tests during which he has shown great composure. But he can be a handy player in limited-overs format too because he can provide much-needed stability to the line-up.

In the bowling department, the introduction of Tanveer Ahmed and the comeback of Wahab Riaz has been a healthy sign for Pakistan especially after the suspension of Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir.

Tanveer bagged the second-best figures on Test debut against South Africa to justify his selection. He had to wait long for his first outing in spite being the leading wicket taker in the previous domestic season but he grabbed his opportunity with both hands.

Unjustified selection

But one should not forget the fact that the likes of Azhar Ali, Umar Amin, Mohammed Irfan and Wahab Riaz were promoted without any outstanding performances in the domestic circuit. Several deserving players were ignored as the duo of Azhar and Umar Amin got selected for the tour of England.

Azhar's call-up to the national team was more than a surprise as his performance in the first-class season wasn't that pretty at all. During the 2009/10 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, he scored 445 runs in 17 innings at an average of 29.66. More than 25 players had a better record than him but he was preferred over them.

Although, he silenced his critics with strong performances against England and South Africa, our selectors need to understand that such a call-up is a murder of merit. They could have tried the likes of Aamer Sajjad, Saeed Bin Nasir, and Mohammad Ayub who have been consistent performers from past several seasons. Aamer's aggregate was the highest with 1400 runs which included the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and the Pentangular Cup.

Naved Yaseen, Ali Asad, Umair Khan, Adnan Raees, Abid Ali and Zeeshan Butt were all overlooked just to fit in Umar Amin. The left-hander ended the season with 512 runs in 15 innings. Our selection committee sacrificed the careers of many to adjust the two blue-eyed boys of the top officials.

Like minded players of a particular lobby are entertained even by the senior players. On the other hand if a player is not of the same group he is forced out of the team. The likes of Khurram Manzoor, Khalid Latif, Nasir Jamshed and Sarfraz Ahmed are the perfect examples.

Nasir Jamshed averages more than 35 in One-day International cricket with four half-centuries in 12 games but has not been considered for quite a while.

Complicated first-class structure

The first-class structure was made even more complicated as it was divided into two divisions. And interestingly, both divisions were a mixture of departments and associations. Former cricketers and current players have been crying out for a simpler format which can be used every year. But is a shame that after decades we are yet to build a concrete first-class system.

The new system might be a cunning step and a long-term plan to reduce the teams from Karachi and Lahore. If the same system is followed then teams of Karachi and Lahore may be relegated and the two regions will have to compromise on a single team. But that looks far from being happening.

Indiscipline, ball-tampering and biasness continue

After the spot-fixing scandal, International Cricket Council (ICC) ordered the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to put its house in order and the board decided to take strict measures in domestic cricket as well.

The use of cell phones and laptops were banned in dressing rooms during matches. In addition the entrance of unknown persons was prohibited to reduce the chance of fixing. Players were fined over the use of cell phones on several occasions.

These steps have somehow helped in minimising the unnecessary activities off the field which is a good sign. But the board needs to push even harder in order to eradicate these things.

However, on the field it has been the opposite as players have continued to use abusive language against opponents and umpires, ball-tampering is going on, biased umpiring has been reported.

Former Test batsman Basit Ali told 'The News on Sunday' that umpires always grant favours to international players and local teams.

"The umpires always give chances to Test players even the likes of Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbas, Inzamam ul Haq and myself used to get two three batting turns," he said. "This has been a trend.

"There should be an independent person who can evaluate the performances of umpires and match-referees after every match.

"The teams which are playing on their home ground too are supported.

"I think it is very essential to keep the performances of umpires in check if we want to raise the standard our first-class cricket."

First-class player, Tabish Nawab, believes that umpires should also be fined over biased decision-making.

"Players are always fined over biasness and misconduct but I think umpires should also face a deduction in their pay because sometimes they also get offensive with the players," he said. "The umpires support their local teams and nobody questions their credibility.

"Test players are given out after getting four to five lifelines.

"Whenever the board decides to groom a player for the national side, the player gets support on the field. Salman Butt used to score centuries on several chances and we used to tell ourselves that there is no term as 'out' for international stars," he added.

nabeel_h88@hotmail.com