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2011-04-01T16:11:00.000-04:00

DAWN.COM | Latest news, Breaking news, Pakistan News, World news, business, sport and multimedia » Blog Archive » Afridi and Waqar, take a bow

کلام | EXCLUSIVE Press Conferance by Shahid Afridi on His Home

2011-04-01T10:16:00.000-04:00

کلام | EXCLUSIVE Press Conferance by Shahid Afridi on His Home

Thank you The Rawalpindi Express - Final Destination reached

2011-03-31T02:08:00.001-04:00

Like a falcon he flew to the bowling end, leaped, slinging action and zap. Silence fell onto a capacity crowd as batting wickets danced all over and Sachin walked back to the batsmen club informing them of reniance of pure pace bowling. Shoaib Akhtar the phenomenon announced his arrival onto the big stage. Dravid confirmed Sachins assertion the same innings and since then he has rattled batsmen all over.

Akhtar's talent came out of the shadows of Wasim and Waqar but unfortunately could not surpass them. He had all the talent but when history of Pakistan bowling will be recorded he would not surpass them. Akhtar body structure and extra long run up- pleasure to watch but extra hard on body led to many injuries. Flambounce was the tag word associated with pacers of that era and that often took better of Shoaib. His professionalism was doubted and frequent breakdown on field led to captains having low confidence in him and then eventually to be dropped. Then ever incompetent elememts in Pakistan Cricket Board did the biggest indiscipline by leaking some health issues of Shoaib and if it was any other country they would have been sued big time. We all thought story of Akhtar is over.

No !!!... he rocked back, hard as ever and took his ailing body for yet another go at the highest level. He bamboozeld domestic scene, took a leave from test cricket and concentrated on shorter format. Then came the disgrace of spot fixing and opening in the pace section of our team. Akhtar grabbed it with open arms. While on tour he helped train other pacers and himself bowled neat spells and led the attack with younger Gull. He entered WC with aim of hanging his boats the last time. Bowled like a champion campaigner to peg back SL. As had been the case with his carreer others let him down as much as himself. Akmal dropped sitters when he had NZ on the ropes. Taylor took him for runs and he picked up a niggle. This proved the last niggle he had to endure and the wounded tigger decided to call it a day after WC. Pakistan team moved on and looked at the future. Akhtar had played his last game.

In all Shoaib "The Rawalpindi Express" gave this cricket crazy country many moments to cherish upon and we thank him for that. The mere spectical of his flowing run up will be remembered for ages. Hopefully another Rawalpindi Express can take over soon as we can ill afford this Express pace to desert Pakistan camp.

Thankyou Shoaib and best of luck.

Confessions of a Lapto(p)holic; The Laptop Withdrawl Syndrome

2011-03-31T01:34:00.000-04:00

Lapto(p)holic Confessions: The Laptop Withdrawl Syndrome

Without a laptop you will realise the importance of libraries" said a wise guy sitting next to me, doing online crossword puzzle at 12 AM!!! he calmly sipped on his coffee and snugged back into his comfi chair in library. So i find out. God i am soo hooked onto my computer that life just wont be same anymore. Behold as i introduce the laptop withdrawl syndrome of a laptop-holic. To make House proud i need to make a diagnosis and creat a fancy syndrome, which i proudly did and can declare myself as its first diagnosed case.

So here is how u figure it out. You need to be very close to your comp. If you need it in your restroom to work or its turned off once in a month or you change facebook status (non mobile) Q1h, you probably qualify. Then pour some nice virus or power surge on it and watch the comp crash and code. Goal is to cripple it to near death but not dead. Once you reach that point, call for help and send it for rescue or hope for a miracle. Now use your astitute observation for symtoms.
Panic, rush, calling up all your Geek friends and Best Buy Geek Squad and summing up massive rescue and stimulus funds immediately can all be initial symtoms. This is followed by a phase of major deppression, world would seem colorless, email check freq will drop down sig to Q12h and fb check Q24h. If your world suddenly decelerates from ShanghaiRail to Combodian adventure rail you are a victim. After the initial dispair comes the confirmation. If you make a rhythmic tap on table, watch CNN for 10 hours, listen to alligator stories and alas eventually rush to a local lib to "read" then you probably have advanced disease and need urgent help.
treatment is as pathogenic as disease...condition outshines opiods, ectasy, heroin...its sweeter said another victim sitting in the next lane. (God i didnt know lib was a hub of such patients) You need a bigger and a better comp, so these ppl start dreaming Mac, some even feel vaio inj or lenovo patch would do just fine...in short they need there baby back, it like adding a C to ABC of ACLS...Access, Blog, Computer... life line to a laptop-holic

Crushed but not broken

2011-03-31T01:19:00.000-04:00

Crushed but not broken

Pakistan Zindabad!!!...Future !!! and Afridi

2011-03-30T15:12:00.000-04:00

Pakistan Zindabad!!!...Future !!! and Afridi

by Ali Akram on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 3:11pm

Your note has been created.

When going gets tough-tough get going.

This is so true for Pakistan team that came into this WC. If you start counting all the bad that happened in last few months I wont be able to finish this note anytime soon. To name a few...

Incomptetent board !!!
senior players made to sit out had juniors missing out on gaining from there experience
unable to play at home we were left to find home outside home and not able to groom youngsters
corruption saga left team without 3 key players
immense pressure was put on the rest of players
replacement wicket keeper left squad for reasons that are unclear and seem un-related to corruption and more for passport to me
incompetent Board blamed whoever they could see and later humiliated the whole nation
team captain was left guessing till the very end...

list just goes on and on... but the positives that Shahid and his team brought to Pakistan in last few months are also great

He bowled his heart out and without doubt was the best bowler in the tournment
He showed great skills in manuvering his limited resources to the best effect
He gelled this unit into one
He even made a wicket keeper with holes as big as foot ball in his gloves work through the championship
He groomed his youngsters and didnt scumb to emotionalism

As our campaign concludes and our players come back home we have to look into future. I am very hopeful that we have a good unit here. I feel Afridi should continue as ODI captain and in this way he can grrom his yougsters better. His Deputy should be a younger guy with leadership potential. I feel Asad or Hafeez have shown brain that can be groomed.

I am dead sure if Kamran still plays another ODI as a keeper then either our selection panel is blind, speak and hear chinese or Kamran knows some magic spells that blinds everyone. This must be his last game behind the stump. Sarfraz has shown good potential along with few other good keepers in domestic structure and should be groomed.

Younis and Misbah have been good servents of our country in the last many years. I feel there presence in Test team is needed for a year or so more but they should gracefully hang their boots for ODI and T20. Asad and Umer are great find. I feel Asad is a calm character and has shown signs of Yousaf in him. He should be given leadership role in domestic structure so he can be groomed for future role in Pakistan setup. In the meantime Hafeez should be given Deputy role for ODI and Test. He has about 3 years in him for both levels of the game and can help Afridi shape the team for next battle.

Gull had a awful day today but his class is beyond the figure of today. With him Wahab and Junaid can be groomed. Wahab is decent bowler who can be groomed into a even better one under Waqar and Aqib. I feel we have enough pace talent that can be groomed. I see no future for Asif but do have a soft corner for Amir as he is young and misled. He should serve his sentence and then re join the domestic game. 5 yr out of game will take its toll but should serve as a reminder to everyone that such actions are unpardonable in future.

Opening pair should be re established with Shahzad given another chance otherwise Taufiq can make ODI comeback. He should play county to learn the art of staying on the wicket. Asad seem very reasonable No 3. Umer should move to No 4. We should add a left hander in the middle order. Fawad showed some promise in the past but i feel he needs to develop attacking game to solidify his position.

For all rounders Afridi should stay on as ODI and T20 captain with 1 yr tenure and given liberty to develop the side on his own. He fills one Bowling All rounder spot. We need another Batting all rounder and I feel Razzaq probably should consider T20 game only and slowly fade out of ODI setup. We have options to groom players in Caribean when Pakistan come here to tour.

Spin options are plenty with Afridi proving he is the best leg sprinner in the running and in case of spinning turf should be considered as specialist spinner in test side also. Ajmal has couple of years in him. I dont see any retun for Shoaib Malik who should play at domestic level to develop juniors.

In al fairness, this WC went very well for Pakistan. We know what they were up against the best and we know they fought till the end. Tactical error's, batting and feiling fralities did cost us in the end but we need to take heart from this performance from the team... one of the biggest plus... we found Afridi as a leader and i see Pakistan with a great future !!!

Pakistan Zindabad !!!

Imran Yusuf: India v Pakistan: a fantasy

2011-03-24T02:18:00.000-04:00

Imran Yusuf: India v Pakistan: a fantasy

Pak vs WI- Wickets Highlights: http://www.kalam.tv/ur/video/68184/index.html

2011-03-23T15:55:00.000-04:00

Pak vs WI- Wickets Highlights

Shoaib Akhtar announces retirement

2011-03-18T01:15:00.001-04:00

Shoaib Akhtar Retirement Press Conference 1of4.wmv

2011-03-18T01:15:00.000-04:00

Another thriller and another England game...

2011-03-17T15:54:00.000-04:00

Though West Indies played as if they had a flight to catch but one should give credit to English bowling unit that came good today.
This clearly showed why England should qualify for Quarter finals. They have the fightback spirit, to back from dead and fight till the end. Something about their resolve reminds of 92' Pakistan. They have let games off also which should remain a concern for them. Even though they played with an odd combination of bowlers but against more disciplined batting sides like of Ravi Bopara can leak runs easily. Shahzad or Anderson need to part of this team if they get into trouble. Tredwell bowled brilliantly and secured his spot for the future games.
This game has now opened up the Group and I feel England will now qualify and I would not be surprised if we see Australia taking on England. From the resolve they have shown I feel any team facing them should be wary of this side ability to fight hard.
Strauss and Flower make a great combination and with Mushtaq helping as spin coach they do have the experience and knowledge to figure out their oppositions. They were bold in their team choice today and left out the likes of Collingwood. Such decisions can only be taken by a side which has internal harmony and professionalism.

well done England.... lets see if WI and Bangladesh can spoil your dreams in future games...

Why should England qualify?

2011-03-16T14:02:00.000-04:00

After recent performances by England one is reminded of Pakistan WC campaigns of past. Should they be in WC quarters remains to be seen as they come up against the Windies but do they deserve to qualify.

I think they should...

From what is on display they have the strength to bounce back from the losses they have suffered. Even with Kevin Peterson and Broad back home they still have enough bench strength to knock out any opposition they come across.
They have posted consistent scores throughout the tournament. Strauss is in exceptional form and with Morgan back in the fold they have a formidable middle order. Prior is having an ordinary WC and with him being back up as opener will put additional pressure on him. Collingwood is having tough time with bat and ball and one can see him making way for a newcomer in future but at this time England need experienced head like his on field to keep them pegged.

In bowling dept they have a super spinner in Swan. Once he gets to bowl on a dry wicket he will sure make an impression. Shehzad along with Tim Bresnon should be an automatic choice for the English as he has moved old ball off the pitch and in air. Anderson is having a horrible tournament and clearly showing signs of fatigue. Its cruel on this special bowler to be on tour without break for months. He needs all the confidence from the English squad if he has to have any chance of making a come back. He is coming out to be horrible at death on Indian wickets and should be utilized by 25 overs.

In all this team has provided the most entertaining matches of WC and it will be a shame if they dont make it to quarters. They have talent and experience... it just needs one special performance and they are on their way as Pakistan of 92.

SA middle order answers...

2011-03-15T16:59:00.000-04:00

SA was made to sweat earlier in their innings... Irish have given a great account of themselves and i feel confident that they are the next Test team.

SA middle order was put to test today and they have given a good account of themselves. Even though they faced a bowling attack not of class of Bhaji, Gull, Akhtar, Tait, Malinga or likes. They still stood their ground, consolidated and then fired. This must give SA team lots of confidence in their batting line up for future matches.

Lets go by departments.
Opening- A+, Upper Middle order A, Lowe Middle order and Big Hitters A/B, Spinner (Tahir and Botha) A, Pace A+.

In all SA can claim to have the best combination team in the competition followed closely by India, Australia and SL... though we have seen in past that it is not always the best team that wins the cup- exception Australia.

... now we are so close to enter the most interesting part of the competition.

Will England Qualify... we will soon find out....

At last a selection headache for Pakistan...for some good reason !!!

2011-03-14T14:28:00.000-04:00

So Asad Shafiq has once again reminded everyone that playing till end will get you home safe... started slow, picked up pace and then finished what he started. Something that 19 year old Ahmed Shahzad need to learn quickly at this level.

1- Opening
To persist or not to persist... Pakistan has tried many combinations in the past and this one seemed to have some potential but it is my opinion Shehzad is not mature as yet at this level. He needs to get some domestic and county cricket under his belt. I would move K Akmal as opener with Hafeez, persist with Shafiq as No 3 and U Akmal at 6 or Have additional bowler in team.

2- Add a bowler
We need to add 1 additional bowler to a team stocked with 6 batsmen and 2 all rounders. Any confident batting side will have 5 + 3 at max and if it comes to slog Gull is pretty decent also. So can afford to make way for 1 additional bowler.

3- Ajmal for Abdur Rehman
Though people still give Ajmal an edge, i think both have strengths and weakness. I feel Ajmal dosra is over utilized so i would favor Rehman- though just by fraction. Any one is fine.

What would be your playing 11?

India vs SA- Group B is wide open

2011-03-12T16:02:00.000-05:00

what a game... I think this group B is turning out to be very interesting and we need such competitive games to make people believe in the 50 over game...

what went wrong for India... in short

- It is a 50 over game... bat 50 overs and if you dont then it will come back to bite you
- keep wickets in hand... dont just howl out
- set sensible targets each over and dont try hitting every ball out of park- esp when u r up against top class attack
- India missed a trick with bhaji at the end... Nehra poor guy was not suited for this kind situation and batsman
- India was a quality spin bowler short... maybe Shachin and sehwag can try out at times
- SA got out of jail at the death overs, this may not happen all the time... They definitely need Imran spin to keep teams in check... Botha and Tahir togather will be interesting

well more to come in the World Cup... now its Group A turn.... will Pak stumble Zim test... lets hope not !
A.

Can Kamran Akmal improve?

2011-03-11T16:17:00.000-05:00

Yes or No...

I believe nothing is impossible but this sure is one difficult task for coaching team

He cannot follow spin
He cannot follow ball of bat
He gets over confident very quickly
His hands are so stiff when he has to gather ball under pressure
At times he just is lazy
Put pressure of him and he will either howl out at point or to rising delivery to third man or at leg boundary
swinging in deliveries will have him trapped in front....

List can go on... but lets help him get through the WC (as we dont have a replacement) and give some advise...

practice keeping without gloves to regain feel of ball
practice swing with hollow practice ball
practice spin keeping with covered vision at batsman position
relaxation exercises during overs and in between breaks to relax your arms...
???

Any idea's......