Syed Khalid Mahmood Date of Birth: Education: Bachelor of Engineering (Civil):

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2 Syed Khalid Mahmood Date of Birth: 18 November 1963 (Scorpio) Education: Cadet College Petaro, Delhi College Karachi Bachelor of Engineering (Civil): NED University, Karachi Contributed to The Cricketer Pakistan, Cricket World Quarterly and World of Cricket since Joined the Frontier Post as a sports reporter at the Karachi Bureau in September After a brief stint with the Pakistan Hockey as editor in 1990 he joined The News, owned by the Jang Group of Newspapers in Karachi, before its launch in February Focus on World Cup was his first book published on the eve of the 1987 Cricket World Cup. Then he authored The Caribbean Challenge, Pakistanís Triumph in World Cup 1992, Pakistan: The Land of World Champions, Pakistanís Sports Greats, So Near Yet So Far, Spotlight on World Cup 2003, Top of the Charts, Mission Caribbean and Cricket Fever.

3 REFLECTIONS-2 A collectionof Articles on Sports Syed Khalid Mahmood Foreword by Grand Master Muhammad Ashraf Tai Published by Jumbo Publishing

4 Dedicated to my daughters Javeria & Beenish Copyright Syed Khalid Mahmood ISBN: st Edition: 2011 Price in Pakistan: Rs. 800 Cover Design: Irfan Mubashir Inside Layout: Adeel Ahmed Published by Jumbo Publishing Suite # 15, Ground Floor, Habib Chamber, ST-12, Block 14, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, University Road, Karachi-75300, Pakistan Phones: , Fax: Web: jumbopublishing@yahoo.com All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of the publishers and the copyright holder. 4 REFLECTIONS-2

5 Foreword Syed Khalid Mahmood has had the knack of taking up steep challenges and delivering. He is the man of ideas and more importantly he has the ability to execute his plans. Blogging was not something which came to naturally to the writers or media professionals in our part of the world. It went to his credit to have developed a blog dedicated to sports in 2008 and he has kept pace with the times by making it interesting as well as user friendly. I reckon that he is among the pioneers as far as setting up a blog on sports is concerned. Indeed he possessed the skills and the capacity to meet the challenge and he has done it with a bang. My own martial art students, spread in different corners of the world, continue reminding me that they are able to track my abilities by reading the contents published on SkmSports.com which is doing a terrific job in promoting sports activities. I am told that an article on me captained Ashraf Tai: Pakistan s Martial Art Icon which was published on the blog in November 2008 generated record number of hits and a high number of comments were posted. The novel idea to publish the top articles of the blog in book form was well received and the publication of Reflections-2 clearly suggests that this practice will continue in feature as well. Grand Master Muhammad Ashraf Tai Founder, Tai s Karate Centre Karachi. REFLECTIONS-2 5

6 Contents Naeem-ul-Haq urges ICC to invest more for grassroots development...8 Spirit moves mountains...10 Prof Ejaz Farooqui crowned as Super Chairman...12 Jalaluddin being victimized by PCB once more...14 Tahir Ahmed lauds role of sports journalists...16 Donkey cart race thrills...18 City of Karachi honours Jan-e-Alam Fazli...20 Gul Hameed Bhatti s death creates huge vacuum in sports journalism...22 Nation has a new hero in Naseem Hameed...24 Karachi Press Club honours Sohail Abbas, Mahmood Lodhi...26 Another pioneering effort from Bashir Khan...28 Legends unite for mutual objective of damage control...30 More than satisfying debut at Karachi Press Club...32 Yousuf calls it a day in KPC s Meet the Press show...34 Shoaib Malik weds Sania Mirza finally...36 Pakistan, India survive battle of nerves...38 Duckworth-Lewis system under fire...40 Mind sports to debut in Sindh Games...42 England finally clinch a world title...44 Cricket comes alive in USA...46 Ahmed Mustafa receives ICC award...48 Prof Ejaz Farooqui desires to take Karachi cricket to next level...50 Sportsmasala.com launch Tissot FIFA World Cup Predictor Game...52 Ron Fergie s eternal affair with a game called cricket...54 Regular editions of Sindh Games to improve standard, infrastructure: Dr Shah...56 Prof Anwar Chowdhry is no more REFLECTIONS-2

7 Contents Shoaib Siddiqui inaugurates KPC Summer Sports Festival ICC should consider scrapping dead rubber games...62 Neither Harbhajan nor anyone else can emulate magician Murali...64 MSAP conduct KPC chess, scrabble events nicely...66 KPT hosts KPC badminton tourney...68 Shaukat Omari inaugurates KPC Table Tennis tourney...70 Dr. Shah praises KPC for organizing Sports Festival...72 KPC Sports Festival concludes with a fabulous ceremony...74 Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Cricket Festival completes 25 years...76 Rotary recognition brings smiles...78 Not much element of surprise in yet another scandal...80 Kapil Dev desires Imran Khan to run Pakistan cricket...82 Omar Cricket Club go down fighting in KG Ramazan final...84 Aisam-ul-Haq comes of age (2)...86 Spectacular opening ceremony proves critics wrong (2)...88 Tiger Pataudi also bids farewell to IPL (2)...90 Dhoni makes waves of all kinds in Goa (2)...92 Naqvi brothers excel in Sindh Swimming (2)...94 Tendulkar s yet another super failure (2)...96 Another miracle earns Pakistan Asiad hockey gold (2)...98 Ejaz Farooqui on a mission to have lively pitches in Karachi (2) Rare assembly of World Cup legends (2) Tendulkar s 50th century comes three Tests too late (2) John Wright off to winning start as New Zealand coach (2) REFLECTIONS-2 7

8 Naeem-ul-Haq urges ICC to invest more for grassroots development While appreciating the efforts of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in globalization of the sport, Naeem-ul-Haq, a former cricketer from Pakistan having relocated in the United States of America (USA), firmly believes that better results could be accomplished if more funds were allocated to the grassroots development. The ICC would be better off investing in the infrastructure development in countries where cricket remained a minority sport. I believe that in order to fast track their efforts they should enhance their grants to the member countries, Naeem, one of the coaches of the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA), observed in an interview during his recent visit to Pakistan. January 5, 2010 I must say the ICC has been doing a fabulous job by funding the national cricket bodies of their member countries but I have a feeling that the results would start coming faster if they could directly take care of the various coaching programmes aimed at engaging the youngsters in particular, he opined. The countries like USA, Canada, UAE and Hong Kong certainly need more funds to carry out their development programme. Since it s not easy to get sponsors attracted to cricket in these countries, the ICC is expected to be more generous in extending financial support to them, Naeem, who is the coach of the South East of the USACA covering the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, reckoned. I think cricket can flourish in these countries in particular if more work was done in promote the game at schools, colleges and universities. Cricket has a potential and a lot of hard work is needed besides deep pockets, he added. Naeem himself is one of those individuals having made standout contribution in the promotion of the sport in USA. Having started his career in his hometown Karachi, he played first-class cricket for his employers Pakistan Customs before who having relocated on the outskirts of Miami in Florida. Naeem has been working hard for the promotion of the game from the moment he reached there. His passion for cricket kept growing and he undertook courses to become a qualified coach. He, alongwith Raza Jaffri, has been instrumental in setting up the Florida Cricket Academy in Fort Lauderdale. They are being provided the technical and advisory support by the famed Karachi-based Customs Cricket Academy, founded by Jalaluddin, the first bowler to have recorded a hat-trick in One-day Internationals, who has also distinguished himself with his coaching skills on modern lines. REFLECTIONS-2 8

9 Naeem has also been actively involved with the Michigan Cricket Association (MCA), having worked closely with its President, Shahid Ahmed, who has also moved there from Karachi. Both these gentlemen have been chief responsible for the success of the Diversity Cup that they have been able to hold successfully in Michigan for the past few years. It has become an annual event in which teams from different communities take part every summer. They have already finalized their plans to hold this year s Diversity Cup in early July. 9 REFLECTIONS-2

10 Spirit moves mountains January 8, 2010 The present England side led by Andrew Strauss demonstrated once more the virtues of commitment and determination. For the third time in eight Tests they managed to save the game with the skin of their teeth. England don t have too many flamboyant characters at the moment who could take the fight to the opponents but they are certainly blessed with iron-willed individuals whose never-say-die approach is truly inspirational. When you have the likes of Paul Collingwood in your ranks you can be rest assured that the team would not go down without fighting. Not surprisingly Collingwood has been instrumental in saving all the three Tests that have gone to the wire. His level of concentration and the ability to withstand the pressures have served the England cause immensely in the recent times. Cricket is obviously a team game and Collingwood alone cannot be expected to the job. The credit must also be given to their captain Strauss for having kept his boys motivated all along. It s a tougher job to give your best when the chips are down and strong leadership skills are needed to get the best out of the teammates. Strauss, as I have emphasized on many questions, is the man for the job. He has been chiefly responsibly for turning it around for England despite not being in possession of a world-beating unit. He has provided a classic example of doing his best with the available resources. England can now look forward to the fourth and final Test with high hopes of pocketing the series. They have retained the one-nil lead meaning they can t lose the series even if South Africa bounce back to end the series on a winning note. Graham Onions has been England s batting hero in two of the last three Tests. Although fast bowling is his forte and he comes in to bat at number eleven he has shown the reslience that would make even the seasoned batsmen proud. Mind you it s not easy negotiating the deliveries when surrounded by so many fieldsmen and the bowlers going for the kill. It tests the technique of the greatest of batsmen when they are pushed into that situation. Number 10 and 11, James Anderson and Monty Panesar, had saved a Test match against Australia in Cardiff last summer. The great escape had lifted the morale of the home REFLECTIONS-2 10

11 team and they went on to regain the Ashes. Onions has now done it two times. Like the first Test of the ongoing series he had the responsibility of seeing off the last six deliveries of the match. On both occasions he came up trumps. South Africa were earlier frustrated by the pair of Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood who batted for well over four hours on the fifth and final day. Their 112-run partnership lasted no less than 57 overs and as Graeme Smith found out once more it was broken just too late to force the issue. England, having won the second Test handsomely sandwiched between the two hard-fought draws, can now look forward to a rare series win abroad. 11 REFLECTIONS-2

12 Prof Ejaz Farooqui crowned as Super Chairman In recognition of his momentous services to the game of cricket, the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) proudly declared Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui, Chairman Zone II, as the Super Chairman. Prof Siraj-ul-Islam Bokhari, Honorary Secretary, KCCA, minced no words in stating that Prof Ejaz Farooqui has turned out to be the standout chairman as far as the seven zones of the Association were concerned. Speaking in the reception held in the honour of Prof Ejaz Farooqui on his recent election as the Vice President of the Arts Council of Pakistan, Prof Siraj Bokhari recognized the most significant contribution towards the cause of cricket at the grassroots level made by the KCCA Zone II during the past three years. January 13, 2010 It s very gladdening to note that the KCCA Zone II has been the hub of cricket activities in the city eversince Prof Ejaz Farooqui was elected as their chairman. His outstanding leadership skills have brought about a distinct change and there have been more tournaments in their zone than anywhere else, the KCCA Secretary noted. The founder of Urdu cricket commentary and a former President of the KCCA, Munir Hussain, also paid glowing tributes to Prof Ejaz Farooqui, describing him as the man of the moment. He acknowledged that the club cricket, having remained alive in Karachi over the years, has graduated to another level with the proactive approach of devoted personalities like Prof Ejaz Farooqui. Munir Hussain backed Prof Ejaz Farooqui for the post of the Vice President of the KCCA urging its council to incorporate the necessary changes in their constitution to get him on board without wasting any more time. The other speakers who showered Prof Ejaz Farooqui with praise in the reception held at the KDA Officers Club on January 12 were Mahboob Shah, a former international umpire who stood in the final of the 1987 World Cup, Senator Prof Saeed Siddiqui, Chairman, Sindh Board of Technical Education, and Mohammad Ahmed Shah, Honorary Secretary, Arts Council of Pakistan. It was only three years ago when Prof Ejaz Farooqui had been elected as the Chairman of the Zone II of the KCCA in the elections held under the auspices of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). REFLECTIONS-2 12

13 He has been chiefly responsible for bringing the Zone II to life during the last three years. What he has done for the zone in particular and for the cause of cricket in general is truly exemplary. He has led the zone admirably and his great personal interest in promoting the game has brought about a revolution of sorts at the club level. He had had a vision to carry out development work in every nook and corner of the zone. He has been concentrating for creating more facilities in Surjani Town and Khuda Ki Basti. The good work carried out by the zone during the past three years has been yielding results and they continue to be motivated by their chairman who urges the need to work with greater zeal to accomplish more success. 13 REFLECTIONS-2

14 Jalaluddin being victimized by PCB once more Former Test fast bowler, Jalaluddin, is not new to victimization or injustices. He and his department, Pakistan Customs, have been at the receiving end on the numerous occasions in the past as well. Jalaluddin s career as a fast bowler was cut short due to non-cricketing reasons. He wasn t provided the opportunity to do justice to his talents even after having stolen the limelight by becoming the first bowler to perform a hat-trick in One-day Internationals. January 14, 2010 He has learnt to live the hard way. Instead of feeling disheartened or demoralized he has continued to work with fierce determination. Despite the obstacles he has been in the thick of things. His Customs Cricket Academy (CCA) is a living example of his dedication and commitment. By sheer hard work he has managed to become the most sought after cricket coach of the country. He has been given odd assignments but he has not yet been granted the recognition he deserves. Lately he is crossing swords with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over the issue of departmental representation. He has accused the PCB officials of wrongdoings while blocking his election in their Governing Board. Speaking in a hurriedly called press conference at Karachi s Days Inn Hotel on January 14, Jalaluddin alleged that his department, Pakistan Customs, as well as Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL), were intentionally kept out of the PCB to be held in Lahore the following day (January 15). He produced the letter of the PCB s Election Commissioner, Abdul Sami Khan, in which only seven departments, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Habib Bank Limited (HBL), National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL), Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), have been extended the invitation to attend today s meeting to elect one representative of the departments. Jalaluddin, verifying his claims by documentary evidence, asserted that he had already been elected as the representative of the departments to the Governing Board of the PCB, following the expiry of the tenure of the previous member, Abdul Raqeeb of HBL, who is currently accompanying the national cricket team as manager on the tour of Australia. REFLECTIONS-2 14

15 There were nine departments who held the voting rights. Five of them, NBP, SNGPL, Pakistan Customs, SSGCL and KRL, issued letters to vote for me. Therefore I was elected to be the representative of the departments in the Governing Board of the PCB by virtue of having the support of the majority of them, Jalaluddin stated while circulating the copies of the letters of the concerned departments to this effect. Instead of accepting the verdict of the departments, some elements in the PCB began conspiring against me for reasons not known to me yet. Even members of the Governing Board, whose tenure has already expired last November, started played dirty game with me and they also persuaded the Chairman of the PCB, Ijaz Butt, to be a part of this campaign, he contended. When I was already nominated as their representative by the majority of the nine departments there was no logic whatsoever in convening a meeting to hold the elections in which my own department has not even be invited, he complained. Jalaluddin has approached the Federal Secretary of Sports, Anis-ul-Hasnain Musavi and the Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Sports, Jamshed Dastti, to intervene in the matter and ensure justice with him. 15 REFLECTIONS-2

16 Tahir Ahmed lauds role of sports journalists Tahir Ahmed, Managing Director, New Jubilee Insurance (NJI), has recognized the role of the working journalists in the promotion of sports in Pakistan. He made a particular mention of the media in keeping sports afloat in the country despite the inconsistent performances of the athletes in various events from time to time during the launch of the NJI 8th National Junior (Under-21) Snooker Championship 2010 at the Karachi Club on January 20. It s very heartening indeed that the media professionals of our country are playing a proactive role in keeping the nation engaged in healthy activities. Our people get depressed quickly by the odd setbacks but our knowledgeable media makes them realize that odd losses are part and parcel of life, he observed. January 21, 2010 The Pakistan Billiard & Snooker Association (PBSA) was assured the sponsorship support by the NJI who have been supporting the National Junior Championship for the past three years besides having lent financial assistance to quite a few national and international events during the last few years. I would urge the PBSA to invite foreign cueists in our country in near future so that the sporting activities could be revived in difficult situations. The NJI is proud to play its part in the promotion of cue sports and we look forward to a long term relationship to take the game to another level, Tahir Ahmed remarked. The NJI 8th National Junior (Under-21) Snooker Championship 2010 will be staged at the Karachi Club from January 23 to 28. It will be offering Rs 120,000 in prize money with the winner to take home an enhanced purse of Rs 50,000. The runner-up will be presented Rs 25,000 while both the losing semifinalists and all the four losing quarterfinalists will be getting Rs 10,000 each and Rs 5,000 each respectively. The highest break of the tournament carries a cash award of Rs 5,000. An added incentive for the participants will be the qualification in the international event later this year. Both the finalists of the National Junior Championship will be representing Pakistan in the 11th Asian Under-21 Championship to be held in India from April 7 to 15. The total number of participants will be 32. Originally it was desired to have equal representation from all the four provinces but the inability of the NWFP and REFLECTIONS-2 16

17 Balochistan to registe reight cueists each will allow us to field more contestants from Sindh and Balochistan, Alamgir Anwar Shaikh, President, PBSA, revealed. As far as the format of the event is concerned the participating cueists will be divided equally in eight groups. At the end of the league matches the top two cueists from each group will advance to the pre-quarter-finals. The league matches will be best of five encounters while the pre-quarter-finals and quarter-finals will be best of seven affairs and the semifinals as well as the final will best of nine contests, Alamgir Shaikh explained. The PBSA President acknowledged the overwhelming support of the former Federal Sports Minister, Pir Syed Aftab Hussain Shah Jilani, who had approved special grants last year. Ali Asghar Valika, Chairman, PBSA, in his brief remarks, expressed the hope that the young Pakistan s cueists will come up with better performance in the future events after having gained the recent experience and exposure at the international level. Jalaluddin, verifying his claims by documentary evidence, asserted that he had already been elected as the representative of the departments to the Governing Board of the PCB, following the expiry of the tenure of the previous member, Abdul Raqeeb of HBL, who is currently accompanying the national cricket team as manager on the tour of Australia. There were nine departments who held the voting rights. Five of them, NBP, SNGPL, Pakistan Customs, SSGCL and KRL, issued letters to vote for me. Therefore I was elected to be the representative of the departments in the Governing Board of the PCB by virtue of having the support of the majority of them, Jalaluddin stated while circulating the copies of the letters of the concerned departments to this effect. Instead of accepting the verdict of the departments, some elements in the PCB began conspiring against me for reasons not known to me yet. Even members of the Governing Board, whose tenure has already expired last November, started played dirty game with me and they also persuaded the Chairman of the PCB, Ijaz Butt, to be a part of this campaign, he contended. When I was already nominated as their representative by the majority of the nine departments there was no logic whatsoever in convening a meeting to hold the elections in which my own department has not even be invited, he complained. Jalaluddin has approached the Federal Secretary of Sports, Anis-ul-Hasnain Musavi and the Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Sports, Jamshed Dastti, to intervene in the matter and ensure justice with him. 17 REFLECTIONS-2

18 Donkey cart race thrills January 29, 2010 The donkey cart race is a spectacle of another kind. It has many of the ingredients of a thrilling sporting event and the participants as well as the spectators are into it by all means. The Government of Sindh s sports department recently organized yet another exciting donkey cart race in Karachi that was thoroughly enjoyed by the people residing in the old city area. An added incentive for the participants was the handsome monetary rewards. All of them were assured of taking home Rs 5,000 each even if they didn t finish among the top three. It was a wise move to keep all of them interested and ensure a decent turnout. Obviously the idea behind staging the event was to encourage people in healthy activities. The Sindh Sports Minister, Dr Syed Mohammad Ali Shah, and the Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs to the Government of Sindh, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, had planned the event as part of their drive for the revival of the traditional sports of the province. Both these gentlemen are making great contribution in engaging the youth of the province in particular in the sports arena.. The donkey cart race organized by the provincial government on January 24 witness tremendous buzz and excitement as a total of 25 riders took part in the race that started from Railways Sports Ground located on I I Chundrigar Road and completed the cycle after passing through KPT Bridge, Sultanabad, PIDC and Shaheen Complex. Abdul Hussain emerged as the winner of the race while Syed Asghar Ali Shah and Shakeel Ahmed finished second and third respectively. Abdul Hussain, who clocked minutes, received a purse of Rs 20,000, the runner-up Syed Asghar Ali Shah, who covered the distance in minutes, was presented Rs 15,000 while Shakeel Ahmed, having finished third after doing it in minutes, collected Rs 10,000. The Director Sports, Sindh, Mohammad Hanif Mirchiwala, was the chief guest in the colourful presentation ceremony held at the Railways Sports Ground in which cash prizes of Rs 170,000 were disbursed. It may be recalled that donkey cart racing was acclaimed as the pride of the city during one of the cultural festivals organized last year. It was announced by the City District Government REFLECTIONS-2 18

19 Karachi (CDGK) to proactively support the sport being kept alive by the youth of Lyari. A donkey cart race was organized as a part of the Hamara Karachi Festival 2009, which started from Gul Bai in Keamari Town and ended at the Jahangir Kothari Parade in Clifton. The participants had covered a distance of seven kilometers. Pir Muhammad had won the race after reaching the finish line in just 13.2 minutes. He was followed by Saleem Japani and Asghar Badshah who finished second and third respectively among the 35 participants. There are numerous donkey carts visible in the streets of Lyari town that serve a dual purpose. Besides being a mode of transportation it also provides them an avenue for recreation in the form of donkey cart races. The donkeys used for these races are usually younger and are believed to be much more expensive than the locally manufactured motorbikes. Lyari wears a festive look whenever donkey cart races are held there. 19 REFLECTIONS-2

20 City of Karachi honours Jan-e-Alam Fazli Jan-e-Alam Fazli s contribution as one of the most prolific bridge players of his time has been recognized by the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) by means of dedicating a street after his name. January 31, 2010 Tariq Rasheed Khan, President, Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF), broke the good news that Jan-e-Alam, who holds the distinction of being the highest ranked Pakistani player at the international level, has been honoured by the City of Karachi by naming with the street where he lived in his early days after him. It s a matter of great pleasure and pride for all of us. It s a moment to cherish for every bridge player of the country. We are delighted to have the Jan-e-Alam Fazli Street in Karachi, Tariq Rasheed remarked. The sentiments of the bridge players are very clearly reflected in those remarks of the PBF President. It s not often that the bridge legends of the country have been recognized in much manner at the governmental level. Jan-e-Alam happens to be the only player in South Asia and Middle East Zone to have been conferred the rank of International Life Master by the World Bridge Federation (WBF). He was an integral part of the national team in the golden era of the 1980s when Pakistan had reached the final of the Bermuda Bowl World Championship two times within six years. He was nominated for the coveted Presidential Award but the change of guard in 2008 deferred his case. When contacted the modest and unassuming veteran bridge player explained that the city government has named the road housing his childhood residence in Block A of North Nazimabad as the Jan-e-Alam Fazli Street. I feel really honoured and elevated by this gesture of the city government. This is an acknowledgement of my contribution to the cause of sports. I thank the concerned officials for having taken up this initiative. I am sure the whole fraternity of sports will welcome this move, Jan-e-Alam observed. Jan-e-Alam very rightly reckoned that the athletes do get inspired by their recognition like these and they try to payback by performing even better. He has been acclaimed one of the greatest sportsmen of Pakistan, having contributed significantly for putting on the bridge map of the world. He was one of the illustrious REFLECTIONS-2 20

21 American Contract Bridge League (ABCL) Grand Life Master. The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has made a praiseworthy move by honouring the bridge legend. Now the authorities in the federal capital should also expedite his case for the Presidential award. The Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF) should also try to pursue his case in Islamabad because he thoroughly deserves the award. It would be another major boost for the development of the mind sport in the country should he get it. One hopes that the red tape or the political considerations would be overcome by the saner elements in the Federal Ministry of Sports who must be aware of Jane-Alam s massive contribution to the sport of bridge. 21 REFLECTIONS-2

22 Gul Hameed Bhatti s death creates huge vacuum in sports journalism Death, we all know, is inevitable. In the case of Gul Hameed Bhatti, who expired at Karachi s Liaquat National Hospital on the evening of February 4, it was not entirely unexpected because his health continued to deteriorate after the stroke suffered nearly a year ago. He was a courageous man, having successfully fought a battle against the oft fatal disease of cancer about a decade or so ago. Although he was in his early 60s he couldn t recover after being laid low by what had appeared to be a combination of heart attack and paralysis. The attack was so severe and it caused him considerable harm. The physiotherapy and medication continued with his son (Kamil), daughter (Sara) and daughter-in-law (Samra) taking every possible measure to prevent the inevitable. Alas even their care and love could only delay it. February 7, 2010 Gul Hameed Bhatti, who was Gul to friends and Bhatti Sahib to colleagues, associates and a large number of his followers, will be remembered for a very long time. His death has certainly created a huge vacuum in the arena of sports journalism in Pakistan in particular. Having known and worked with him closely for no less than three decades, I have had no doubt in mind that his commitment to the profession was legendary. He distinguished himself by working with the missionary zeal without worrying for the monetary benefits or rewards. He was a workaholic person to whom meeting and beating deadlines was a matter of life and death. He had his own style of doing things, the most notable being maintaining a register to update the records besides doing it to the computer. He was engaged in so much of paperwork because he was passionate about being absolutely sure about everything. Gul Hameed Bhatti was a great all-rounder, using the sporting term. His forte was cricket statistics but he was equally versatile in writing reports and articles on all sports. The icing on the cake was his ability to produce those catchy headlines that made the sports pages of The News most sought after ones. REFLECTIONS-2 22

23 He is credited to have revolutionized the sports journalism in Pakistan. He added a new dimension to the profession by bringing out three to four high quality sports pages day in and day out for close to two decades. The Jang Group certainly provided him the machines and the infrastructure but he s the man chiefly responsible for having turned it on. It was a master stroke on part of the Editor-in-Chief, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, to have appointed the Sports Editor right from the planning stage of the newspaper. Gul Hameed Bhatti was a perfectionist in terms of his work. Quite a few of his writeups are worthy to be recognized as masterpieces of Pakistan s sports literature. His thoroughly researched articles often served as guidelines for the sports administrators who just wondered how this gentleman possessed so much depth in knowledge and insight about so many games. They used to turn to him for verifying records and seeking advice as well. He was the most complete sports journalist of the country. Nobody could lay claim for coming a close second. He will be greatly missed in the sports circles. 23 REFLECTIONS-2

24 Nation has a new hero in Naseem Hameed The Pakistan sports in general has been undergoing a lean patch for quite sometime and under the circumstances it s not surprising to find the nation getting overjoyed with the rare moment of triumph. Now it s Naseem Hameed having become a folk hero after becoming South Asia s fastest woman by winning the 100-metre race in the regional games held recently in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She had clocked seconds to clinch the gold medal in the race in the 11th South Asian Games to become Pakistan s first female athlete to win the sprint in the history of the regional competition launched quarter of a century ago. February 13, 2010 The 22-year-old Naseem was accorded hero s welcome upon her return to hometown Karachi and there has been no dull moment for her since then. The life has changed completely for the youngster and she has been elevated to the status of celebrity as quickly as she had covered the distance of those 100 meters. It s quite remarkable how life could change within a matter of less than 12 seconds. She was just another athlete before starting the race totally unaware of the fame and fortune to come her way seconds later. That s the beauty of life. You can make it big more quickly that you could ever imagine. One can understand her feelings when she was mobbed by hundreds of fans and relatives at the Jinnah Internation Airport in Karachi before the provincial sports minister, Dr Syed Mohammad Ali Shah, drove her to the Governor s House. The Sindh Governor Ishraul Ibaad greeted the beaming Naseem with the announcement that she would receive Rupees one million from the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, and another half a million rupees from his own office. You have made the nation proud. We are very happy and honoured by your tremendous win and hope that you will not sit on this laurel and win more medals at higher level like Olympics, the Governor complimented. I am on cloud nine. I had forgotten the world for six months and trained really very, very hard under my coach Maqsood Ahmed to achieve this. It is a great moment for me to have brought glory to the country in my REFLECTIONS-2 24

25 event since our athletics standards have been poor of late. And I will do my best to compete and win at higher levels like the Commonwealth Games and Olympics, Naseem Hameed told the media. Though, I did expect a welcome on my arrival after extending a good performance in Dhaka but in reality what I saw here was something different and more than my expectations and for this I am very thankful to all, including media, she added. I had left for Dhaka to perform better but what God bestowed on me is more than my aspirations and I am at a loss for words when it comes to express my happiness, Naseem observed. It would be different now altogether. Before this no one knew me and even did not give me any lift but now it would be something different and I would feel proud of it, she reckoned 25 REFLECTIONS-2

26 Karachi Press Club honours Sohail Abbas, Mahmood Lodhi As they say many great things happen by chance. Ehsan Qureshi and I had an appointment with hockey stalwart Sohail Abbas and we were preparing to leave for his residence. Just before packing up Ehsan telephoned Sohail who picked up the call while having some spicy stuff in the nearby Burns Road whose dishes are famous worldwide for the taste and variety. February 20, 2010 Sohail, who holds the world record of scoring the highest number of goals in international matches, promptly agreed to the idea of having our meeting at the Karachi Press Club that s hardly 10-minute drive from the Food Street where he was dining with his friend. Chess champion Mahmood Ahmed Lodhi and one of the respected media personalities, Ibrahim Khan, was with us when we decided to reschedule the venue of our meeting with Sohail and neither of them could muster the courage to turn down our unexpected request of accompanying us to the Press Club. We had only 10 minutes at our disposal because that was the time Sohail needed to reach there. In this period I called Alauddin Khanzada, more famous as A H Khanzada, Honorary Secretary, Karachi Press Club, to make quick arrangements. He consumed probably less time than Sohail takes for hitting a short corner in giving his consent. As the luck would have it our car and that of Sohail arrived the Press Club around the same time. The hockey legend and the chess champion were accorded the respect and protocol they thoroughly deserved. The members of the Press Club present on the occasion were thrilled to meet two of the leading sportsmen of the country. The informal session in the dining room was followed by a formal presentation ceremony in the Committee Room upstairs. It was quite extraordinary how swiftly A H Khanzada had made the arrangements. REFLECTIONS-2 26

27 Quite a few senior journalists, office bearers of the club and the Karachi Union of Journalists sat around the two sports icons. Sports is not been the beat or forte of A H Khanzada but the manner in which he introduced both the sporting legends reflected his depth of general knowledge. In his welcome speech he showered them with praise for their accomplishments. On behalf of the Karachi Press Club he wished the national hockey team the best of luck in the upcoming World Cup Tournament to be held in New Delhi from February 28. He expressed the hope that Sohail will reproduce his Midas touch to win the laurels for the country. A H Khanzada also appreciated the achievements of International Master Mahmood in the field of chess, congratulating him on being the national champion for a record number of times. Veteran sports journalist, A.Majid Khan, presented the Ajrak, a traditional gift from the people of Sindh, to Sohail Abbas while another seasoned journalist, Arshad Shami, did the honours to Mahmood Lodhi. Both Sohail Abbas and Mahmood Lodhi acknowledged the recognition from the Karachi Press Club and they looked forward to the support of the media in accomplishing the mutual objective of promoting sporting culture in the society. 27 REFLECTIONS-2

28 Another pioneering effort from Bashir Khan As Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, a former Prime Minister of Pakistan, has noted in the introduction of the recently published book, Play Better Golf, its author Bashir Ahmed Khan, more famous in the golfing circles as BAK, has been a pioneer in many fields. Play Better Golf, not surprisingly, happens to be the first book of international standard to be authored and produced in Pakistan and it s another feather in the cap of BAK, who had an outstanding career in quite a few other fields besides golf. The 140-page book has been written with a cause. It s domestic price of Rs 3,000 as well as the international price of US$ 40 per copy appears on the higher side but since the entire proceeds of the sale of the book will go for the education of the deserving children on merit one has the opportunity of making a valuable contribution to the society. March 3, 2010 In the promotional literature it has been explained that the sale of every copy of the book will be facilitating in sending one deserving student to school for at least a period of one year. I am confident that by now a large number of copies of the book would already have been sold out because of two reasons in particular. The book itself is quite a worthy effort, a collector s delight to be precise. Then the noble cause for which it has been brought out should also encourage many to purchase multiple copies of the book. Certainly every golfer in particular should own a copy for reference purposes. Such a high quality book on the sport of golf had never been published in Pakistan in the past. It should help in the promotion of golf in the country. The contents in Play Better Golf are authentic, informative and interesting. It s a complete package for the golf lovers. It should also be of considerable interest to the non-golfers as well because it has the quotes from the some of the greatest-ever personalities like Sir Winston Churchill. The versatility and greatness of BAK is reflected in this book as well in which he has showcased some of the most memorable moments of his illustrious career. One standout occasion was the meeting he had the honour of presiding at the White House on October REFLECTIONS-2 28

29 1, 2003, in the presence of the US President, George W Bush, and the Pakistan Prime Minister, Mir Zafaraullah Khan Jamali. The accomplishments of BAK are a source of inspiration for all of us. I have had the privilege of working alongside him for over a couple of decades now and it has always been enlightening being with him. Professionally we had the opportunity of covering numerous international cricket matches. He remained an integral part of the Radio commentary team for a number of years, being the first one to describe the action live in Urdu, the national language of the country. We have been a part and parcel of the executive committee of the Delhi Anglo- Arabic College & Schools Association for quite sometime now. He was elected to the post of the President of the Association four years ago and he has been leading by example all along. 29 REFLECTIONS-2

30 Legends unite for mutual objective of damage control It s not often that the Pakistan hockey greats have thought or functioned on a common goal after having quit the game that earned them name, fame, wealth, recognition and respect beyond imagination. Lately, however, they appear to have become united in their stand for ousting the all-powerful Secretary of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), Asif Bajwa, following the debacle in New Delhi where Pakistan finished last among the dozen participants. It s heartening to see the likes of Olympians Islahuddin Siddiqui, Samiullah Khan, Shahnaz Shaikh and Shahbaz Ahmed, all of them enjoying the status of a hockey legend, talking collectively for the cause of the national game. Quite a few other Olympians and internationals are also on board expressing their disgust and displeasure out in the open. They have blasted Asif Bajwa for ruining the game with wrongdoings of every kind. March 18, 2010 It s going to be quite an occasion at the Karachi Press Club on March 18 where these luminaries have been invited by the Sports Committee in their prestigious Meet the Press programme. Special arrangements have been made as bigger media participation than usual is anticipated in view of the issue they will be talking on. Well the Pakistan hockey has had its share of ups and downs over the years. Pakistan had made immediate impact in the international arena after independence. They had made it to the semifinals in their maiden appearance in Olympic Games at London in They also did it in the 1952 Olympic Games at Helsinki. Things changed for the better in the 1956 Olympic Games at Melbourne when Pakistan made it to the final for the first time. After winning the gold medal in the 1958 Asian Games, Pakistan conquered the hockey world by winning the Olympic crown at Rome in Gold medal in the 1962 Asian Games was followed by silvers in the 1964 Olympic Games and the 1966 Asian Games. It was back to gold in the 1968 Olympic Games and the REFLECTIONS-2 30

31 1970 Asian Games. Pakistan completed the Grand Slam by winning the inaugural World Cup in The golden era continued in the 1970s with medals in every outing. The start to the 1980s was equally heartening and the gold medals in the 1982 Asian Games, the 1982 World Cup and the 1984 Olympics. Then there was a sudden dip and Pakistan stunned everyone by dropping to 11th position in the 1986 World Cup. They fared comparatively better in the 1988 Olympic Games but it was for the first time that they had not reached the semifinals in 40 years. Pakistan won the World Cup in 1994 against the heaviest of odds and not surprisingly it has remained their last major success at the international level. There has been very little to cheer about for the last 16 years. Now the Pakistan hockey has suffered the biggest blow at New Delhi, having finished at the bottom after losing games against teams like South Africa and Canada who themselves had a forgettable tournament otherwise. 31 REFLECTIONS-2

32 More than satisfying debut at Karachi Press Club The Meet the Press programme at the Karachi Press Club on March 18 was my first as Secretary of the Sports Committee. Not surprisingly there was not enough time at our end to make the necessary arrangements because the outstation hockey Olympians were in town for a brief period and we had very few options. March 27, 2010 With the hockey controversy brewing up and all the national newspapers flashing stories under banner headlines day in and day out we had the opportunity of inviting the legendary characters to speak on the burning topic. Let me give the credit to the KPC Secretary, A H Khanzada, for not having taken even a minute in granting the approval in principle when I discussed with him the idea of holding a programme on hockey. The KPC President, Imtiaz Faran, was also on board right away and so were the rest of the committee members. Both the top office-bearers of the KPC were there with me to receive the distinguished guests upon their arrival. The members of our Sports Committee were also enthusiastic in welcoming the battalion of Olympians. We do seldom come across the luminaries of different eras sitting together on the stage. It was a rare occasion when the legends of Pakistan s national sport had assembled in one terrace. I have intentionally not used the proverbial under one roof because we entertained our worthy guests in the spacious lawn covered by tents. A normal Meet the Press programme is usually held in the centrally air-conditioned Ibrahim Jalees Hall of the KPC. We had to make the tricky decision whether to hold it there or shift it to the terrace where we could accommodate larger number of persons. Because of the sweltering heat having gripped the city of Karachi we had to think twice before finally going for the second option. REFLECTIONS-2 32

33 We were proved correct because the heat of the subject was going to overshadow the dry weather and it did. Even the old fashioned fans were more than enough to do the business. Nobody cared for the furniture or the settings. The occasion was a momentous one and everybody was absorbed in it, seeing off the blazing sun with a smile. It was more of a privilege to have also conducted the proceedings of the ceremony that was not only a historic one only for me personally but it was an honour for our beloved institution to have hosted these hockey greats. These were the moments of lifetime. Sharing the stage with the likes of Akhtar-ul- Islam, Islahuddin Siddiqui, Samiullah Khan, Shahnaz Shaikh, Rasheed-ul-Hasan, Ayaz Mahmood, Shahbaz Ahmed, Qamar Ibrahim and Saeed Khan was something to cherish for the rest of life. It was one of those rare occasions when the number of chairs fell short on the stage. Quite a few Olympians like Qamar Zia, Moinuddin Khan, Naeem Akhtar, Mohammad Irfan and Kamran Ashraf had to be seated among the audience but they were recognized and acknowledged. The ceremony, as anticipated, was widely reported by the electronic and print media whose representatives were in attendance in good number to cover the event. It may have been another story for many but to me it was something special. 33 REFLECTIONS-2

34 Yousuf calls it a day in KPC s Meet the Press show It was around 4.30 pm on March 29 when Mohammad Yousuf, one of the greatestever batsmen to be produced by the country, announced his decision to retire from all forms of international cricket. The Sports Committee of the Karachi Press Club (KPC) had invited the world record-holder for the highest number of Test runs as well as centuries in a calendar year at the Meet the Press Programme upon learning that he was going to make an important decision of his career. March 30, 2010 Thanks to the media it had become an open secret and it was no more going to be a breaking news by the time the programme was held that Yousuf would be announcing his retirement. A large number of KPC members, particular those covering cricket, had reached the venue much before the designated time. The popularity of Yousuf and the significance of the event of the members had also attracted quite a few cricket scribes who are not privileged to be the members of the KPC yet for different reasons. Yousuf himself arrived at the KPC about 20 minutes before the start of the programme and he had to spend sometime with his media friends in the Ibrahim Jalees Hall before being escorted to the terrace. The seats were full and everyone was waiting for the moment eagerly when the master batsman was going to make the declaration in public. With the members of the electronic media requiring time to get their microphones in order we had to start the programme a few minutes past four. Being the Secretary of the KPC Sports Committee as well as the host of the programme I did have the option of delivering a long opening speech to pay tribute to the accomplished middle-order batsman and also reflect on the controversies related to him. But I chose to be precise as I normally prefer to do on all occasions because I know how restless one feels if the speaker goes anywhere close to dragging or loses the focus even a bit. The KPC Secretary, A H Khanzada, talked in detail about the recent failures of the Pakistan cricket team having made the whole country sad and depressed. The KPC President, Imtiaz Faran, explained the national flavour of the club. REFLECTIONS-2 34

35 He urged Yousuf to change his retirement plans in the larger national interest. The clock had ticked half pas four when Yousuf, after a brief presentation ceremony, finally came to speak. The cameras became more attentive. The photojournalists started clicking his every move. The stage was set for Yousuf to explode and play a breezy knock. But he preferred dead batting. He just read out a carefully drafted speech in which he thanked all his former captains and colleagues for the support they had extended to him over the years. Then he announced retirement from international cricket. Yousuf was reluctant to take the questions from the media but he stood there for a while as it s a tradition to have an interactive session with the KPC members in Meet the Press programme. A number of critical questions were hurled at him but he evaded them. He was not prepared to speak his mind. He looked indecisive and unprepared as well for the volley of questions. He, however, registered his appreciation for the KPC. 35 REFLECTIONS-2

36 Shoaib Malik weds Sania Mirza finally Pakistan s former cricket captain Shoaib Malik finally tied the knot with Indian tennis star Sania Mirza married on April 12 in the latter s hometown of Hyderabad, the capital of the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Both of them are now expected to be based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) amid reports that they would continue to represent their countries in their respective sports. The marriage between two of the leading sports personalities has been covered widely by the media and even the reputed British newspapers like The Guardian, The Independent and the Evening Standard have reported the event indepth. There were huge controversies before the marriage and yet another one has rocked them right away. April 14, 2010 It has been reported that Shoaib has paid Indian Rupees 6,100,000 as mehr which is the gift given by the groom to his bride at the time of marriage, a prerequisite for a Muslim marriage. The gift can be given in the form of cash or gold or other form of wealth and is aimed at giving a financial security to the wife in the case of divorce or death of the man. According to the reports it s not the huge sum of money that has been questioned but it s actually the massive difference between the one he paid to his earlier wife has caused some concerns. The fact has been brought to light that Shoaib had paid a meagre Rs 500 mehr to Ayesha Siddiqui, whom he divorced recently, while Sania Mirza got a grand price. Shaoib was reported to have married Ayesha in 2002 over a telephonic nikah but later claimed that she was not the girl he fell in love with as the photographs sent to him online were that of another girl. The prolific Pakistan all-rounder, however, finally confessed having married Ayesha and divorced her just a few days before his marriage. REFLECTIONS-2 36

37 He is believed to have agreed to pay Indian Rupees 15,000 rupees as maintenance to Ayesha for a span of three months, which broke down to 5,000 rupees per month. His marriage plans with Sania had been jeopardized when Ayesha, another Indian woman, had lodged a complaint, claiming that Shoaib married her in June 2002 and accused him of subjecting her to cruelty and harassment by denying that the wedding took place and by trying to marry another woman. Ayesha s family, however, withdrew the police complaint after some elders brokered a divorce between the pair and cleared the way for the wedding with Sania. The much talked about marriage between Shoaib and Sania has taken place finally and their future life will be watched with interest as well. It remains to be seen in particular how Sania would be able to extend her career as a tennis star. She has been acclaimed as the queen of Indian tennis for quite sometime. Will she manage to regain her fitness and continue representing India in future is a question in everyone s mind? 37 REFLECTIONS-2

38 Pakistan, India survive battle of nerves Pakistan and India did not let the history to repeat as far as their performance in a global competition in the Caribbean was concerned. With the fiasco of the 2007 World Cup fresh in the minds of their supporters it was not unusual to find the cricket fans on both sides of the border heaving a sigh relief at watching their team win the opening match of the ICC World Twenty in St Lucia on May 1. March 18, 2007 was a date neither of the two sub-continental giants would ever forget. It was on this day when Ireland had knocked Pakistan out of the World Cup and Bangladesh had shocked India to let them prepare for an early exit too. Three of these four teams were in action on May 1. With Ireland having a well deserved rest to regroup after the thrashing they received at the hands of the hosts the other day, the fourth team in the field was Afghanistan. Mohammad Ashraful frightened Pakistan with his spectacular knock while chasing a target of 173. His 91-run third wicket partnership with skipper Shakib Al Hasan had opened up the game but it was debutant Mohammad Sami who brought relief for the defending champions by picking up two wickets in an over. Earlier the Pakistan openers Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt, scoring 73 each, had taken full advantage of the sloppy work in the field by the butter-fingered Bangladeshis who were very disappointing with the ball as well. India didn t look entirely convincing but still they were good enough to tame minnows Afghanistan without much fuss. Pakistan, on the other hand, survived a few anxious moments while defending their big score but not surprisingly Bangladesh didn t demonstrate mental strength to do it. The Indian skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who blasted a couple of big sixes to bring about an early end to the game, was very rightly looking for more improvement from his side if they were to regain the trophy they clinched under him in May 2, 2010 We hope to get better and better as the tournament goes. With today's win we have qualified for the Super Eight stage. That is when we need to play at our best because each of the teams has the potential to win the title, Dhoni said after completing seven-wicket victory. REFLECTIONS-2 38

39 "We jell well as a team and the dressing room atmosphere is wonderful. We play and win as a happy family. If we continue in the same spirit, we should be able to do well in this event. Murali Vijay is an asset to the team. We saw during the IPL what he can do with the bat. He is a batsman who looks quiet but is capable of playing big shots when the situation warrants," he added. Afghanistan did gain some points by putting up good fight in their first game on the international stage and enjoyed the experience of playing against a high-quality side. "India is one of the best teams in the world. We were very happy to play our first match against them. Early in the morning the wicket was difficult for us but it was a good experience for our guys, the Afghanistan captain Nowroz Mangal acknowledged. 39 REFLECTIONS-2

40 Duckworth-Lewis system under fire May 4, 2010 The Duckworth-Lewis system, being used for the games shortened by weather, might have looked even stevens in the majority of cases in the One-day Internationals but it offers huge advantage to the side batting second in Twenty20 Internationals as England suffered at the hands of the West Indies once again. One could understand the sentiments of the England captain, Paul Collingwood who was left fuming at the DL because it played the decisive role in his team s defeat against West Indies for the second World Twenty20 running. "There's a major problem with Duckworth-Lewis in this form of the game. I've got no problem with it in one-dayers, and I know it's made me very frustrated tonight because I've come off the losing captain, but it's certainly got to be revised in this form, Collingwood said. "Ninety-five percent of the times when you get 191 runs on the board you are going to win the game. Unfortunately Duckworth- Lewis seems to have other ideas and brings the equation completely the other way and makes it very difficult," he reckoned. "I'm trying to take the emotion out of that defeat to be honest with you. It's the second time it's happened to us against West Indies so it's very frustrating for the boys because we've played a near-perfect game and still lost," he conceded. "I think that's what the equation is built around in the one-day format. Unfortunately there re probably not enough games. I'm not a mathematician, I don't really know what the equation should be, but your backs are certainly against the wall when it's like that," Collingwood added. His West Indian counterpart, Chris Gayle, agreed with his concerns about the DL system. "I think it's something they're going to have to look into. I would support what Collingwood just said. I could have been in the same position as well. It's something that can be addressed so it can be even stevens for both teams in the future. I'm happy but it's just unfortunate for England, the victorious captain stressed. "We knew that the weather was going to play a part so the first five overs, obviously, can determine the game. So we decided to go out and see what we could get out of the first five overs. The target was actually 43, I think, at one stage and the adaption went in our favour. After the rain we knew we were most likely to win the game from there on," Gayle added. REFLECTIONS-2 40

41 It was really cruel for England to have lost the game after having piled up an imposing total of 191 for five in the allotted 20 overs. They were in the driving seat but rain intervened after 2.2 overs of the chase and when play resumed, the hosts were left needing 60 from six overs with all 10 wickets in hands. It was the second time in nine months that England had been at the receiving end of the DL system against the same opponents. During last year's World Twenty20 at The Oval, a rain break had reduced the West Indian target to 82 from eight overs which they chased down successfully 41 REFLECTIONS-2

42 Mind sports to debut in Sindh Games May 14, 2010 The mind sports of bridge and chess will be making debut in Sindh Games whose 13th edition will be staged in Karachi from June 1 to 3. Besides bridge and chess, four other disciplines, rowing, kabaddi, muaythai, and fishing, have been added to raise the tally to 36 disciplines for men and 17 for women with the 13th Sindh Games set to be inaugurated at the National Sports Training & Coaching Centre (NSTCC) on June 1. The disciplines for men would athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, body building, boxing, cycling, football, gymnastics, handball, hockey, judo, karate, netball, rowing, softball, squash, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, throw ball, tugof-war, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, wushu, chess, muaythai, bridge, kodi kodi, malakhra, wanjwatti, shootingball, kabaddi and fishing while the women folks would be trying their luck in athletics, badminton, basketball, baseball, football, handball, hockey, judo, karate, netball, softball, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, throw ball, volleyball and wushu. The final decision in this regard was taken in the meeting held under the chairmanship of Sindh Sports Minister, Dr. Mohammad Ali Shah, who is also the President of the Sindh Olympic Association (SOA). Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs to the Government of Sindh, has revealed that all the organizational matters relating to the Sindh Games were being dealt with on daily basis by the various committees having been assigned tasks with deadlines. It has been decided that the opening ceremony will be held at the NSTCC while the closing ceremony will be taking place at the Asghar Ali Stadium. As in the past, he said, all the five regions of the province, Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and Larkana would be taking part in the 13th Sindh Games. REFLECTIONS-2 42

43 Meanwhile the change in dates of the Sindh Games has been ruled out despite the rescheduling of the ongoing intermediate examination. Shoaib Siddiqui has disclosed that there was no proposal under consideration to postpone the Sindh Games for any reason categorically denying any possible postponement of the event due to the rescheduling done recent by the Board of Intermediate Education (BIEK) in conducting their annual examination. We are focusing on providing the best possible boarding and lodging facilities to the participating athletes with the limited resources at our disposal. We have worked out various accommodation plans keeping in mind the hazards of commuting in peak hours, Shoaib Siddiqui remarked. There s an option of arranging their accommodation in the various schools in the vicinity of the SSB Sports Complex in Nazimabad which will be hosting a lot of competitions. We are also assessing the possibilities of facilitating the outstation athletes in different hotels, he added. It s going to be yet another big occasion for the city of Karachi to be hosting the Sindh Games for the third time in 24 years, having hosted it previously in 1989 and We are trying our level best to stage it in a most befitting manner, Shoaib Siddiqui observed. Another reason for the 13th Sindh Games to be special is the fact that it s being held during the same year as the Commonwealth Games as well as Asian Games. It will have added significance in order to provide an opportunity to our athletes to prepare for these international events, he reckoned. 43 REFLECTIONS-2

44 England finally clinch a world title May 17, 2010 England have finally pocketed a trophy. It was in the fitness of things, probably, that they accomplished their mission by taming arch-rivals Australia, having spoiled their party on numerous occasions in the past. Yes it were the Australians having been instrumental in denying glories for England in every format of the game. For a change it were England, led by the inspirational Paul Collingwood, who emerged triumphant in Barbados on May 16 to be crowned as the new World Twenty20 champions. Looks like yesterday when Australia s Garry Gilmour had come up with the allround performance of his lifetime to deny England a win in the semifinals of the inaugural World Cup in Since then England, despite possessing the arsenal to rule the world, somehow had been crashing in crucial games to be robbed of the title. They stormed into the final of the World Cup in 1979, 1987 and 1992 where they lost to the West Indies, Australia and Pakistan respectively. England could not run away with the ICC Champions Trophy or the World Twenty20 until May 16, 2010 when Collignwood s men did not choke in the final and they proved too hot to handle even for the mighty Australia, the only unbeaten outfit in the competition. Collingwood, the man having played the key role, alongwith coach Andy Flower, in having galvanized England into a formidable limited-overs unit, was there in the middle to hit the winning runs with a six and two fours that brought the muchawaited maiden world cricket title for his country to be proudly displayed at Lord s. REFLECTIONS-2 44

45 "This is a very special moment. This is right up there, with the best, the guys deserve everything they've got today. We've won a World Cup, and you can never take that away from us. We thoroughly deserve the victory, because the way we've played throughout the tournament has been consistent and also we have been taking the game to the opposition, Collingwood remarked. "We have had a lot of belief, and the guys have thought very well for themselves and made the right decisions. In the end, we've turned up on a big occasion like this and we've performed. I'm absolutely delighted with the guys. We knew it was a monkey on our back. We knew what it meant, and that is why I am so pleased that these last two performances in such pressurized situations were absolutely spot on," the victorious England captain reckoned. "You can see from the way the guys have gone out from the first ball, believing in themselves, taking it to the opposition and playing a brand of cricket that is unlike England in the past. I think a lot of credit goes to every single player in the dressing room, to have the confidence to go out there and really give it their best shots and have no regrets. I think we have done that throughout the tournament and it has certainly paid off," Collingwood added. "We are going to savour the moment and enjoy it, because we deserve to. But good teams kick on, and that's exactly what we'll get drilled into the guys. We have got a lot more potential as well - that's the scary part about it. We can go even further. But this is what we came here to achieve, and we've done it. The next step is to savour the moment, celebrate as a team - and then we'll come across the next hurdle," he observed before rushing to join his teammates for the celebrations. 45 REFLECTIONS-2

46 Cricket comes alive in USA May 24, 2010 I have read with interest the observations of the legendary Australian captain, Ian Chappell, who was in Florida to do television commentary on the back-to-back Twenty20 Internationals between New Zealand and Sri Lanka over the weekend. More than his comments on television that primarily focused on the low-scoring games between the two evenly matched outfits it were the remarks in his write-up published on the eve of the event that caught my imagination. I incline to agree with Chappell, acclaimed as one of the most inspirational leaders of all time, that cricket in USA could flourish in a big way to the extent of becoming a viable business proposition only if the local population was into it. If cricket is to become a viable sport in the USA, eventually the officials have to attract some genuine American fans. This is why the experiment this time, unlike those attempted in the past, is critical; the only way cricket is going to attract American fans in reasonable numbers is via the Twenty20 version of the game, the former Australian captain reckoned. Twenty20 is the correct vehicle to promote the game and if they come up with the right formula, combining business and cricket administration in a franchise, they might just find a niche market, he added. He has recalled that the past efforts could not pay dividends as they all featured longer matches mentioning that even the presence of Don Bradman could not ignite the passion for cricket when Australia toured USA and Canada in REFLECTIONS-2 46

47 The game failed to capture the imagination of the Yanks. There was a publicity shot involving Bradman and Babe Ruth, then a huge star with the Yankees, and the inevitable comparisons were made between the two kings of their sport but nothing came of it other than a nice memento for Bradman's mantelpiece, Chappell wrote. There were also publicity shots taken at a film studio in Hollywood, but the British actors like Aubrey C Smith and Boris Karloff who figured in it were already cricket fans. I remember seeing photos from the tour of stars like Jeanette McDonald and Jean Harlow, he observed adding that the photos were on his grandfather Vic Richardson's mantelpiece, who was the captain of the team. Just as Chappell had anticipated the crowd at Lauderhill, where the twin Twenty20 contests between New Zealand and Sri Lanka took place, remained vocal and cheerful although the low-scoring fixtures were not the ideal advertisements for a game aiming to penetrate into the big market region. Not surprisingly the turnout of the American cricket fans wasn t on the high side but there are possibilities of attracting them if international matches continue to be staged there with integrated efforts to boost the game locally. Cricket has certainly come alive in USA with the historic T20 series between New Zealand and Sri Lanka that was drawn with both sides winning and losing a match each. The low bounce of the pitch wasn t to the liking of the big hitters in two sides but that s part and parcel of the game and such surfaces are not uncommon in Test playing nations either. 47 REFLECTIONS-2

48 Ahmed Mustafa receives ICC award May 25, 2010 The nominations of the winners of the awards had been announced by the International Cricket Council (ICC) last year but it took the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) around six months to hand it over to the recipients. In fact the delay was so frustrating for the award winners that quite a few of them had started to wonder if they would receive it in their lifetime. At least one winner of the ICC award, Gul Hameed Bhatti, expired in the interim period. While it was a nice idea of the ICC to have thought of recognizing the volunteers across the world, having given their sweat and blood for the cause of the game rather selflessly, but the implementation of the strategy left a lot to be desired particularly in Pakistan. The ICC probably had no other option than to seek the recommendations from the PCB but more regrettably they didn t have any mechanism in place to verify the credentials of the nominees. The list of award winners contains majority of the names who didn t deserve it at all to say the least. The genuine volunteers or the silent soldiers were purposely ignored to accommodate people having access to the Chairman of the PCB, Ijaz Butt, infamous for doing things according to his whims and wishes in total disregard to merit. There were just a few exceptions and the person, in the opinion of many, who deserved it more than anyone else was none other than Ahmed Mustafa, a former first-class cricketer, having immortalized himself by setting up an academy where coaching of the highest class is being provided free of cost for close to quarter of a century now. Ahmed Mustafa, whose health has deteriorated for the past few years, defied the instructions of the physicians to collect the award personally from the officials of the PCB in a ceremony held at the National Stadium, Karachi. He was presented the award by the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the PCB, Wasim Bari, with a member of the Board s Governing Body, Wazir Ali Khoja, also REFLECTIONS-2 48

49 Stageent on the stage. It was a just reward for Ahmed Mustafa who has spent all his life in grooming the talented youngsters once his own dream of donning the national colour was shattered by a tragic road accident when he was at the peak of his career. He could not fulfill his ambition of playing Test cricket but he has gone on to make more significant contribution to the game than any Test cricketer by having established a famed academy by the name of Cricket Coaching Centre (CCC). Azam Khan, Faisal Iqbal and Owais Shah are three Test cricketers having been discovered and trained by the CCC. They were in their early teens when taken to Ahmed Mustafa by their parents. Quite a few cricket academies have mushroomed over the last few years but it was Ahmed Mustafa who pioneered the idea. Most significantly he has never charged a single penny from his trainees. In fact he has also been instrumental in arranging kits for them besides taking care of the practice balls all along. He has given his life to cricket in the truest sense of the word. 49 REFLECTIONS-2

50 Prof Ejaz Farooqui desires to take Karachi cricket to next level May 28, 2010 The elections of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) are generally regarded as an exercise of legitimizing old wines into new bottles. But there s a big difference this time round. While there was not much to comment on the election of Prof Siraj-ul-Islam Bokhari as the President or the re-election of Mehdi Hasan as Treasurer but the news making the headline was the election of Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui as Secretary. Prof Ejaz Farooqui is one man, known for bringing about a change. His presence in the central leadership could lead a turnaround in the fortunes of the KCCA. He has been blessed with so many outstanding qualities that make him counted as one of the leading personalities of the country. He has a huge responsibility now on his shoulders and not surprisingly he is as confident as ever, displaying enormous self-belief that should serve as an inspiration to his teammates in the KCCA. He has pledged to take the Karachi cricket to another level by strategizing the goals. Not many people would disagree that he does have the capability of doing it. Having who blanked his rival Shah Riazuddin 21-0 for the post of the Secretary in the KCCA elections held on May 22, Prof Ejaz Farooqui agreed that a lot was needed to be done to promote cricket from the grassroots level in the city. Yes there are lot of new challenges to be met but being a firm believer of making the most of the available resources I don t foresee problems in accomplishing the goals and promoting cricket in every nook and corner of our metropolis, he observed in an interview after having been elected as the KCCA Secretary. The Zone II experience would obviously come handy. I was elected the zonal chairman during the previous KCCA elections in With the untiring support of our team we were able to rewrite the history of the zone by organizing 25 accredited tournaments in which more than 650 matches were held. From Karimabad to Surjani Town, Khuda Ki Basti and Taisar Town we succeeded in engaging our cricketers throughout the year, Prof Farooqui remarked. I have gained first-hand experience of the problems being faced at the club level by interacting with the cricketers as well as the organizers on a regularly basis and we were able to overcome many of the obstacles if not all during my three and half year tenure as the zonal chairman, he pointed out. REFLECTIONS-2 50

51 He agreed that he may have not have as smooth sailing being the KCCA Secretary as he had while being the KCCA Zone II Chairman. Yes the challenges are going to be different but the basics remain the same. If one has the will power to take on the problems and tackle them accordingly no problem could be considered too big. I will take on board all the stakeholders to take the Karachi cricket to another level, the KCCA Secretary concluded. 51 REFLECTIONS-2

52 Sportsmasala.com launch Tissot FIFA World Cup Predictor Game June 4, 2010 The football fever has started gripping the world and sportsmasala.com, the pioneering sports portal in Pakistan, has recently launched a prediction game on FIFA World Cup Football Tournament 2010 which will run in tandem with the mega event. The game, sponsored by Tissot, a renowned Swiss watch company, could be played on and the registration is free with prizes to the tune of Rs 200,000 on offer. The World Cup game is spread over two competitions with the first one asking for predictions of interesting statistics and the second one relates to the results of the matches and the performance of the participants. It s titled Tissot FIFA World Cup 2010 Predictor Game and can be played on It is indeed a must visit site for all football fans who can follow the latest Cup news via a live RSS feed, keep up-to-date with group standings, interesting facts and above all win handsome prizes, including the stylish Tissot watches. The registration for the game is free and open to all with a valid account being the sole requirement. The launching ceremony of the event was held on May 29 in which Salahuddin, a cricket celebrity, was the guest of honour. On this occasion he distributed cash prizes among the winners of the Tissot EPL Predictor game on the same website, which was based on the English Premier League season. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tissot Watches Pakistan, Pakistan, Rumman Ahmad, in his welcome address had briefed the audience about the salient features of Tissot FIFA World Cup 2010 Predictor Game while also throwing light on the Tissot EPL Predictor game. REFLECTIONS-2 52

53 The Tissot EPL Predictor game, it may be recalled, had offered awarded weekly, monthly and overall prizes which included cash prizes, watches and other gifts from Tissot, as well as audio equipment from Bose. The Tissot FIFA World Cup 2010 Predictor Game comprises of two competitions. The first one asks for predictions of interesting tournament statistics such as the total number of goals scored, fastest goal and who will score the first goal as each question will be awarded points and the winner will be the person with the highest points tally. The second competition relates to matches and participants have to predict the scoreline in every match. However, they don't have to be totally correct to earn points. While an accurate prediction earns full points, one can also make semiaccurate predictions such as the correct number of total goals, the winner of the match. to earn partial points and stay in the game. Tissot has been associated with the football for over a decade by having Michael Owen, the English and Manchester United striker as their Brand Ambassador. Judging by the ever-increasing popularity of football in the country, they have backed this venture enabling Pakistanis to get an interactive experience of this premier football showcase. The sports partnerships have always been an integral part of the Swiss watchmakers they have been involved in timing world class sporting events for decades. Partnering with active athletes like Michael Owen also underlines the dynamic nature of the brand. Tissot, the Innovators by Tradition, has been pioneering craftsmanship and innovation since its foundation in It s a member of the Swatch Group, the world s largest watch producer and distributor. For over 154 years the company has had its home in the Swiss watch making town of Le Locle in the Jura Mountains but now also has a presence in over 150 countries. provides more information about the company. 53 REFLECTIONS-2

54 Ron Fergie s eternal affair with a game called cricket June 4, 2010 One of the most fascinating aspects of cricket is the association of lovely characters with it. Unlike quite a few other sports, it s not restricted to the athletes. There are many flavours of cricket and its so many characters immortalizing the sport. The 85-year-old Ron Fergie, now living in Australia s capital, Canberra, is one of the most adorable characters to be associated with the gentleman s game. His fairy tale could be a source of motivation to many individuals. His example of courage and fortitude should inspire people. He was unable to walk because of a disease in his hip joint from the age of seven to 10 but only a couple of years later he had captained his school cricket and football teams and he went on to play first grade cricket in Perth, Western Australia. At the age of 25, after his left leg was severed early in the cricket season, he played out the same season wearing an artificial leg. In fact, reportedly, he kept playing and enjoying club cricket until he was 72! Having missed key cricket years while serving overseas, he was dropped from North Perth s strong first-grade side, which included five then current or past West Australian State players. On November 5, 1949, in his next match in a second-grade game at Perth Oval, he had responded with a century and again dreamed of playing for Australia. He was in high spirits as he left the oval on his motor bike, but at the first intersection a drunk driver hit him at speed. Fergie landed in the middle of the floor of a shop 60 feet away from the impact, his leg so badly mangled that it was amputated that night. Perth Oval was in sight from the hospital balcony and on the following Saturday, the second day of the match, his team lined up on the oval at afternoon tea time to wave to him, while he waved back with a bed sheet. Perhaps they were saluting a career cut off in its prime, but before that season was over, he was playing again! The leg, however, did not heal properly and he had to undergo a second amputation at the end of that season. At first he played with a wooden leg, hinged from a thigh strap and hanging from an over-the-shoulder harness. REFLECTIONS-2 54

55 The artificial leg restricted him to fielding in slips at first, but he adapted well to wicket-keeping and batted with a runner. He was sufficiently agile that not much of the fast bowling got through him, even on one occasion when a very quick bowler did his block and sprayed 17 successive no-balls past the batsman. The versatile character that he was, Fergie went on to play first grade, as an opening batsman and wicket-keeper, with several Canberra clubs and was still playing first grade into his 40s. Because of several overseas assignments he was not able to play continuously. He lectured in economic statistics in Tokyo for two years in the 1970s, followed by four years as National Statistician for the newly-emerging nation of Papua New Guinea where he played in the same team as his son Bob. He played two seasons in Wellington, New Zealand, and some social cricket in Japan and Jamaica. In Japan, women were posted around the boundary to toss the balls back. 55 REFLECTIONS-2

56 Regular editions of Sindh Games to improve standard, infrastructure: Dr Shah June 18, 2010 The staging of Sindh Games every year will lead to the improvement in the standard of sports besides the development of infrastructure projects in the different corners of the province. This was observed by Sindh Sports Minister, Dr Mohammad Ali Shah, who is also President of the Sindh Olympic Association (SOA), in an exclusive chat at the Asghar Ali Shah Stadium on June 18 on the sidelines of the closing ceremony of the 13th Sindh Games Dr Shah, who has not been in the best of health for the last few weeks and is getting treatment in London, had come to Karachi for a few days primarily for the Sindh Games which he desires to hold every year. He dashed back to London only a few hours after the conclusion of the 13th Sindh Games but he took key decisions before his departure including the one of holding the 14th Sindh Games at Sukkur in early 2011 to be followed by the 15th Sindh Games at Mirpurkhas at the start of It was the turn of Mirpurkhas to play host to the just concluded 13th Sindh Games here but the baton could not be passed on to them last year due to the lack of facilities over there. We have planned to develop a couple of mega projects in the interim period to let them hold the Sindh Games in 2012 in style, Dr Shah disclosed. There are multiple benefits of holding the Sindh Games every year as originally planned at the time of its launch in Unfortunately the annual event was organized only 11 times in the first 22 years but we have controlled the damage by holding it in Larkana last year and now another edition has just concluded in Karachi, he pointed out. Not only the standard of sports will improve in this part of the country but a lot of infrastructure projects will also come up to host the growing number of events. Our athletes will get the much needed practice to compete more purposefully in the national and international meets, Dr Shah reckoned. When his attention was drawn towards the huge gap between the athletes of Karachi and rest of the province with the hosts picking up 115 gold medals in the 13th Sindh Games and their nearest rivals Hyderabad bagging only 15, he said a lot was needed to be done by the provincial associations to promote their respective games in the interior regions. REFLECTIONS-2 56

57 Dr Shah, as chief of the provincial Olympic body, faces a daunting prospect of motivating the officials of the provincial associations because the majority of them still remain unfamiliar with the virtues of professional management. Arif Ali Khan Abbasi, during his tenure as SOA helmsman, had tried to get the best out of the affiliated units but there was not much success and he had to quit without making the kind of contribution he was expected of. It remains to be seen if Dr. Shah would be able to turn the SOA into a vibrant entity. 57 REFLECTIONS-2

58 Prof Anwar Chowdhry is no more June 22, 2010 There was a time when Prof Anwar Chowdhry had a larger than life presence on the sports scene. He was acclaimed as an influential global leader who earned the distinction of being the first Pakistani to head an international sports body. Boxing was his forte but his charisma was spread in nearly every sport and he was recognized as one of the most powerful administrators in Pakistan. With the age taking its toll and the ailments limiting his movements he gradually lost control having receded in the background by the time he breathe his last. His burial took place in Karachi on June 21 and one of the greatest sports personalities of the country was laid to rest in the presence of some prominent athletes and a large number of his friends and admirers. He had died of cardiac arrest on June 19. Chowdhry Sahib, as he was affectionately called in the local sports circles, was one of those characters who would be missed for a long time to come. Blessed with some outstanding leadership qualities he had his own ways of doing things and obviously not every one was pleased with the manner he tackled the problems or the issues at different levels. He had always taken pride in pointing out that while all other leading administrators of the country were content in taking the ceremonial slots of Vice President in the various international bodies he was the one who rose to the executive position of the President. He was quite right because he did make history by becoming the President of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) that he headed for quite a few years. As a matter of fact the squash legend Jahangir Khan is the only other Pakistani in the 63-year old history of the country to have led an international sports body. While Prof Anwar Chowdhry was the helmsman of the AIBA, Jahangir Khan had the honour of being elected as the President the World Squash Federation (WSF) a couple of times. REFLECTIONS-2 58

59 The international sports community knew Prof Anwar Chowdhry primarily because of his boxing connection. But things were different at the national level where he was considered as an ironman of the sports arena, having developed a clout that was impossible to be ignored. Controversies also remained a part and parcel of his long career in sports administration at all levels. He was ousted from the AIBA rather unceremoniously a few years ago while his role in the affairs of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) and its component body, the Sindh Olympic Association (SOA), also came under the hammer. He s believed to have enjoyed absolute power as far as the SOA was concerned for a long period and he was blamed in his lifetime for being chiefly responsible for having kept the provincial Olympic body dormant for a number of years. He had lost interest in the SOA affairs when it was finally revived in the middle of the 1990s and the group he had kept intact for decades disintegrated soon afterwards. Although he made overwhelming contribution in putting Pakistan on the boxing map of the world, he was criticized for not having done enough for the promotion of the sport at the national level. 59 REFLECTIONS-2

60 Shoaib Siddiqui inaugurates KPC Summer Sports Festival 2010 July 1, 2010 It was a very pleasant evening on March 30 when Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, Secretary Sports & Youth Affairs to the Government of Sindh, formally inaugurated the KPC Summer Sports Festival 2010 with a crisp stroke on the snooker table. The festival, being organized by the Sports Committee, with the collaboration of the Indoor Games Committee, at the Karachi Press Club from June 30 to July 24, had actually commenced a couple of hours before the inauguration ceremony. A session was held at the Ibrahim Jalees Hall of the KPC which was presided over by Shoaib Siddiqui with Tariq Rasheed Khan, President, Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF), and Alamgir Anwar Shaikh, President, Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA), also gracing the occasion alongwith Dr Farhan Essa, Chairman, Karachi Table Tennis Association (KTTA). They were presented the traditional gift of Ajrak by the office-bearers and senior members of the Karachi Press Club. In his opening remarks, the KPC Secretary, A H Khanzada, briefly threw light on the history of the club and expressing his joy at the revival of the sports festival for the members. The KPC President, Imtiaz Khan Faran, recognized the importance of sports in REFLECTIONS-2 60

61 building a healthy society and he expected the members of the club to participate in the sports festival with great enthusiasm. The chief guest of the evening, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, showered the working journalists with praise for having taking up a challenging profession and performing their duties in the most demanding of situations. He recalled the services of the KPC members in spreading information, making a particular mention of the former Presidents Sabihuddin Ghausi and Najeeb Ahmed who expired last year. Shoaib Siddiqui spoke about the importance of the role of media in sports in particular and he acknowledged their contribution in a big way. He welcomed the revival of the sports festival at the KPC and assured his total support to the venture. Shoaib Siddiqui was then escorted to the snooker hall where he performed the formal inauguration of the sports festival. He was highly appreciative of the arrangements made for the various tournaments. As many as five games, snooker, chess, scrabble, badminton and table tennis, will be contested during the festival which is being supported by the sports department of the Government of Sindh. The festival, offering cash awards to top performers, has commenced with the snooker tournament which will continue till July 3 and it will be followed by chess and scrabble (July 5 to 10), badminton (July 12 to 17) and table tennis (July 19 to 24). The snooker tournament is being held with the collaboration of the Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA) who have deputed Shoaib Alam Khan, an international referee, to conduct the event. The Mind Sports Association of Pakistan (MSAP) has pledged to offer technical assistance for the chess and scrabble tournaments while the Karachi Table Tennis Association (KTTA) has agreed to join hands with the KPC in holding the table tennis tournament. 61 REFLECTIONS-2

62 ICC should consider scrapping dead rubber games July 5, 2010 Yes the time has come for the governing body of the sport, the International Cricket Council (ICC), to find the ways and means to exercise better control over the dead rubber matches and the safest option could be scrapping them altogether. The ICC has done a fine job by controlling, if not totally eliminating, the match fixing element that had threatened to ruin the game in the 1990s. The ICC has introduced the incentives like the ranking points to keep the winning teams interested even after clinching the series but since the temptations to under-perform are understood to be too high to keep performing it has become imperative to come up with another damagecontrol measure. It s not meant to suggest that any team having surrendered the series can t stage a comeback but expecting them to turn it around completely against the run of play certainly creates doubts in the minds of people. Test matches, One-day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals are contested between countries and the national stake is involved. Obviously the ICC could not be held responsible for the apparent wrongdoings but being in a position to enforce law they should be persuaded to minimize the chances of foul play in the sport. It looks quite astonishing even while taking into account the uncertainties of the game the manner in which some matches in full or in part appear to be moving according to a plot that defies logic. Cricket, like any other sport, is more about momentum. If a team is good enough to win first three matches of a five-match series obviously it has all cards in its pocket and only something very dramatic can prevent them from completing a whitewash. But when the team having been floored in the first three outings is allowed to win the remaining two matches of the series it would raise concerns and every avid follower of the game will bewildered by the outcome. In any sport it s very difficult, if not impossible, to stage any sort of comeback after being cornered or demolished. There is always a greater likelihood of the team down in the dumps to bite the dust further until the end of the series. I think the ICC should probe into those series where the winning teams have let their opponents dominate the matches of academic interest. REFLECTIONS-2 62

63 I don t think that the ICC could possess a mechanism to control the dead rubber matches. That s why I believe that a strategy should be devised to cancel the remaining matches once the series has been decided. Instead of a having a full five-match or seven-match series the ICC, can consider the option of introducing best of five or best of seven series. Even a best of three series would be better than a full three-match series. Now it s for the ICC to look into the aspects of negotiating with the broadcasters in the changed scenario. But I am sure they do have brainy and visionary individuals who can come up with proposals with the primary objective of saving the integrity of the game. 63 REFLECTIONS-2

64 Neither Harbhajan nor anyone else can emulate magician Murali July 10, 2010 I don t know in which frame of mind Muttiah Muralitharan was in while having singled out Harbhajan Singh as the only bowler capable of emulating his record haul of nearly eight hundred wickets in Tests. The legendary off-spinner, who will be retiring from Test cricket in a few days time, was quoted as saying in an interview the other day that only Harbhajan, another champion offspinner, was most likely to have a go at his world record tally in Tests and One-day Internationals. "I think only Harbhajan can do this. I don't know how old is he and how long he will continue. But he is the only one who can achieve this feat in Test cricket," Murali was reported to have said. Probably it might have slipped out of his mind that Harbhajan is already 30 years old whose tally of 355 wickets in 83 Tests is far too less than his haul of 792 wickets which is likely to go further up when he calls it a day after the upcoming Galle Test. Ideally Murali would ideally like to get at least eight more scalps in his last Test to reach the inconceivable landmark of 800 wickets. If the vulnerability of the Indian batsmen against spin bowling is taken in account I reckon he should get those wickets if he bowls well enough. I don t think anybody, either a spinner or a fast bowler, would be able eclipse his record haul of Test wickets in foreseeable future. It may stand for stages until and unless the cricket boards decide to shift their focus to Test cricket which is something very unlikely to happen given the fact that now even 50-overs games are being considered long enough and they might be replaced by 40-overs contest. Harbhajan will of course become the most accomplished spin bowler in the world after the retirement of Murali but it doesn t just not practically possible for anyone to overtake the record set by the champion Sri Lankan off-spinner. In the same interview Murali has admitted that it would get increasingly difficult for spinners to chase his records. "In the current scenario Test cricket is dying. One-day cricket does not have bright REFLECTIONS-2 64

65 future. Only Twenty20 is going to survive. So it will be difficult for any slow bowler to survive so long," he said. Harbhajan, undoubtedly, has been a class act all along but expecting him to think to go after the records set by Murali is not fair I think. Murali and Harbhajan have remained the two top off-spinners of the world for quite sometime just as Shane Warne and Anil Kumble were the two best leg-spinners on the international scene for a long time. With Warne and Kumble already having retired, Test cricket will become poorer with the exit of Murali. Harbhajan will be the senior most quality spin bowler on the international scene and it remains to be seen for how long he will be able to cope with the pressures of continuous cricket. 65 REFLECTIONS-2

66 MSAP conduct KPC chess, scrabble events nicely July 15, 2010 Anwar Mooraj and Mohammad Shahid emerged champions in the chess and scrabble tournaments respectively of the ongoing Karachi Press Club s Summer Sports Festival 2010 being supported by the Government of Sindh. The results were compiled and released by the Mind Sports Association of Pakistan (MSAP), who organized the week-long chess and scrabble event with the collaboration of KPC s Sports Committee, very nicely indeed. Anwar Mooraj won the chess competition by securing eight points while Mohammad Shahid took the snooker title with a spread of +55. A total of 10 KPC members participated in the chess tournament and they played nine rounds. Azhar Javed of Chess Players Association of Pakistan (CPAP), conducted the event with Shahzad Mirza, International Master, and Muhammad Umair Kausar, Coordinator, MSAP Anwar Mooraj stood out with eight points while the trio of Mohammad Shahid, Hasan Mansoor and Nargis Khan had six points each. Aziz Narvi and Kamran Sohail were next on the list with five points each and they were followed by Mohammad Yasir, Afaq Mustafa, Hamid-ur-Rahman and Syed Javed Iqbal. Mohammad Shahid won the scrabble contest with a spread of +55 while Mohammad Afaq (+70) and Irshad Ali (+59) finished second and third respectively. The event was conducted by Tariq Pervez, Director, Pakistan Scrabble Association (PSA) and Fahim Naqvi, Vice President, PSA. Tariq Rasheed Khan, Director, MSAP, and President, Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF), was chiefly responsible in making both the tournaments a success despite the lower turnout than was being anticipated. A firm believer of professional management, Tariq Rasheed made things comfortable for the KPC Sports Committee by taking care of the entire technical side from start to finish. He posted a team of officials who were well versed in conducting such events. The intensity was not lost or even dampened by the spells of rains that also played a part in disturbing the originally chalked out schedule. The MSAP officials did show the flexibility that was so essential in keeping the participants interested. The KPC members were allowed to incorporate changes in their schedule with the consent of their opponents in order to minimize the REFLECTIONS-2 66

67 walkovers as the idea was to have maximum possible matches in the allotted time. The MSAP representative, Azhar Javed, was also gracious enough to extend the chess tournament by a day to accommodate those who couldn t make it due to an unusually long spell of rain that did cause considerable traffic jams at various locations. So the chess tournament actually last five days instead of the originally planned four. All the participants were provided ample opportunity to demonstrate their skills on the chess board and we witnessed some interesting contests besides getting unexpected results. The participation in the scrabble competition was even lower but it was very heartening to find Tariq Pervez handle the event very professionally without losing interest. In fact he was even prepared to coach the KPC members after they had played their matches. The card room of the KPC, that hosted both the mind sports events, was wearing a festive look all along and one can hope for a larger pool of members participating in such contests in future. 67 REFLECTIONS-2

68 KPT hosts KPC badminton tourney July 16, 2010 The badminton tournament of the ongoing Karachi Press Club (KPC) Summer Sports Festival 2010 was inaugurated here at the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) Sports Complex on July 15. Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, Secretary Sports & Youth Affairs to the Government of Sindh, was the guest of honour in the inauguration ceremony which was presided over by the chief of the Sindh Badminton Association (SBA), Raees Paracha. Later the two senior bureaucrats, Shoaib Siddiqui and Raees Paracha, were escorted to the arena where they played a few rallies, turning back the years when they routinely visited badminton court. The decision of the KPC Sports Committee to hold the badminton tournament of the Sports Festival at the centrally air-conditioned and well-maintained indoor gymnasium of the KPT Sports Complex was welcomed by all the participants. After having staged the snooker, chess and scrabble tournaments at the club it was thought to provide the KPC members a chance to play badminton in the settings of KPT Sports Complex that not only possessed a court of high class but also had the perfect settings to host such an event. The Chairperson of KPT, Nasreen Haq, was acknowledged during the opening ceremony for having promptly granted the approval of holding the KPC Badminton Tournament. Engr Shah Naeem Zafar, who has been heading the sports department of the KPT for quite sometime, was also thanked for making the arrangements at a short notice. In his brief speech on the occasion, Shoaib Siddiqui praised the initiatives of the Executive Committee of the KPC for having revived the Sports Festival which is now being supported by the sports department of the Government of Sindh. It s really very heartening to find the media professionals taking to the sports field. I am sure they must be thoroughly enjoying the experience themselves. The smiling faces of the KPC members present here make me feel delighted and I think they are raring to go to the badminton court now after having demonstrated their skills in snooker, chess and scrabble during the past couple of weeks, Shoaib Siddiqui remarked. He made a special mention of former international athlete, Mohammad Talib, who attended the function on special invitation. Rais Paracha, President, SBA, recognized the contribution of the media in the promotion of sports and he also welcomed the idea of having sports competitions between the working journalists. Mr Saleem Paracha, Secretary, SBA, who conducted the ceremony in his usually exciting style before taking out the draws in the presence of Mr A H Khanzada, Honorary Secretary, KPC. A total of 28 entries were received for the tournament to be played on knockout basis. REFLECTIONS-2 68

69 Noman Khan, Babar Khan, Mohammad Saleem and Hamid Rahman were given a bye in the first round while the other participants were Kaleemuddin, Mohammad Aftab Ahmed, Ehtisham Ali, Mohammad Yasir, Abdul Qadir, Raja Kamran, Nabeel Ahmed, Waqar Khan, Mohammad Shahid, Syed Javed Iqbal, Mohammad Arshad, Jahangir Khan, Kamran Sahil, Sabir Mazhar, Qasim Khan, Afaq Mustafa, Tariq Hussain, Adeel Khan, Mohammad Ijaz, Ehsan Qureshi, Munir Aqeel Ansari, Syed Azhar Sultan, Jamal Khurshid and Ahmed Faridi. 69 REFLECTIONS-2

70 Shaukat Omari inaugurates KPC Table Tennis tourney July 23, 2010 The Honorary Secretary of the Karachi Table Tennis Association (KTTA), Shaukat Omari, inaugurated the Karachi Press Club s Table Tennis Tournament at the Club s Khoja Hall on July 22. The table tennis tournament is a part of the Karachi Press Club s Summer Sports Festival 2010 being held with the support of the sports department of the Government of Sindh. The competitions in snooker, chess, scrabble and badminton have already been completed. It may be recalled that the KPC Summer Sports Festival 2010 was opened by Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, Secretary, Sports and Youth Affairs to the Government of Sindh, in a very impressing ceremony on June 30. Shaukat Omari, an active social worker besides being a former table tennis champion, placed on record his appreciation for the officials of the Karachi Press Club to have revived the Sports Festival that used to be quite a sought after event in the past. The inauguration ceremony of the table tennis tournament turned out to be quite lively in the presence of a large number of media corps. After performing the formality of cutting the ribbon, Shaukat Omari played a couple of big rallies with Khurram Baig, Secretary of the KPC s Indoor Games Committee. There were no speeches on the occasion but the KTTA Secretary could not conceal his feelings and he was friendly enough to share them with the media. REFLECTIONS-2 70

71 I am really thrilled to watch my media friends taking to table tennis so seriously, he observed in a friendly chat while a group of enthusiastic KPC members displayed their talents on the table in the air-conditioned hall. I think it would be a better idea to have more than one table, space permitting. Table Tennis, besides providing recreation, is also very helpful in burning calories and the busy media professionals can have a game or two in the limited space between their pressing assignments, Shaukat Omari suggested. The KPC President, Imtiaz Khan Faran, complimented the Sports Committee for having done a fabulous job and he encouraged them to continue doing the good work despite the uncalled for and even senseless criticism from certain quarters. He also announced that the Governing Body of the KPC was considering the proposal of building a mini-sports complex type of thing in the backyard. Meanwhile a total of 19 entries were received for the KPC Table Tennis Tournament, being played on knockout basis. The draws were taken out by Zulfiqar Ahmed, Joint Secretary, KTTA, in the presence of the participants and the KPC officials soon after the inauguration ceremony. The matches will start at 4 pm on July 23 with the semifinals and the final to be played on July 24. Khurram Baig, Maqsood Hussain, Rashid Ali Khan, Ashraf Khan, Saddam Tufail Hashmi, Hasan Mansoor, Mohammad Azhar and Ehsan Qureshi were given a bye in the first round while the other KPC members to have entered the contest are Ubaid Narejo, Moosa Kaleem, Syed Javed Iqbal, Mahmood Ahmed Khan, Zeeshan Azmat, Khurram Ali Shah, Akhtar Baloch, Adil Jawwad, Maqbool Ahmed, Jamal Khurshid and Nasim Rajput. 71 REFLECTIONS-2

72 Dr. Shah praises KPC for organizing Sports Festival July 31, 2010 The curtain fell on the Karachi Press Club (KPC) Summer Sports Festival 2010 with a fabulous prize distribution ceremony at the club s Ibrahim Jalees Hall on July 30. Sindh Sports Minister, Dr Syed Mohammad Ali Shah, who had reached Karachi from London earlier in the morning, was accorded a very warm welcome as he reached the KPC at the designated time of 7 pm to preside over the function. In his speech on the occasion, Dr Shah, who is also the President of the Sindh Olympic Association (SOA), commended the Governing Body of the KPC for having revived the Sports Festival and he vowed to support it in the future as well. We would be more than glad to support even more than one Sports Festival in a year at the KPC. So be prepared to hold a Winter Sports Festival later this year in which the sports department of the Government of Sindh will extend your institution similar support, Dr Shah announced. The media professionals are not too dissimilar to the doctors who have to be on their toes all the time. It s really very heartening that the KPC members squeezed time to compete in the tournaments so enthusiastically, he noted. It has always been a pleasure to be at the KPC. In fact I find the atmosphere very homely here. It s my own club and I would be more than glad to contribute my bit in its further development, Dr Shah remarked. REFLECTIONS-2 72

73 He shared his SOA experiences, recalling that there was barely Rs 13,000 or so in its account for decades but he has now turned it around by securing a grant of Rs four million from the Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, besides getting approved an annual grant of Rs 10 million. Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, Secretary Sports & Youth Affairs to the Government of Sindh, who played the pivotal role in facilitating the KPC Sports Festival, delivered a brief speech in which he expressed his delight with the success of the event. The sports department is always there to implement the policies of our versatile minister, Dr Shah, who had appreciated the idea of the revival of the KPC Sports Festival while readily agreeing to offer support for the venture, Shoaib Siddiqui observed. The President of the KPC, Imtiaz Khan Faran, paid glowing tributes to Dr Shah and Shoaib Siddiqui for having fulfilled their promise so quickly that enabled the Sports Festival to start and finish at the scheduled time. The Secretary of the KPC, A H Khanzada, expressed similar sentiments and he dwelled on the development of a Mini Sports Complex in the backyard of the club, seeking help from the Government of Sindh for this project. Dr Mohammad Ali Shah, the chief guest of the evening, and Shoaib Siddiqui then distributed cash prizes and certificates among the top three position holders of all the five tournaments held during the month-long festival having been inaugurated on June REFLECTIONS-2

74 KPC Sports Festival concludes with a fabulous ceremony August 1, 2010 The prize distribution ceremony of the Karachi Press Club s Summer Sports Festival 2010, held on July 30, turned out to be quite an event with the likes of Dr Mohammad Ali Shah and Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui making the occasion a memorable one. The Ibrahim Jalees Hall was already packed to capacity when Shoaib Siddiqui, Secretary Sports & Youth Affairs to the Government of Sindh, arrived at 6.45 pm and then the convoy of Dr Shah reached the club within the next 15 minutes. As planned the ceremony started at a few minutes past seven and the intensity remained high until the prizes were distributed after speeches by the two dignitaries and the top officials of the club. As promised cash awards were disbursed among the top three position holders of all five tournaments. The winners were presented Rs 5,000 each and those having ended runner-up received Rs 3,000 each. There was also a purse of Rs 2,000 for each of those having finished third in their respective events. Besides the cash there was also an incentive in the shape of a certificate of merit, documenting the award and carrying the signatures of Dr Mohammad Ali Shah, Shoaib Ahmed, Imtiaz Khan Faran, A H Khanzada and Syed Khalid Mahmood. Khurram Baig, who won the table tennis tournament, was quick to remark that he would cherish the certificate and preserve it for a while. The statement was reflective of his positive mindset. REFLECTIONS-2 74

75 The other award winners were also quite delighted and it was very heartening indeed that all of them turned up to receive the award personally from the chief guest. A couple of them reached the venue a few minutes late but most importantly they made it and their moment of glory was seized by the camera. The speeches of Dr Mohammad Ali Shah and Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui were music to the ears of the members of the Karachi Press Club who were thoroughly praised for their enthusiasm in the field of sports besides discharging their professional duties. They were appreciative of the sporting spirit of the Governing Body of the club that took the decision to revive the Sports Festival. The KPC officials present on the occasion also did not let go the opportunity of recognizing the monumental efforts of Dr Shah and Shoaib Siddiqui in bringing sports to life throughout the province. They have also been instrumental in building a solid relationship between the sports department of the Government of Sindh and the KPC. Following were the prize winners: Snooker: Masroor Afzal Pasha (Daily Times) 1st; Faizan Lakhani (Geo TV) 2nd; Qasim Khan (Dawn TV) 3rd Chess: Anwar Mooraj (Freelance) 1st; Mohammad Shahid (Monthly Fanoos) 2nd; Hasan Mansoor (AFP) 2nd. Scrabble: Mohammad Shahid (Monthly Fanoos) 1st; Mohammad Afaq (Daily Muqadma) 2nd; Irshad Ali (Aaj TV) 3rd. Badminton: Jahangir Khan (APP) 1st; Azhar Sultan (Samaa TV) 2nd; Kaleemuddin (Geo TV) 3rd. Table Tennis: Khurram Baig (Express Tribune) 1st; Mohammad Azhar (Din) 2nd; Mahmood Ahmed Khan (Mahshar) 3rd. 75 REFLECTIONS-2

76 Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Cricket Festival completes 25 years Aug 9, 2010 The Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Festival Cricket Tournament has completed its silver jubilee with the media launch of its new edition held at the Gymkhana s Banquet Hall on August 9. With the cricket ground unfit to hold the traditional opening ceremony, immediately after the media brief, due to the heavy downpour for the past few weeks, the organizers had to arrange for a special formal inauguration at the Banquet Hall in which the President of the Gymkhana, Younis Rizwani, and the representative of the sponsors, Zain Malik, did the honours. The familiar figure of Mian Azmat Hussain, a Vice President of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) and an ex-treasurer of the Karachi Gymkhana, was the master of the ceremony and he handled the proceedings in his typically elegant manner. The Chairman of the Tournament Committee and the Convenor Sports, Hanif Habib, delivered a rather comprehensive welcome address in which he touched upon the highlights of the past 25 years of the tournament. In what probably was his maiden appearance before the media after having taken over the reigns of the Karachi Gymkhana sports earlier this year, he thanked his committee members besides acknowledging the sponsors. The President of the Gymkhana, Younis Rizwani, did not drag as his speech, like that of Hanif Habib, had already been printed in the brochure having been circulated to the members of the press before the start of the briefing. He complimented the media for having covered the cricket tournaments in the past while urging them to pay special attention to the upcoming Silver Jubilee events. Karachi Gymkhana is one of the most elite and exclusive sports clubs of Pakistan which takes pride in providing wide variety of sporting activities. We have been extremely fortunate over the years to have complete support and good wishes of the electronic and print media, he recognized. He announced the enhancement of prizemoney of the tournament, with the winners to take home a very healthy purse of Rs 350,000 and the runners-up to pocket a sum of Rs 175,000. The losing semifinalists will be getting Rs 30,000 each and there would be a lot of individual cash awards too. In his brief speech chief guest Zain Malik, Executive Director, Bahria Town (Pvt) Ltd and Chief Executive, Galaxy Construction (Pvt) Ltd, expressed his delight to have been selected as the sponsors of the tournament. The vote of thanks was presented by Karachi Gymkhana s cricket captain, Masroor Mirza Ahmed, while the Gymkhana s Cricket Secretary, Khurram Sadiq Mannoo, attended the ceremony despite being not in the best of health. The draws of the 25th KG Ramazan Festival for Bahria Town Trophy had been taken out by the officials of the Tournament Committee in the presence of the representatives of the participating teams a few days earlier. REFLECTIONS-2 76

77 Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC), Fact Date Engineering, Ideal Cricket and Advanced Telecom have been placed in Group A, Tapal Cricket Club, Sindh Police, A O Cricket Club and Pak Korangi constitute Group B, Medicam Group, Mohammad Hussain Cricket Club, Pak Gymkhana and UBL Academy feature in Group C and Omar Cricket Club, Vital Five, Malir Gymkhana and hosts Karachi Gymkhana have been drawn in Group D. 77 REFLECTIONS-2

78 Rotary recognition brings smiles August 23, 2010 It was quite a big day for me on August 21 as I was presented a Certificate of Excellence by two of the leading Rotary personalities of the country, Aziz Memon and Syed Shahab Balkhi. It was deemed as a great honour for our Rotary Club of Karachi Airport as well. Obviously every award as a significance of its own but the Rotary recognition is something that s dearer to the heart because of the noble causes being pursued by this leading international voluntary organization of which I have been a member for the past six years now. There was even greater pleasure to have received the award from a man called Aziz Memon, who has been one of my role models for the last many years. He was not only responsible for motivating me to join Rotary in 2004 but he has remained an inspiration all along with his deeds and words. Different people have different reasons to know Aziz Memon because he has been blessed with such a versatile personality and for whom the sun never sets. He starts his day at office before 9 each morning and trust me he has the same energy level when we meet him late at night in various ceremonies. His time management, besides quite a few other outstanding qualities, is truly incredible and I am sure we need to learn from him. He has set very high standards for himself but most importantly he meets the challenge with a smile. Aziz Memon had rewritten the Rotary history when he was District Governor in Now Shahab Balkhi has also taken over the reigns at a historic time, having become the first Governor of the newly founded District 3271, covering REFLECTIONS-2 78

79 Sindh and Balochistan. The visit of Aziz Memon and Shahab Balkhi to Rangoonwala Community Centre, where Rotary Club of Airports convenes its weekly meetings on Saturdays, on August 21 was a Red Letter Day in the history of our club. The Club President, Anwar Jabeen Qureshi, was both happy and relieved. So was the Club Secretary, Shah Mohammad Anwar. Both these gentlemen had worked extremely hard to put the acts together in making the necessary arrangements for the visit of the two dignitaries at a rather short notice. The other members of the club present on the occasion were Abdul Hamid, Mohammad Nazakat Ali, Shamim Khan, Wasim Yousuf, Sameer Baig and Mahmood Nawaz. Besides the award presentation by Aziz Memon, there was a full board meeting chaired by Shahab Balkhi as it was also the Governor s Official Visit to the club. The Governor, who was generous enough to recognize our project of Mobile Library & Resource Centre in his speech in the installation ceremony on July 10, had a lively interactive session and he was thoroughly impressed by the efforts being made by the club. He agreed that once the pilot project of Mobile Library & Resource Centre became ready our club will be in much better position to seek partner corporate organizations to spread it further. He was informed that our club will be actively participating in community service by providing equipments to needy schools and colleges, donating books to educational institutions and public libraries, donating sewing machines to needy women, donating equipments to charity hospitals, holding free eye camps and medical clinic and holding career development seminars for youth. 79 REFLECTIONS-2

80 Not much element of surprise in yet another scandal September 1, 2010 I was invited in a talk show aired live by Business Plus on August 30 in which the topic of discussion was the latest controversy having engulfed the Pakistan cricket. Understandably nearly every television channel in the country has continued nonstop coverage of the massive scandal ever since it had broken out during the course of the fourth and final Test between England and Pakistan at Lord s. Anchorperson Shahzeb Khanzada had done quite a bit of research from the various sources and he was ready with probing questions as the show started immediately after the news bulletin at 8.10 pm. Prior to the 8 pm news bulletin, the viewers of Business Plus had watched a fiery talk show featuring former Test cricketers, Sikander Bakht and Shoaib Mohammad, and sports journalist, Ehsan Qureshi. The viewers as well as the anchorperson were stunned when I made it clear that I was not surprised when enquired about my immediate reaction at learning about the implication of a few of Pakistan s cricketers in the latest case. My cell phone had started buzzing once too often since the day the story was carried by the British media and my reply to everyone was that they should wait until the matter is probed before jumping into any conclusions. The reason why I am not surprised because the Pakistan cricket has been in a state of anarchy for the last couple of years and there has been complete lawlessness ever since Ijaz Butt has been nominated as the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). It s the single greatest blunder by the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, who is also the Patron of the PCB. The appointment of Ijaz Butt as the PCB chief was not viewed with suspicion because the cricket circles had expected him to mobilize the available resources for the betterment of the game. REFLECTIONS-2 80

81 Unfortunately Ijaz Butt has proved to be a complete failure and he has been instrumental in causing irreparable damage to the national interest. In this context the office of the President has not taken the measures to remove him despite repeated requests by the various quarters including the parliamentarians. The situation has come to stage when you are never sure what s coming next. With the cronies of Ijaz Butt accompanying the national team on the various tours under the cover of officials any thing can be expected when the boys are under nobody s administrative control. With the aspect of discipline missing from the Pakistan camp you can always be prepared for one controversy or the other. When there is no rule of law you are always more likely to have chaos than not. The likes of Yawar Saeed and Shafqat Rana are being obliged by Ijaz Butt on a consistent basis and the decision to involve Waqar Younis and Ijaz Ahmed in the management of the team, overlooking the recommendations of a Chief Justice, was too big an adventure. Whatever the fate of the Pakistan cricketers in the latest case of spot fixing, one thing is crystal clear than these youngsters do run the risk of getting engaged in wrongdoings in the absence of proper guidance and lack of discipline at every level. 81 REFLECTIONS-2

82 Kapil Dev desires Imran Khan to run Pakistan cricket September 3, 2010 The spot fixing scandal having marred Pakistan s ongoing tour of England has brought to light a few tales of the unexpected and on top of them is Kapil Dev s statement in which he has heaped lavish praise on Imran Khan, one of his illustrious contemporaries, now heading a political party. Alongwith Richard Hadlee of New Zealand and Ian Botham of England, both of them knighted later, Imran Khan and Kapil Dev formed the quartet of the greatest all-rounders to have ruled the world in the 1980s. All of them brought unmatched glories for their respective countries. Kapil had led India to victory in the 1983 World Cup against the heaviest of odds while Pakistan were crowned as the world champions nine years later, under Imran, in not too dissimilar circumstances Kapil has now called upon Imran to help Pakistan restructure itself around morals, ethics and values in light of the match fixing that has come to light. I appeal to Imran Khan to take charge of the current situation in Pakistan. Being the cleanest player, it s he who can save and look after Pakistan cricket. None of us want the game in Pakistan to be finished, as this is one country that has produced some of the finest cricketers, he stated. Kapil appears convinced that Imran remains the ideal man to run Pakistan cricket after so many scandals have damaged it over the years. He described Imran as the cleanest and the strongest person in the country to fix the downward trend of cricket in Pakistan. In this time of crisis, I can only think of Imran as the cleanest cricketer to look after Pakistan cricket. He can really put the nation out of this REFLECTIONS-2 82

83 controversy and other ones because he also has a strong personality and a sharp mind, Kapil reckoned. Kapil has spoken quite highly of Imran. I can t recollect of Imran having ever expressed similar sentiments for any of his contemporaries. The former Indian all-rounder, who also held the world record for the highest number of wickets for sometime, had sympathy for the Pakistan cricketers but also reiterated that those found guilty of it should be taken to task. I do feel sorry for Pakistani cricketers and Pakistan cricket. But at the same time, the alleged ones should be severely punished if proved guilty, the former Indian captain was quoted as saying. He also implored the International Cricket Council (ICC) to uphold the image of the game and get rid of people who have interests other than cricket. I m not qualified to say ICC should ban players. But I appeal to the governing body to look after the game and make sure right people investigate the current issue. It should ensure that betting scandals carried out by a handful of negative people do not taint the wonderful game, Kapil observed. Don t bet on cricket, was Kapil s warning to the budding youth wanting to play cricket professionally. 83 REFLECTIONS-2

84 Omar Cricket Club go down fighting in KG Ramazan final September 9, 2010 Omar Cricket Club went down fighting against Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) in the final of the 25th KG Ramazan Festival Cricket Tournament 2010 at the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground on September 7. Set a challenging target of 202 in 20 overs, Omar CC, having stunned a few fancied rivals in the earlier games, was in the driving seat until the 13th over but they lost their seven wickets for 32 runs in 5.2 overs and KESC won the match by 36 runs. The fourth wicket stand of 84 between Asif Raza (49 off 27 balls) and Farrukh Rizvi (41 off 23 balls) had put Omar CC on top as they needed just a further 69 in more than seven overs. A couple of umpiring blunders derailed Omar CC who appeared in complete command of the situation until the dismissals of Asif and Farrukh in quick succession. Then the spin trio of Noman Alvi (3-28), Rizwan Khan (2-13) and Shahzeb Khan (2-16) completed the job for KEC Earlier, put into bat, KESC got off to a flying start through openers Ahsan Ali (36 off 25 balls) and Rameez Raja (75 off 46 balls) as they put on 93 runs in quick time. The momentum was sustained by the middle order batsmen with Daniyal Ahsan (25 off 22 balls), Arif Mahmood (20 off 11 balls) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (25 off 14 balls) taking the total past 200. The skipper of Omar CC, Nadeem Omar, was unable to hide his disappointment caused by the two umpiring decisions that denied his team from winning the tournament for the first time. Normally a very cheerful character he felt cheated by the umpires. Many neutral observers present at the ground were also of the opinion that the two REFLECTIONS-2 84

85 key umpiring decisions had changed the complexion of the game and both had gone against Omar CC, pointing in the direction of malpractices. Sindh Sports Minister, Dr Syed Mohammad Ali Shah, was the chief guest in the prize distribution ceremony, presided over by Executive Director, Bahria Town (Pvt) Ltd, Zain Malik. The Honorary Secretary Cricket, Karachi Gymkhana, Khurram Sadiq Monnoo, presented the tournament report while the welcome address was delivered by the Gymkhana s President, Younis Rizwani. Tournament Director, Mian Azmat Hussain, who is also Vice President of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) besides being the owner of the famed club, Mian Azmat Professionals, reflected on the 25-year-old history of the tournament. All-rounder Arif Mahmood, who lifted the Bahria Town Trophy, for being the skipper of the victorious Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC), was also declared Man of the Tournament. He collected a cash award of Rs 15,000. Khalid Latif of Malir Gymkhana was adjudged the best batsman of the tournament while Haris Ayaz (Tapal Cricket Club), Mohammad Waqar (KESC) and Ahmed Zeeshan (Tapal Cricket Club) were voted as the best bowler, the best fielder and the best wicketkeeper respectively. They were presented a purse of Rs 8,000 each. 85 REFLECTIONS-2

86 Aisam-ul-Haq comes of age September 29, 2010 Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi has certainly become a household name in Pakistan with his recent exploits at the US Open in New York. He made it to the final of the mixed doubles as well as the men s doubles that brought rare smiles on the faces of the sports enthusiasts in the country who have had to endure bitter pills from the highprofile cricketers. Aisam s qualification in both the events provided the people of Pakistan an opportunity to cheer about amid catastrophic flooding in which hundreds of lives were lost and millions were displaced. Big screens were set up across the country for spectators to watch his matches while he also received a call from Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani ahead of the finals. The 30-year-old Aisam rose to the status of a hero despite having gone down fighting in both the finals of the grand slam event. Tennis has hardly ever been the game of the masses in Pakistan but there was tremendous excitement in this part of the world when he crossed one hurdle after another in the prestigious US Open. Now Aisam is not only acclaimed as a tennis star but he is very much a high-profile celebrity and the leading brands are queuing up to procure his endorsement to promote their products. What a turnaround for the immensely talented fellow who has worked his way to the top without any significant support or assistance from the sports bodies of the country. His teaming up with India s Rohan Bopanna also create waves as they try to use their tennis partnership to promote more peaceful relations between Pakistan and India. The pair wear sweatshirts emblazoned with the slogan Stop War, Start Tennis and there has been talk of a match being played across the India-Pakistan border. I ve always said there s no reason the Indians and Pakistanis can t get along with each other. We always said sports can reach places where no religion or politics or politician can reach. If you can change a few people s minds on the Indian or Pakistani side, I think it s a great thing, Aisam believed. It s been hard times for Pakistan especially in the last two months so to be able REFLECTIONS-2 86

87 to help send some positive news back each day has been fantastic, he said. I have spent the last 14 years trying to put tennis in the spotlight in my country where cricket is like a religion there. This moment is like a highlight in my career. When I was growing up, I thought maybe someday I could win a Grand Slam or make it to one Grand Slam final. But two Grand Slam finals in a week? It s unbelievable, Aisam observed. People recognized me a bit before now. When I beat Roger Federer, that was huge news for people back home, even people who didn t know that much about tennis, he recalled. Well Aisam is now not only recognized in Pakistan but admired as well in the truest sense of the word. He seems to be having the talent and the will power to bring more glories for the country. 87 REFLECTIONS-2

88 Spectacular opening ceremony proves critics wrong Contrary to what was being anticipated worldwide the opening ceremony of the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. on October 3 turned out to be a magnificent earning appreciation from the international media. The newspapers having been critical of the Games preparations earlier carried headlines like 'An ancient land opens its heart to the world', 'India opens doors to the world at opening ceremony' to describe the two-hour cultural extravaganza catching the imagination of the spectators as well as the millions watching it live on their television sets. October 5, 2010 The respected British newspaper The Guardian described it was a moment of national pride for India.' India has arrived: spectacular ceremony opens Commonwealth Games,' read the newspaper's headline. "This was the moment that 1.2 billion people - there are few in India who were still unaware of the event - had been waiting for," it added. The Daily Mail was also lavish in its praise of the ceremony which showcased the centuriesold Indian culture to a packed crowd. "The XIX Commonwealth Games crawled up off the canvas last night with a display of pageantry and technical wizardry that, finally, projected the image India craved on to two billion television sets around the world. the newspaper said. "India put on its best face on Sunday night and pulled off a brilliant opening ceremony that was extraordinary in its ambition and execution. It was everything the organisers had promised and more - an energetic celebration of all India has been and all it intends to be," wrote The Daily Telegraph. The Sydney Morning Herald reported the ceremony as "A vibrant celebration of 5,000 years of Indian culture with just a hint of Bollywood showcased in a performance involving more than 6,000 artists. "India has won the first unofficial gold medal of the Games - for best team uniform, The Indian athletes looked like royalty in their smart traditional maroon tops with REFLECTIONS-2 88

89 gold braided scarves. Slick and sensational," it added The President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, who witnessed the Opening Ceremony of the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi, hailed the arrangements for the Games and dismissed the criticism that preceded it as creation of 'old and established' media which failed to judge 'new' India. "It is difficult for some of the people specially media, old and established, to judge India. I think it is their difficulty to understand how India has evolved," he said, adding some people have to "certainly understand that new India is different, he remarked. "The opening ceremony was very spectacular and very beautiful. I am sure the Games are going to as perfect as any games," he thought. Meanwhile the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge, reckoned that a successful Commonwealth Games will provide India the foundation to think about a future Olympic bid. I think everything will be fine. Of course you can only judge the organisation at the moment of the closing ceremony but I think it s going well. There is still a difference between Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games. The size of the Olympic Games is bigger, there are more athletes and more sports, he explained to the media after attending the glittering opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. 89 REFLECTIONS-2

90 Tiger Pataudi also bids farewell to IPL Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi has become the latest casualty of the Indian Premier League (IPL) which has witnessed monumental shift in policies following the unceremonious exit of its Commissioner, Lalit Modi. There were three former Indian captains, all of them enjoying legendary status for their exploits in the cricket field, on board with the charismatic yet controversial Modi, who had proved himself a go-getter of the highest order. Two of the former Indian greats, Sunil Gavaskar and now Tiger Pataudi have withdrawn from the IPL Governing Council and the only one left is Ravi Shastri, who has somehow agreed to work voluntarily. October 9, 2010 Interestingly Gavaskar had played under the captaincy of Pataudi in the 1970s and Shastri arrived on the international scene when Gavaskar was leading the Indian team at the start of the 1980s. Modi, whose organizational capabilities were awesome, must have considered many factors before inducting the trio of Pataudi, Gavaskar and Shastri in his team to kickstart the IPL. The council obviously became heavyweight with the inclusion of these former greats and there was no harm in remunerating them for their services. At least it appeared a transparent deal with no hidden benefits or anything of that nature. Paying these former cricketers in lieu of their services was a fair deal for all practical purposes. Even the figure of Rs one crore for each of them didn t look astronomical in context of the status they enjoyed in cricket and the value they added to the council. With Modi out of the equation, in controversial circumstances, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is now pushing for total control of the IPL which is more likely to have as much red-tape as the Board itself. REFLECTIONS-2 90

91 The BCCI has had its own ways of operating. The IPL, under Modi, looked an independent entity, even though it was working under the umbrella of the BCCI. The situation has become different now and the IPL by the look of things would be governed at the whims of the influential office-bearers of the Board. The one decision which has caused them to lose Gavaskar and now Pataudi is the recent BCCI decision that the council members would not be paid henceforth. Gavaskar was first to refuse a post on the IPL's governing council with Pataudi following suit just a few days later. "I have written a letter to the BCCI which states that I do not wish to continue with the governing council. Earlier I was on a contract with the IPL, but the new changes are unacceptable for me. So, I have decided to move on," Pataudi was quoted as saying. Gavaskar had immmediately turned down the BCCI's offer to be part of the governing council clearly stating that the IPL was a commercial enterprise and those working for it should be remunerated. Pataudi and Gavaskar have walked out. Let us when Shastri decides to part ways with the IPL or may be he s not much concerned about the financial matters. 91 REFLECTIONS-2

92 Dhoni makes waves of all kinds in Goa Reports indicate that Mahendra Singh Dhoni happens to be the most popular cricketer in the world after that man called Sachin Tendulkar. While Tendulkar has had an international career of 21 years now Dhoni is just 29-year-old not having been on the horizon for full six years even. And there s an area of the game where he has already overshadowed the Grand Master, who has numerous world records under his belt. Dhoni has proved to be an outstanding leader and his success record at all levels has simply been incredible so far. No wonder he has been hailed as the best captain in the world at the moment, having accomplished conquests with consistency. No discredit meant to the feats of Tendulkar of late but Dhoni s inspirational captaincy has been the key factor in the continued success of Team India. Dhoni has been such a calming influence on a team that has the vast experience as well as the raw talent to come good in all conditions. He has been chiefly responsible for taking India to the top of the ladder in the Test rankings. The manner in which he is moving there s very little doubt in one s mind that his team would become the leaders in the other two formats of the game as well. I had written the first-ever article on this blog exactly a couple of years ago captioned Dhoni: The toughest not the luckiest. He has proved me absolutely correct although it s very difficult to the extent of next of impossible to predict about the success of any Indian in any given field with so many external factors involved. Dhoni, I maintain, is an extraordinarily gifted soul who has perfected the art of concealing his emotions. October 25, 2010 REFLECTIONS-2 92

93 Seldom does he react adversely in the grimmest of situations and commands complete respect from the seniors as well as the juniors. I don t know how many management books has he read or what else he does to enhance his own mental toughness the fact remains that he is the single greatest motivating factor behind the success of the new-look Indian team. He knows better than anybody else than nothing could be taken for granted. He s very much aware of the fact that you have to do the basics right first before thinking of further progress. He has set very high standards for himself but I get the impression that he s not traditional hard task master who would scare any of his teammate. Dhoni s modesty has also had a role in ensuring the boys and elder statesmen in the side remain in peace and complete comfort under his leadership. He s not willing to put undue pressure on any of them with everyone assigned a definite role. The cool head of coach Garry Kirsten must have helped Dhoni considerably in extracting the best from the team in every situation. I think they represent an improved version of John Wright and Sourav Ganguly. With the wet outfield preventing any play in the third and final One-day International against Australia on October 24, Dhoni availed the opportunity of celebrating the series win by spending time with wife Sakshi on Goa beaches. The happy couple visited the Benolin beach where they were spotted splashing and canoodling together. It was a rare sight for the other visitors, who didn t miss to capture the moment in their cameras and mobile phones. 93 REFLECTIONS-2

94 Naqvi brothers excel in Sindh Swimming Brothers Mazhar Naqvi and Mustafa Naqvi came up with standout performance to guide the Karachi Club to title victory in the 50th Sindh Swimming Championship 2010 staged at the Karachi Gymkhana. The Naqvi brothers displayed their brilliants skills at the Karachi Gymkhana Swimming Pool which brought to an end the 15-year-old dominance of the famous Habib Public School. The teenaged Mazhar in particular was absolutely brilliant grabbing as many as seven gold medals. He emerged triumphant in 50, 100, 200 freestyle and 50,100, 200 meter in open category besides being a component of the winning 4x100 Relay medley relay. He was the unanimous choice for the award of the province's best men swimmer. October 27, 2010 Mazhar, who also broke a few long-standing records, was easily the most versatile all-round swimmer in the two-day gala and was adjudged the best swimmer in the open category. He broke as many as four records during the course of the championship held over the weekend. "My first ambition is to win a gold medal in men nationals in freestyle and later desire to represent Pakistan in South Asian Games and Asian Games," Mazhar, a 17-year-old student of Lecole School of Advance Studies, remarked after his terrific performance. He complimented his rival and friend Aneeq Anwar for his outstanding performances in the competition. "We are desirous of improving the overall standard of Sindh province in swimming. We are also eager to make our presence felt in a big way at the national level, Mazhar added. Deriving inspiration from his elder brother, Mustafa stole the limelight in the Under-16 age category by grabbing as many as four gold and seven silver medals. He won the gold in 50, 100 meter butterfly 200 meter freestyle and 50-meter breast stroke. Mazhar and Mustufa faced some challenge from the immensely talented Aneeq Anwar, who also displayed superb performance in open as well as Under-16 contest. Aneeq and REFLECTIONS-2 94

95 Mustafa were jointly declared the best swimmer in U-16 competition. Aneeq, a student of Defence Public School, pocketed five gold medals and as many silver medals to also emerge as one of the stars of the championship. Karachi Club dominated the event as they accumulated 198 points to lead over 300 swimmers contest. Karachi Grammar School secured second position with an aggregate of 167 points pushing the holders Habib Pubic School to the third position with a tally of 139 points. Mazhar Naqvi (Open), Aneeq Anwar and Mustufa Naqvi (U-16), Saad Amin (U-12), Muhammad Bilal Qasim (U-14), Reza Munir (U-10) and Mirshah Pasha (U-8) were declared as the best swimmers in their respective categories. Member National Assembly and famous television personality, Khushbakhat Shujaat, was the chief guest in the presentation ceremony and she distributed medals and trophies among the outstanding performers. The President of the Karachi Gymkhana, Younus Rizwani, was also present on the occasion alongwith the top officials of the Sindh Swimming Association, Shahbaz Qureshi and Mohammad Ali Shishmahal. 95 REFLECTIONS-2

96 Tendulkar s yet another super failure There s indeed something special about a man named Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. When he s good he s better than the best. Conversely when he s not good he fares worse than the worst. When he s on song he appears to be the greatestever batsman but when he s not in a mood to be among the runs he looks uglier than the traditional tail-enders who used to be there just for fun. He has proved it on innumerable occasions that he s second to none when it comes to taking on the greatest of bowlers. But the same man remains vulnerable to the friendliest of bowlers who are themselves scared of having a go at him. November 23, 2010 Isn t it strange that he s equal to the task more often than not while coming to task with the champion bowlers and yet behaves like a novice when confronting the lesser mortals? This has been his story for a very long time now. Statistically he s the best batsman to be produced by his country. But how many matches has he won for India during an international career having crossed two decades now. He has scored in heaps but his performance in helping his team has not been as phenomenal. Primarily because of his records, that are unlikely to be broken in the foreseeable future, he s compared to the likes of the incomparable Don Bradman. I wonder if the Australian genius had so many failures as Tendulkar and that too against inconsequential bowling attacks. Tendulkar has had this chronic problem of failing against the weaker opponents that do raise many questions just like he s often found wanting when India need him to fire. The matter gets closed because of the human factor. He s no doubt a human being and it s indeed next to impossible to score consistently over a long period of time. But what fails to satisfy many people is the bitter reality of his repeated failures against weak opponents with the just concluded home series against New Zealand being the latest example. The form in which Tendulkar was in for the past many months, having blasted REFLECTIONS-2 96

97 He was expected to do it in the first Test at Ahmedabad. Centuries by Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid had demoralized the New Zealanders on the opening day and the stage was set for Tendulkar to accomplish the feat without any fuss the following day. The big crowd having gathered there in anticipation of the historic moment was disappointed when he got himself out against the run of play on the second morning. He got the opportunity to make up but he let it go again in the second innings. Then it was the turn of the holiday crowd at Hyderabad to watch in dismay yet another Tendulkar failure in the second Test. Came the third and final Test and Tendulkar was in complete control before throwing it away once more. The whole series went by and he couldn t score even a single century despite being in what people though was the form of his lifetime. Tendulkar continued his love with the debutants. After having gifted his wicket to Ujesh Ranchod, Ruwan Kalpage, Mark Ealham, Neil Johnson, Jacob Oram, Monty Panesar, Cameron White, Peter Siddle and Peter George he let Andy Mc Kay celebrate at Nagpur. 97 REFLECTIONS-2

98 Another miracle earns Pakistan Asiad hockey gold Who would have imagined of the Pakistan hockey team winning the gold medal in the Asian Games in Guangzhou after they had finished last among the 12 participating outfits in the World Cup in New Delhi earlier this year? There were cries from every nook and corner of the country to bring the culprits to book who had caused the humiliation to Pakistan hockey at the international level. A battery of former greats launched a nation-wide campaign to get rid of the personnel whom they considered responsible for the debacle. November 26, 2010 As has been customary during the last couple of years in particular, the concept of check and balance is on the way to extinction in this part of the world and those enjoying the political clout have virtually been declared above the law. If Ijaz Butt could be allowed to continue heading the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) despite his repeated failures and with so many corruption charges mainly because he s the brother-in-law of an influential Federal Minister there seemed no logic why Qasim Zia or Asif Bajwa would have been removed from the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) for they had their own trusted connections in the corridors of power. REFLECTIONS-2 98

99 The former Olympians had spearheaded a full fledged movement to oust the PHF bosses but all their efforts failed. Instead of taking them to task and quizzing them, the government officials gave a stronger vote of confidence to the persons who had brought about the disaster. whims and to ignore the criticism from all quarters. Qasim Zia and Asif Bajwa, like Ijaz Butt in cricket, were granted the lincence to kill it hockey. They were publicly told to run the affairs according to their Under these circumstances it would have come as no surprise if Pakistan finished last in the Asian Games as well. There would have been no inquiry and no questions asked. Nobody would have bothered to criticize them or to raise any concern because all their energies were consumed earlier. But as the luck would have it, Pakistan have won the gold medal. They had previously done it seven times but on each occasion they were one of the favourites to lift the title. This is the first time that they have claimed first position when even their entry in the semifinals was not guaranteed. That s how the Pakistan sports has been moving of late. They need miracles and they keep getting it somehow. When the Nature comes into play obviously everything else takes a backseat. It s quite incredible to say the least how Pakistan have managed to lift the hockey crown at Guangzhou. To have overpowered the in-form teams like South Korea and Malaysia in the knockout games was amazing. Many people would have written them off when they lost to India in their league matches. But they were taught the lesson once more that it s never advisable to write off Pakistan until they are actually out of it. Specialist drag-flicker Sohail Abbas and veteran sriker Rehan Butt scored the goals in the final against Malaysia, who had to settle for silver in their maiden appearance in the title clash after winning the bronze medal six times. The Malaysians couldn t play to their potential in the final and Amin Rahim, whose two late goals floored India in the semifinals, faltered in all three penalty corners his team earned. 99 REFLECTIONS-2

100 Ejaz Farooqui on a mission to have lively pitches in Karachi The Honorary Secretary of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui, has listed the preparation of lively pitches for the club matches as one of his top priorities. Speaking as the chief guest in the inauguration ceremony of the Javed Khan Cricket Tournament, being organized by Dawood Sports, Prof Ejaz Farooqui announced that the KCCA was taking measures to prepare fast pitches in the metropolis. It s vitally important to expose our youngsters to lively pitches from the grassroots level so that they face no problems whatsoever in coping with such surfaces when they graduate to the next level. A cricketer having grown up on faster pitches will have a greater chance of moving up the ladder when selected in the national team, he reckoned. I really feel hurt to find the Pakistan opening batsmen failing again and again. This has been happening for quite a long time now. Even the middle-order batsmen struggle to put bat to ball when playing on pitches having bounce and pace, the KCCA Secretary regretted. December 10, 2010 The remedy lies by having the national tournaments played on livelier pitches. Once the domestic matches are held on faster tracks I am sure every participating team will prompted to have such surfaces for the local matches as well. In this way we will produce cricketers, particularly batsmen, of higher quality, Prof Ejaz Farooqui believed. We have to set an example for the others to follow to have our club tournaments played on sporting pitches rather than flat ones. We will not only start producing outstanding batsmen but we will also have a lot of fast bowlers coming into the limelight, he felt This will bring about a revolution of sorts throughout the country as the technique of the cricketers will improve considerably. They will learn a great deal themselves when they play on surfaces where their skills will be tested, he added. It s my mission to have sporting pitches prepared in Karachi. I wish to make a contribution in the real sense of the word, Prof Ejaz Farooqui, who transformed the KCCA Zone II with his dynamic and visionary leadership in a matter of three years or so, observed. REFLECTIONS-2 100

101 He has a burning desire that Karachi produces the legendary batsmen like Hanif Mohammad and Javed Miandad, whose awesome accomplishments are still talked about in the entire cricketing world. Prof Ejaz Farooqui was himself showered with praise by all the speakers in the inauguration ceremony of the Javed Khan Cricket Tournament. He was recognized for having rewritten the history books by having a record number tournaments organized in the KCCA Zone II during his tenure as Chairman. Prof Ejaz Farooqui, who was elected as the Secretary of the KCCA earlier this year, has now set his vision on transforming the whole of Karachi cricket and he has displayed the eagerness already to make things happen on a fast track. He firmly believes that the game of cricket could be taken to another level for which an integrated approach of all the stakeholders was needed. 101 REFLECTIONS-2

102 Rare assembly of World Cup legends December 17, 2010 The countdown to the ICC World Cup 2011 has already begun and the mega event is just a couple of months away now. Four of the greatest cricketers of all time, Imran Khan, Kapil Dev, Arjuna Ranatunga and Viv Richards, were in attendance in a ceremony held recently in India in connection with the upcoming tournament. It s not often when these legends have been found under one more roof and more specifically in the company of each other. Their reunion instantly brings to memory their extraordinary performance in the past editions of the World Cup. Viv Richards (now Sir Vivian) had not exploded in the role of a master in the inaugural World Cup in 1975 but his amazing fielding in the final when he ran out quite a few dashing Australian batsmen with brilliant throws helped the cause of the West Indies immensely in getting crowned as the champions. Richards had enhanced his reputation by the time the next World Cup was played four years later. He lived to the billing and it was his magnificent century in the final against England that allowed his team to retain the trophy rather leisurely in the end. REFLECTIONS-2 102

103 He was easily the most destructive batsman in the world when the West Indies came out to England in 1983 with very high hopes of completing a hat-trick of title wins. They were on course of accomplishing this feat with Richards playing another cameo in the final, this time against underdogs India. It took a spectacular running catch from the Indian captain, Kapil Dev, to remove Richards from the scene and the complexion of the game changed soon afterwards. It was Kapil Dev, not Clive Lloyd, who received the trophy at Lord s on June 25, Pakistan and India, captained by Imran Khan and Kapil Dev respectively, were the overwhelming favourites to clash in the final in 1987 but neither of them could go that far. Both of them were eliminated in the semifinals much to the disappointment of the millions of their supporters. Imran Khan, by then a veteran allrounder at the twilight of his illustrious career, didn t have a particularly strong team at his disposal when Pakistan took the field in the World Cup in Australia in Pakistan were languishing near the bottom of the table at the halfway stage of the tournament but then commenced their fairytale success and they exceeded all expectations by winning the event against the heaviest of odds. Imran was instrumental in lifting the morale of the side after the depressing defeats in the earlier games. The Sri Lankans, however, were the favourites to win the World Cup in 1996 and they did exactly that under the shrewd leadership of Arjuna Ranatunga. They were rewarded for playing sensational cricket and they pioneered the concept of pinch hitting from the outset. Their bold tactics worked to perfection as there was not much for the bowlers on the flat sub-continental pitches. Ranatunga was chiefly responsible for taking the risk of attacking cricket. He himself batted very well, particularly his knock in the final against Australia at Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore, ensured there were no hiccups in the closing stages. 103 REFLECTIONS-2

104 Tendulkar s 50th century comes three Tests too late I don t think there was any real cause to celebrate when Sachin Tendulkar brought up his 50th Test century at the Super Sport Park in Centurion on December 19 except that he had reached the landmark. India needed much more than just a token hundred from Tendulkar to change the course of the game in which they had been humiliated on the first three days. The damage control exercise demanded at least a double century from him but as we have witnessed so many times he failed to deliver. What s more important a personal landmark or glory for the team? Cricket is a team game therefore the greatness should be measured by the contribution to the cause of the team rather than the loads of runs or the heaps of wicket that don t serve the purpose. Getting to 50 centuries in Test cricket is no doubt a huge accomplishment. Nobody has done it before and neither anyone might be able to do it in the near future. With the number of Test matches getting reduced with the advent of the popularity of the limited overs game it seems very unlikely that anybody would be able to get an opportunity to play so many Test matches in the years to come. Tendulkar has been around for over two decades, having made his Test debut in November With the frequency of limited overs games on the rise the career span of cricketers is shrinking and it could be next to impossible for a starter to think in terms of surviving there in the international arena for so long. Tendulkar s record of the highest number of Test centuries is certain to stand for a very long time. The kind of form he has been in during the current year he can still get many December 21, 2010 REFLECTIONS-2 104

105 more hundreds unless of course the external factors come into play. Talking about the outside factors wasn t it a pity that Tendulkar wasn t able to reach this milestone in India when he had as many as three Test matches to do it against the struggling New Zealanders. Well not many people would disgaree that Tendulkar could have got a hundred against if he so desired even by batting left-handed because the New Zealand bowling attack had no penetrative skills on the surfaces where Harbhajan Singh was able to play long innings without the slightest of discomfort. Tendulkar was in the middle of a purple patch and there was no team in the world that could have stopped him from reaching a century in those conditions. His soft dismissals were totally against the run of play. He batted with in his usual fluent style in both the innings of the Centurion Test but neither of his knock was big enough to take the fight to the South African camp. It s amazing that he made no effort to avoid an innings defeat on the final morning. His tactics of exposing the tail-enders to the genuinely quick bowlers was mind boggling to say the least. He was expected to play both ends which he didn t for reasons best known to him. 105 REFLECTIONS-2

106 John Wright off to winning start as New Zealand coach Having been whitewashed on the tours of Bangladesh and India only a few months ago, New Zealand have got off to a flying start in their home season under their new coach John Wright, who has had a big reputation. Registering back to back victories in the Twenty20 Internationals against the unpredictable Pakistanis, the Black Caps have gained an unassailable lead in the three-match series which is already being talked about as quite an accomplishment from a team so low in confidence. The appointment of Wright as coach was bound to make a difference for the New Zealanders and we have already found it out in the first couple of games when even a depleted side of their has won both the matches quite convincingly. December 28, 2010 If New Zealand continue their winning streak and pocket the third and final T20I as well it would be a unique whitewash by a team which itself had suffered similar humiliation in the earlier two series. Bangladesh and India had humbled New Zealand in nine consecutive limited overs games, all of them being One-day Internationals. I think it doesn t matter much for them even if their conquest has come in the shortest format of the game. The win-starved New Zealanders needed something under their belt to regain confidence that could take them to the World Cup to be held in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka only a couple of months later. They have to take on Pakistan in a series of six ODIs after the two Tests that follow the T20Is. In normal circumstances New Zealand would have preferred playing ODIs straight after the T20 games instead of squeezing a Test series but I think this has been done to give the hosts the much needed practice of 50-overs game on the dates closest to the World Cup. There were indications that the New Zealand cricket administrators were REFLECTIONS-2 106

107 shaken by the debacle of their team in Bangladesh and India. Well if it served as a wake-up call and prompted them to turn to Wright then this could well prove to be a blessing in disguise for their cause. I don t know why did they take so long to get hold of the man who was very much there with them. Wright was the person who turned it around for India and taught them the art of winning matches away from the comfort of home. Wright s role as a coach in building the India team of today is phenomenal. The former New Zealand captain made a perfect combination with Sourav Ganguly and they put India on the road to glory. The cool headed Wright instilled the confidence which was somehow missing even in the star-studded Indian line-up. He was accorded the respect he deserved and together they made things happen. Now the New Zealand cricket needed him to lift the morale of a demoralized outfit. It has only been weeks when he was handed over the charge and the results have come instantly. This is a belated move but nevertheless one in the right direction and as they say better late than never. 107 REFLECTIONS-2