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In the last couple of weeks, Pakistanis have been preoccupied by the petrol crisis and power shortages, and hence, only a few managed to notice the early exit of Roger Federer from the Australian Open. Federer lost to Italy’s Andreas Seppi in a closely fought four-set match, out of which two sets were tie-breakers. Let’s not scrutinise Federer’s loss too much as even the mightiest fall at times. Staying in the top three at the age of 33 is an achievement in itself. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="533"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. When Federer was broken to love in the first set, giving Seppi a 5-4 lead, it was clear something was amiss with his game. Photo: Reuters[/caption] The first week of this year’s Australian Open was full of drama and nail biting matches. Among many highlights of the first week were young Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis beating 11^th seed Ernests Gulbis in five sets and Federer losing to Seppi. Other than that, it has been smooth sailing for the top eight who have made it to the quarter final stage. Novak Djokovic and Tomas Berdych have been in supreme form throughout and have made it to the quarters without losing a single set. Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray have lost one set, while Milos Raonic, Kei Nishikori and Rafel Nadal lost three sets. The surprise package, Nick Kyrgios, is yet again on another dream grand slam run after last year’s Wimbledon. The young Australian has lost five sets so far, but bear in mind that this 19-year-old has played against all opponents who were far more experienced than him. So that five sets deficit is quite justified. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Thanasi Kokkinakis (L), Andy Murray (C), Novak Djokovic (R)[/caption] We have entered the second week of the Australian Open and the number of players in the draw has shrunk from 128 to eight. This is where it all gets interesting. Seeded players come face to face, the margin for error starts to diminish, and Rod Laver Arena takes the shape of a pressure cooker. Each player is now just three wins away from capturing the first Grand Slam of the year. Who will that player be? Well, not Federer for sure. As for my predictions, it looks pretty straight forward for Djokovic and Nadal, both of whom have good chances in appearing in the semi-final line up. The two matches that can be a ‘pressure cooker’ are Stan versus Nishikori and Kyrgios versus Murray.  The Australian crowd will ignite the atmosphere for their boy Kyrgios, but given Murray’s experience and Kyrgios inexperience at the big stage, Murray will be the likely winner – but don’t be surprised if that does not happen. Kyrgios is a big boy with a bigger game. The big question is: Will Stan be able to defend his title? I don’t think so. There are good chances that he might lose to Nishikori, who although is quite under rated despite his run at the US Open final last year, but is one of those players who can surprise you anytime. Those of you wondering where the reigning US Open champion, Marin Cilic is? Well, sadly, Cilic withdrew from the Australian Open due to an injury. Let’s hope he recovers and returns to action soon. As for the ladies side, well, it is unpredictable as always. The only predictable outcome is that as long as Serena Williams is playing well, no one can beat her. The big quarter-final match here is the Maria Sharapova versus Eugenie Bouchard one. Bouchard, the rising youngster who did incredibly well at all the Grand Slams last year, is doing the same this year too. It won’t be a surprise if Bouchard wins a Grand Slam in 2015, and it won’t be a surprise if she beats Sharapova either. Contrary to what all critics are saying, I think Bouchard is definitely winning tomorrow. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Maria Sharapova (L), Serena Williams (C), Eugenie Bouchard (R)[/caption] Sania Mirza, our “bhabi” (sister-in-law), and her Brazilian partner have made it to the quarters of the mixed doubles. We wish her good luck and perhaps it won’t be wrong to say that the whole of Pakistan supports her. Sadly, Aisamul Haq Qureshi and Nenad Zimonjic lost in the third round of the Australian Open, which was their first Grand Slam as a team. Both are big players and I am sure they will have great results as we progress into the later stages of 2015. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Sania Mirza (L), Aisamul Haq Qureshi (R)[/caption] On a side note, it is a bit surprising how none of the sports channels in Pakistan are broadcasting the Australian Open. It is a Grand Slam after all. Let’s hope they broadcast the second week so I do not have to rely on live streaming. What are your predictions? Who do you think will take home the title?

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It was on a typically overcast London afternoon that the nation saw its first glimpse of young Muhammad Amir, who had just turned 17 a few months earlier. It took him all of two balls to win over the thousands of Pakistani supporters at The Oval and the millions at home watching their side take on England in the 2009 World Twenty20. Ravi Bopara’s uppish drive was well held by Shoaib Malik at backward point and Amir wheeled away in joy, baring all of his uneven teeth. That was the moment the nation fell in love with the precociously talented left-hander; Pakistan had found its new darling. Young Amir went on to win the World Cup with Pakistan that year. He then made his Test debut and was just as quick to make an impact, claiming his first Test wicket in his first over. He also took three wickets on his ODI debut. Pakistan could not get enough of this young left-armer — Wasim Akram’s heir apparent. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] Then came that fateful series in England. 2-0 down, Pakistan played the third match at The Oval knowing they needed a win to stay alive in the four-match series. Just a little over a year ago, it was at this very ground that the nation had first fallen in love with Amir; they were to do so all over again. The left-armer took 5-52 in the second innings to guide Pakistan to a four-wicket win. With every wicket, Amir gave flood-hit Pakistan something to cheer for, something to cling on to. At just 18, Amir was Pakistan’s hero. The deciding match of the series was at Lords. Amir tore through the England batting line-up, swinging the ball late and both ways. Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan all nicked it behind to balls moving away from them. Paul Collingwood got one that came back into him and was caught in front of the stumps. That spell, by an 18-year-old, would go down as one of the finest by a left-arm fast bowler in Test cricket’s 137-year history. When he came on to bowl again, he dismissed Matt Prior to claim his second-consecutive five-for and become the youngest ever player to take 50 wickets in Tests; despite having only played against four of cricket’s best batting units in Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Australia and England. It seemed that Amir couldn’t put a foot wrong, except that he had — twice. The world of cricket was rocked by the news that Amir, along with skipper Salman Butt and bowling partner Muhammad Asif, had been involved in spot-fixing and had deliberately overstepped twice. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="536"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Former captain Salman Butt, paceman Mohammad Asif and swing bowler Mohammad Amir. Photo: AFP[/caption] Amir pled guilty and was slapped with a five-year ban from all competitive cricket. And so, in one blink of an eye and two overstretching of the front leg, Pakistan’s favourite son fell from grace. And it was a remarkable fall from grace; from making history at the sport’s most hallowed of grounds and winning the man-of-the-series award to serving a six-month sentence in a juvenile prison. But the even more bitter pill to swallow for Amir was that he was exiled from cricket for five years. For five years he watched on longingly from the sides, every sinew of his body aching to run in — cricket ball in hand, wind behind him, hair waving, heart pumping — and bowl one of his famous late swingers. For five years, the kid that had made the best in the world look ordinary waited for his chance to once again do what he loves. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="480"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] He had seen the highs of winning the T20 World Cup to the lows of being on the wrong end of Michael Hussey’s bat in the penultimate over of next year’s edition in the semi-final. But all that paled in comparison to him not being allowed to play cricket anymore. Now, the kid has grown, he is no longer the bright-eyed 17-year-old we fell in love with. What remains in its stead is a weary 22-year-old man, forced to mature before his time. He has no one but himself to blame for that. The fire still burns in Amir, perhaps fiercer than what it did all those years ago — he needs to make up for lost time. It is no hyperbole to say that he had the talent and skill to go on to become the greatest ever fast bowler in the sport’s history. Now he makes his early return from his five-year exodus a pariah and a condemned man. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] Still just 22, Amir will most likely don the famous green of Pakistan once again and it is a matter of when, rather than if. There will surely be many who will never forgive him for what he did but he has served his time and his punishment is now over. He may never be the darling of Pakistan ever again but he may yet go onto become a cricketing legend. There is no condoning what he did, but it would be a pity to deny the sport the chance to welcome back Amir. When he does eventually make his return to international cricket, Pakistan must cheer on its fallen hero. We may never forget, and Amir’s reputation has forever been stained, but we must forgive. The weary man we see today must be relieved of the burden heavy on his shoulders. This post originally appeared on our Sports page here.

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The 2015 World Cup in Australia will be nothing short of exhilarating, as the stadiums in Australia are the finest and would produce thrilling cricket. This will be the 11^th edition of the World Cup. After the round matches, the real test will begin as the quarter-finals and elimination rounds start. Let’s have a look at the eight probable teams for the quarter final: Australia (host) It is by far the most successful team in World Cup history, having won four World Cup trophies and reached the finals in two. Playing at home will bring a lot of pressure to the team but still they have a tremendous attacking batting line-up in the form of Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, David Warner, Shane Watson, George Bailey, and Michael Clarke (captain) and a quality pace attack to match it with Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson. Australians are expected to make it through the semi-finals at least, and perhaps even beyond. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. England  The three time finalists have made a very late change to their captain, but an excellent one. They have a good bowling side with tall, fast bowlers like James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Steven Finn, whom we expect to exploit the bouncy wickets and a respectable batting line up with Joe Root, Ian Bell and Eoin Morgan (captain), who could be their key to reaching the semi-final. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. New Zealand  They have been playing magnificent cricket lately, are one of the favourites for the title and they have quite a few very aggressive, match winning, ODI batsmen like Brendon McCullum (captain), Ross Taylor, and Kane Williamson. They have formed a formidable bowling line with Tim Southee leading the attack and the two new fast bowlers, Mitchell McClenaghan and Adam Milne, have also added a lot of pace and fire in the kiwis’ bowling line up. Likewise, home-based conditions will favour them too and if they play to their potential, they can win their first ever World Cup final. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Pakistan  It doesn’t have a very good squad, and the non-availability of Saeed Ajmal and Junaid Khan will be a big miss for team Pakistan, which already lacks fire power in bowling and batting. They are expected to make it to the quarter finals but progressing further would indeed be difficult. Their key players are Ahmed Shehzad, Muhammad Irfan, and Sohaib Maqsood. The opening match with India will not only be significant as far as our rivalry with them is concerned, but it will also be a chance to break the jinx of never beating India in a World Cup match. Furthermore, the winner of this match could go a long way in deciding who will face who in the quarter finals. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. South Africa They have been tagged as the favourites for the World Cup. Similarly, they have an incredible team packed with talent and a previously World Cup-winning coach, Gary Kirsten, which provides them a fabulous chance to remove their tag of chokers and revive their image. Their very talented batting line-up includes Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (wicket keeper), AB de Villiers (captain and wicket keeper), JP Duminy, and Faf du Plessis, while they have a very strong attacking bowling line-up with Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, and Imran Tahir. It won’t be surprising if South Africa goes all the way and end up winning this World Cup. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Sri Lanka They have been finalists in the last two World Cups but unfortunately lost both. While this World Cup would mark the end of the careers of Sri Lanka’s brilliant batsmen Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene andKumar Sangakkar, the Australian conditions won’t suit the Lankans. And, so far, it seems that it would be difficult for them to qualify beyond the quarterfinals. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. West Indies It looks like West Indies will be one of the first teams to go home early. While it’s very heart breaking to see that the two-time champions have fallen apart so much, they lack a good batting and bowling attack. Apart from the brilliance of one odd batsman, they have a very mediocre team and they won’t go beyond the quarter finals round. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. India The defending champions have witnessed their golden era in the last six years, winning almost everything under the brilliant captaincy of MS Dhoni. However, World Cup Australia is going to be a huge test for them as Indians have performed poorly on their last two tours to Australia. But despite that, the team has a very strong batting line which consists of stars like Shikhar Dhawan, MS Dhoni (captain and wicket keeper), Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Their bowling is their weakest link but still has few fine bowlers like Ravindra Jadeja and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. India is expected to reach the quarter finals but the bouncy conditions might make their progress difficult. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="533"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: Reuters[/caption] Whoever makes it, this World Cup is expected to be one of the best, fast-paced and most exciting World Cups ever to be staged. It will get fans from all over the world off their feet and provide them with plenty of memories to cherish. May the best team win! ALL PHOTOs: AFP

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There are two ways of approaching an India-Pakistan cricket match being played in the World Cup. You can lose yourself in unbridled passion and get set up for either rapturous joy or deep gloom. Or you can see the funny side and embrace the hilariousness. From 1951, since the first India-Pakistan Test match, much has been made of their rivalry in cricket. Australia Wallabies and New Zealand All Blacks in rugby? Brazil and Argentina in football? Ali and Frazier? India and Pakistan’s cricket encounters put them all in the shade with the background of four wars, numerous skirmishes, disputed borders and nuclear weapons. You can expect a humdinger every time they clash – except in a cricket World Cup. After being administered another sound thrashing by Roger Federer, tennis player Andy Roddick was once asked about his rivalry with the perennial tormentor.

“I have to win a few times against Roger before you can call it a rivalry,” he responded with disarming candidness.

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“Do you know who you have dropped?”

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Tomorrow, all statistics and records will go out the window – it will be all about which players perform best as a unit under pressure. But before the big eleven, let us see which team has the better players. Rohit Sharma versus Nasir Jamshed The competition for the opening slot is as good as a walk over. All the talk before the World Cup around India’s batting is about Virat Kohli but at almost 28, this World Cup comes at the prime of his career for Rohit Sharma. Sharma has an average close to 39 but he is one of those explosive talents where the stats are misleading. On his day, Sharma is up there with the most devastating batsmen in the history of the game. Sri Lanka learnt that the hard way last year when Sharma smashed them for 264 runs in an ODI – a knock that included 33 fours and nine sixes. Our entire team often struggles to score 264 runs in an ODI. He is also the only batsman in the history of the game to score two ODI double centuries. With those records, it is baffling that India might just go with Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan as their opening pair. Nasir Jamshed, a last minute inclusion into the Pakistan squad, has no chance against him. Jamshed has been woefully out of form recently and looked fidgety on the crease against England in the warm up match. Like most left-handed Pakistani batsmen, Jamshed is also highly susceptible outside his off stump. He is likely to struggle against the bounce generated by the pitches in Australia and New Zealand. Put your money on him getting caught up in the slips in the first ten overs. Winner: Rohit Sharma Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Shikhar Dhawan versus Ahmad Shahzad When it comes to cricket, I am definitely old-school. Despite Saeed Anwar and Aamir Sohail being my favourite Pakistani opening batting partnership, I am a huge fan of selecting a right-handed and a left-handed opening batsman. For India, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan would form a formidable opening pair but Ahmed Shahzad has grown into a formidable batsman. Shahzad’s average is a mere 35 compared to Dhawan’s 43 but despite being six years his junior, Shahzad has played more ODIs than him. With Shahid Afridi and Misbahul Haq retiring from ODIs after the World Cup, Shahzad is one of the favourites to become the next captain of Pakistan’s cricket team. He may not have the mental maturity required for now but he definitely has the self-belief required for a game of this magnitude. Shahzad does not doubt himself one bit when he walks out to bat and his recent performances have proven many of his doubters wrong. I may be a little biased towards my name sake but I will have to go with our own maverick batsman. Winner: Ahmed Shahzad Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Virat Kohli versus Younus Khan If I were to make a World XI, it is likely that I would put Kohli in the all-important one down spot in the batting order. Kohli is the natural successor to Sachin Tendulkar in the Indian batting outfit. Whatever your allegiances, it is a pleasure to watch Kohli bat. His abrasive attitude only adds to the entertainment value. Kohli already has 21 centuries and over 6,000 runs at the age of 26; if he plays at the top of his game for the next 10 years, it is likely that he may smash all the ODI records. Tendulkar scored a century for every 9.2 innings in his career whereas Kohli has scored a century at a staggering rate of one per every 6.8 innings. As great an asset as Younus Khan has been for cricket in Pakistan, this World Cup comes in the twilight of his career. At 37, we can still rely on Younus to hold the fort steady at one end or keep the strike rate ticking over, but his days as a match winner are over. The humble man from Mardan would probably admit defeat himself against the ferocious talent of Kohli. Winner: Virat Kohli Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Ajinkya Rahane versus Umar Akmal The first of the really tough ones, with Rohit Sharma up top, Rahane is likely to occupy the middle order. Both players have all the talent in the world but do not always apply themselves completely. Both are prone to the odd shot and lack the mental fortitude to turn them into the absolute best. On their day, both the players can be true match winners. This World Cup is perfectly poised for Umar Akmal to really announce himself to the world like Inzamamul Haq did during the 1992 World Cup. It seems like Misbah is backing Akmal as Imran Khan backed Inzamam. For a confident player like Akmal, they need to feel loved for them to perform to the best of their abilities. For those reasons, my personal bias and Rahane’s tendency to be a little unsure of himself, I am going to back Akmal for the number four spot. Winner: Umar Akmal Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Suresh Raina versus Misbahul Haq Suresh Raina has been in and out of the Indian cricket team. The more precarious Yuvraj Singh was often preferred to the more tenacious Raina. Raina does not often steal the headlines but, like Misbah in the Pakistan cricket team, he is indispensable to the Indian side. In a team of match winners, he is the one who does the simple things right. Misbah and Raina play the equivalent of the ‘Makelele’ role in football. Like a midfielder screens the defence, they protect the lower order and like a defensive midfielder allows the flair players to shine, Raina and Misbah allow players like Rahane, Kohli, Afridi and Akmal to play their natural game. One of the most astounding statistics in ODIs is that Misbah has never scored a century. It is even more astounding that Misbah has an average of 42 despite not scoring a ton ever. It speaks to his consistency and reliability. If there is a batting collapse, I would trust Misbah to steady the ship more than Raina. For the role they are selected to play in the team, I have to go with the player who fulfils that role better. Winner: Misbahul Haq Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Mahendra Singh Dhoni versus Sarfraz Ahmed Sarfraz Ahmed has proven to be a more reliable option behind the stumps than Kamran Akmal for Pakistan. Some of his knocks lower down the order have reminded Pakistani cricket fans of glory days of Moin Khan sweeping Glenn Mcgrath consistently for boundaries and sixes during the 1999 World Cup. However, with just 36 ODIs under his belt, he is still inexperienced, especially compared to the World Cup winning captain of India. India would still have been a fantastic team without Dhoni in the past decade but guided by the calming influence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India managed to take all the talent in their team and win the last World cup. Not only is Dhoni completely reliable as a wicket-keeper, he can walk into any team in the world solely based on his batting prowess. The qualities he brings to the team as a captain is an added bonus. Winner: MS Dhoni Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Ravindra Jadeja versus Shahid Afridi Who will be the all-rounder in the team? Dhoni trusts and backs Jadeja. Jadeja is certainly proficient with the ball and the bat. He can be trusted to a job with either but I must bow to the talent that is Shahid Afridi. We all know how explosive Afridi can be with the bat but the real value he brings to the team consistently is with the ball. Afridi has grown into a spinner of some merit; his constant variety is a menace to any batsman in the world. This is likely to be his last World Cup and I fully expect Boom Boom to go out with a bang. A team with the talent of an India-Pakistan combined eleven can easily afford to carry the luxury of having Afridi in the batting line up. Cometh the hour, Cometh the man, Afridi is a big match player and there is no bigger stage in world cricket than an India-Pakistan match in a World Cup. Winner: Shahid Afridi Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Ravichandran Ashwin versus Yasir Shah All the talk in the World Cup is surrounding the seaming and bouncy wickets of Australia and New Zealand. The new regulations requiring two new balls from each end were enforced to balance the battle between the bat and the ball. However, I feel the spinners will play a huge role down under this World Cup. The selection between Ashwin and Shah comes down to a choice of personal spinner. Ashwin is more experienced than Shah but as Shah showed in the warm up match against England, there is a hint of Shane Warne about the young Pakistani leg-spinner. If the Pakistan-India game was in Sydney, I would be inclined to pick Shah but the game is in Adelaide. The modern cricket game is heavily skewed in favour of the batsmen and Ashwin’s ability to not go for runs gives him the edge. With Afridi already in the side as a leg spinner, Ashwin is likely to bring more variety to the team too. Winner: Ravichandran Ashwin Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Umesh Yadav versus Wahab Riaz There is one thing separating the two seam bowlers: Pace. Wahab Riaz can be erratic but he has a couple of yards of pace on Umesh Yadav. As a Pakistani cricket lover, I would always be more inclined towards pace over discipline. The innovative shots and fielding regulations means even balls pitched on a good line and length can go for runs. The bowlers that will make the most difference this World Cup are those who can take wickets. The last time the two sides met in a World Cup match, Riaz picked a few priceless scalps and I am backing him to do the same tomorrow. Riaz’s action can give him success the same way that Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc have been successful for Australia on the Australian pitches. Winner: Wahab Riaz Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Bhuvneshwar Kumar versus Ehsan Adil Bhuvneshwar Kumar was touted as India’s answer to a genuine fast bowler, who could swing the ball both ways. For some reason, fast bowlers in India always tend to lose a yard of pace after joining the senior cricket set up. Kumar has shown that he can trouble the Pakistani top order in the past and that experience would put him in good stead for the match tomorrow. Ehsan Adil is inexperienced and he has shown little to merit an inclusion into the Pakistani squad let alone an India-Pakistan combined XI. I believe Kumar would be happy at the prospect of going after the Pakistani top order with a new ball on the Adelaide pitch whereas Adil does not seem confident in his own abilities – and neither am I. Winner: Bhuveneshwar Kumar Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Mohammed Shami versus Mohammad Irfan The last spot is the first time a Pakistani player seems the clear favourite pick. Mohammad Irfan has shown that he can cause trouble to any batsman in the world. Despite Wasim Akram singing praises of Mohammed Shami and Shami performing admirably in the Indian domestic setup, he is no match for Irfan. Irfan is up there with the best left-handed fast bowlers of the world. Not only can he get you wickets but he is extremely economical. If Pakistan is to win the match tomorrow, Irfan has to perform. Irfan versus India’s top order will make for a fascinating contest. Winner: Mohammad Irfan Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Captain: MS Dhoni versus Misbahul Haq Dhoni and Misbah would be remembered for two of the most successful captains for their own teams but in the shorter version of the game, it is Dhoni that has had more success than Misbah. Misbah tends to be more defensive whereas Dhoni is not afraid to take risks. For Dhoni’s pedigree of proving that he can lead the team to glory on the biggest stage of them all, I have to pick him for the captain’s armband. Captain: MS Dhoni Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Total: India six, Pakistan six These are not the best Indian and Pakistani squads that have ever entered the World Cup but there is genuine unpredictability about both teams that is extremely exciting for the viewer. The game tomorrow can genuinely not be predicted with fans of both teams preferring to underplay their team’s chances in the game for once. All in all, it will make for an exciting contest and as far as the team is concerned, the analysis shows that it’s pretty neck and neck. India-Pakistan combined XI. 1. Rohit Sharma 2. Ahmad Shahzad 3. Virat Kohli 4. Umar Akmal 5. Misbahul Haq 6. MS Dhoni (Captain) 7. Shahid Afridi 8. Ravichandra Ashwin 9. Wahab Riaz 10. Bhuveneshwar Kumar 11. Mohammad Irfan Good luck to both the teams!

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I didn’t sleep last Saturday night. Call it excitement, anticipation of victory or simple enthusiasm; words just cannot describe what I felt that night. I had reached Adelaide the day before, after boarding a 12-hour-long flight, and even though the exhaustion was formidable, anyone on Hindley Street on the night of February 14, 2015, will tell you that it was worth it. Picture the eve before Eid if you are a Muslim, Diwali if you are a Hindu or Christmas if you are a Christian, and multiply the excitement by 10 times – that’s the level of exhilaration I felt that night. The zeal in Adelaide amongst cricket fans in general and Pakistani and Indian fans in particular, and the festive mood that night was more than what you could’ve imagined. It seemed as if people were dazzled by the anticipation of the match and had completely forgotten whatever else was happening in their lives. Local residents were amazed by the sudden hustle and bustle. Those who followed cricket knew why their city was flooded with desis: the February 15^th match was too crucial for South Asians to miss. All hotels and restaurants were packed with desi people and Adelaide residents seemed like tourists while walking on their own streets. The night went by and the big day soon arrived. The gates to the stadium were supposed to open at 12:30pm but I, along with some friends, was already there around 10am (4:30am PST). We couldn’t wait to start our supposedly happy, jinx-breaking day. And as it turned out, we weren’t the only ones who were excited enough to reach there early, despite the hot weather. Adelaide stadium and its surrounding areas were full of men and women in green and blue, all ready with to wave their flags in the South Australian breeze and to chant slogans supporting their countries at the top of their lungs. The DJ, who was managing the music outside the stadium, was mostly playing Indian songs. This was noticed by many Pakistanis and I thought it was utterly unfair, since Paksitanis too have a wide variety of World Cup songs that could have been played there. The only time he played Pakistani songs was when the Pakistani fans complained to him. We entered the stadium at 12:30pm, in our Pakistani jerseys and green painted faces. The stadium quickly filled to its capacity. By this time, it had become evident to us that the Indian crowd was going to be much larger in number than the Pakistani crowd. However, even with this, Pakistani fans were able to match the Indians with their zealous chants, their supportive slogans and their “Pakistan Zindabad!” and “Jeetay ga bhai jeetay ga, Pakistan jeetay ga” jingles. Everyone saw how the match went about – what were the passionate highs and the awful lows. The last 20 overs, in particular, were torturous and I think I died a little towards the end. Anyone who saw the match on television would know why. By the end of the day, I had seen Pakistani women and children crying, disappointed Pakistani fans leaving the stadium before the match was officially over and Indians chanting the slogan “too roo ra ra, Pakistan phir se haara”. But nevertheless, it was all worth it. The experience was one that I shall cherish throughout and I look forward to seeing Pakistan play against West Indies on Saturday. I believe that despite this major setback, Pakistani fans will keep supporting their team throughout the World Cup and will keep chanting the phrase “Tum jeeto ya haro, hume tumse pyar hai Par agar jeeto to zyada pyar hai” (Whether you lose or win, we will always love you) (But we will love you more if you win).

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While serving on the Punjab Board of Investment and Trade, Moazzam Husain led a small team of experts, businessmen and stakeholders to develop a technical and commercial strategy to harness Punjab’s iron ore resources. The first draft of that road-map was published in April 2010. Then following further rigorous consultations in August 2010, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif approved the strategy for implementation. I caught up with Mr Moazzam Husain in Karachi to discuss the recent developments around Punjab iron ore. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="299"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Moazzam Husain[/caption] Erum Shaikh (ES): According to media reports, the Punjab iron ore resources were identified decades ago. Yet we are being told they have just been discovered. What is going on?

Moazzam Husain (MH): We have known about the existence of these iron ore deposits for a very long time. When dealing with underground natural and mineral resources we are dealing in degrees of certainty. So when we were preparing the high level iron ore development road-map, the question really was what do we do with these bits and fragments of geological data which are telling us about the presence of a resource in substantial quantities? And our first recommendation was that we need a full blown techno-economic study; one that follows an internationally accepted methodology and gets the resource classified to an internationally acceptable standard of proven reserves. The question is, why it took the government five years to complete it when such studies are done within 12 months elsewhere in the world? Anyways, so what has happened last week is that the study has been finally completed. It also means we know far more about the characteristics and structure of the ore seam than we did previously; how deep the seam lies, how thick is it, how much of the surface is rock and how much is soil, where the water tables are located. How big are they etcetera. So we can go about thinking about ways and means to extract it. We call this a “bankable study”.

MH: That remains to be seen. Now that the existence of the reserves has been authenticated, the economic viability of extracting it should be established. I had recommended for the TOR’s of the study to include mining strategy and costing. The study cost millions of dollars, I haven’t yet seen it but if the costing hasn’t been done, it can and should be done without wasting further time.

MH: Yes. Like I said, once the costing is done and if it is viable to extract, the reserve quantity is quite sizeable so it can make some impact on the economy. Let’s say we can start with producing one million tons a year, and say over a 10-year period, build up the mine production rate to 10 million tons a year. Supposing the price is $60 per ton then one million tons in Year 1 comes to $60 million. And 10 million tons in Year 10 translates to $600 million in revenue. Production costs will have to be subtracted from this to arrive at profit per ton. Then depending on what share the government keeps in this, the resulting government revenues can be quite sizeable in future years. In addition, the government will earn 30% corporate tax on the profits as well. Some months ago, the international prices were twice that, so with higher prices, it would have a greater positive impact on the economy.

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MH: (Chuckles) Well, we should not get carried away by such spin that comes from politicians. But indeed gold and copper may be present in trace quantities and it remains to be seen whether their extraction is technically and financially feasible. Gold is also present in seawater. It doesn’t mean you start extracting it… (chuckles) unless you develop a nanotechnology solution. The mine business model has to be determined whether iron ore or copper or indeed gold should be optimised. This means that from each ton of ore would you rather extract one gram of gold or 600 kilograms of iron? Once again, the study should provide that answer. The prevailing international prices of these commodities will also have to be taken into account. Extraction costs would also play a role. The extraction processes are entirely different for iron, copper and gold. Choosing which one will depend on what is more profitable.

MH: Well, primarily we had this resource and everybody around the table knew about its existence, and that it had been around for years. We were now looking for a way in which Pakistan could harness this for national economic benefit. The questions in everybody’s mind were: What would it take to have this classified as a proven reserve? And afterwards, who would invest in this mega mining project? What should be the terms of the transaction between an international mining company and the Punjab government? What kind of mining methodology would be required? What kind of logistic and transport infrastructure would be needed to remove earth to the depth of a 30-storey building and then haul the millions of tons of excavated ore? How would we depopulate the hundreds of acres of farmland and villages — underneath which the ore was located? What would we do with the iron ore? Could we convert some of it to steel? If so, where would the energy come from in an already energy-starved country? Could we also sell some of the raw iron ore? And yes absolutely, these questions are still very much relevant today.

MH: 500 million tons are quite substantial for Pakistan, especially given that this is not the end and there is promise of further discovery around that region. On a world scale though, these are not that big. Australian mining giant BHP Billiton produces that much iron ore in little over two years. The three biggest iron ore production countries in the world are China, Australia and Brazil. There the deposits are in the tens of billions of tons. And then there are many other countries that have multiple mines the size of the one discovered in Punjab, including some in India. Afghanistan next door has 1.7 billion tons reserve at Hajigak, Bamyan province.

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MH: For us, yes. This would require an operation on a scale we have not seen before in Pakistan. The biggest ones I reckon were the earthworks projects for building Mangla and Tarbela dams. And the earthworks involved here are larger by an order or two of magnitude. But having said that, I do not think this would be a large enough opportunity for any of the world’s three big mining companies - viz BHP, Vale and Rio Tinto. We may need to approach second or even third tier mining companies to get them interested in this opportunity.

MH: In which areas specifically? There are many areas here. Like I said, mining on this scale has not been seen in Pakistan. So we’d be hard pressed to find experts with any real experience other than theoretical knowledge of earth sciences subjects. And it’s not just expertise and know how – this requires an organised effort, a level and scale of effort that can only be governed under a corporatised structure. And preferably a structure that has worked before and has previous experience of similar undertakings. What we’re really beginning to define here is a large mining company with international operations and experience.  And of course lots of cash to invest.

MH: Well to start with, remember this is a deep deposit not a surface deposit. So one needs to rip open a few kilometres of the countryside to get to the ore seam. Secondly, we have the Chenab River, nearby. That may pose hydraulic challenges during excavation. My apprehension is that we could be looking at a relatively expensive mining solution. That would make the Punjab iron ore project marginal on a world scale. Any investor will look at a range of comparable mines in the world’s ore-producing regions and compare the extraction costs per ton. And in the presently oversupplied world market, many marginal mines have become dormant and are available for sale or lease. It’s just like with any other asset. Like any real estate. There’s always choice, there’s a market and there are buyers and sellers. Then getting the land cleared would pose a challenge for the Punjab government. The land acquisition for the Mangla reservoir expansion took years. Finally, structuring a mining concession, while the Reko Diq fiasco is still fresh in people’s minds will pose another challenge.

That is a major challenge. One option is you can make steel on site. That means establishing a large steel mill. But then the government will have to think about ways to provide energy — either coking coal or gas at the site. Small quantities of ore can also be provided to Punjab’s steel rerolling industry but they would need to retrofit their furnaces. The government would need to announce a special policy for that. Finally, to move ore (and even steel) through overland transport to our steel mills and ports requires a modern, heavy haul rail system. I would imagine that ought to constitute part of the mining concession agreement.

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Steelmaking is a basic industry upon which depend other industries. So it is an industry of industries. If we had set our goals right, Pakistan could have greatly industrialised much earlier and trained its ample human resource while creating large scale employment in the manufacturing sector. By now, we would have been a middle income country with a smaller but more skilled population. Still, even today, I say we can get started. As they say “Der aye, durust aye” (a little late is better than never)!

 In my experience, our politicians and bureaucrats have little understanding of the global mining business. And there is an absence of clear thinking. We can’t organise things neither seem to be able to make them work. There is a major deficit of government capacity. There are bottlenecks at the policy level. My worst apprehension is that they will be unable to make this work; that they will bungle it up. End up with another Reko Dik, another Kalabagh Dam. And this is one apprehension I hope is proved wrong.

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Pakistan lost against India in their opening World Cup match, but that did not affect the love I have for my team. My support does not depend on them winning or losing. Having seen all the criticism directed at our team, I couldn’t help but wonder what the morale of our team must have been. I mean, realistically speaking, three of our key players, Saeed Ajmal, Muhammad Hafeez and Umar Gul aren’t playing. That will obviously affect the outcome of our team. That isn’t an excuse, the fact that until the very beginning of the World Cup, our team was relying on these players. It’s great that we are positive and hope our team wins but to expect that they will win, and then curse them when they don’t manage to do so, is unfair. Unfortunately, my opinion is not shared by the millions of other Pakistani cricket fans. An example of this is the anger that ensued after the “kab phorain ge” advertisement was aired on Star Sports. Knowing full well that the ad was made in good humour, many Pakistanis requested that the video be taken down. To all those angry souls out there, let me tell you that we were eventually avenged. The reaction of the Pakistani supporters went from angry to completely stark raving mad. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="321"]Image may be NSFW.
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Clik here to view. Photo: Screenshot[/caption] https://twitter.com/Benazir_Shah/status/566521396725940226 Just recently, Star Sports also aired an Indian ad regarding their match against South Africa. This time around, the joke was on India (even though it was an Indian production) given the fact that India has never defeated South Africa in a World Cup match. Statistics prove so. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2has9h[/embed] And the general reaction of Indians on twitter: https://twitter.com/IshetaS/status/567200402588708864 https://twitter.com/ynakg/status/567222547104538624 https://twitter.com/Iam_Prerna/status/567607173329321984 https://twitter.com/iamFerwah/status/567594145653342209 https://twitter.com/inindia/status/567259108235964417 https://twitter.com/arun661/status/567181921063432193 Here again, a question comes to mind: Would Pakistan have done something like this? Do we have the capacity to laugh at ourselves? After seeing this page, I feel the answer would be a no. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. The new South Africa-India ad managed to highlight the weakness of the Indian cricket team without demoralising them. That’s quite a feat. Rather than our media, celebrities, and fans spurring hate towards our team, let’s learn to highlight their capabilities as well as their flaws in a more creative and respectful manner, rather than an attitude that screams “we hate you, you suck!” So even though the advertisement against Pakistan glorified the Indian team, the advertisement regarding the South African team brought them back to earth. Their media agencies happened to strike a balance by giving them an ego boost as well as a reality check. In Pakistan, an extreme opinion emerges towards our team – either we love them or hate them. In our quest of love for them, we place them on a pedestal and glorify their existence; but in our tirade of hate, we pummel them to the ground and don’t bother with them. Have we not heard of the term “moderation”?

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I have been following the Pakistan cricket team ever since I can remember. After the stinging loss against India in the 1996 World Cup quarter-final, I felt a personal duty to rectify the wrong. The defeat did not dishearten me; on the contrary, it reinvigorated my love for the game. Throughout my youth, I would pretend I am Aamir Sohail and point to the bowler where I was going to hit him next. A strategy that worked for me because I was only good playing shots on the leg side – so regardless of the bravado, I was going to try and hit the ball there. Pointing it to the bowler only added to the mind-games. The 1999 World Cup is what I classify as my World Cup. I was old enough to be a proper fan. I knew every single player of every single team. Before the days of fantasy leagues, I would replicate every single match in my own garage by playing against myself. Whoever I was pretending to be, while trying to hit the wickets or batting against the wall, would be adjudged to be the winner. Obviously, I cheated every time Pakistan was competing. It is only befitting for my personal narrative that the Pakistani team performed extraordinarily during the World Cup. I vividly remember Moin Khan getting down on his knees and sweeping Glenn Mcgrath outside the Leeds ground and Shoaib Akhtar knocking over Steve Waugh’s wicket during the Pakistan versus Australia group match. Our performance in the final shattered the heart of a 10-year-old me but once again I took it upon myself to rectify history again. I found International Cricket Captain, a cricket simulation game. There is no competition in the world that I have not made Pakistan win on that game, and its subsequent versions. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: Shehzad Ghias[/caption] In 2003, I knew the venues for every single game featuring Pakistan. I had every single permutation and combination worked out on how Pakistan could win the tournament. We had a team that was the envy of the world; my childhood hero, Waqar Younis, was captain. Nothing could go wrong. It is a poor punch line to that set up that all I remember from the World Cup is Sachin Tendulkar hitting Shoaib for six over third-man. Thankfully, we did not even get a chance to play against India in 2007. The less said about our performance, the better. However, in 2011, our dismal performances in the last two World Cups and the controversy surrounding the spot-fixing scandal meant we did not go in as favourites. By now, I too was no longer a starry-eyed youngster. Like most Pakistani fans, I too had become cynical of our team’s chances. I was not backing Pakistan to win the World Cup. Lo and behold, we punched above our weight, and we punched hard. We made it all the way to the semi-final on the back of strong performances. If anything, we went into that match as favourites against India. The stage was set to finally beat India in a World Cup. I watched the match with a thousand people at a screening. It just had to finally happen. But it did not. After suffering so many heartbreaks, there was no way I was going to back the Pakistan cricket team during the 2015 edition, but something strange started happening a few days before the match. Despite all my cricketing knowledge telling me India was the better team – they were acclimatised in Australia and we were hit by numerous injuries – I was convinced we were going to win. Shane Warne declaring Yasir Shah to be the best leg spinner in the world only added fuel to the fire of my hope – the fire that consumed the entire country during the Pakistan-India match. I was ready to bet everything irrationally on Pakistan. And then it began. All bodily functions and matters of hygiene took a back seat. The bladder had to be controlled to make sure no second of the action was missed. Watching Mohammad Irfan and Sohail Khan steaming in with Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan cowering sent my hopes through the roof – despite Shikhar looking like a body-double for Aamir Khan during the shooting of Mangal Panday. Sohail, despite looking like a younger version of Rana Naveedul Hasan, was steaming in. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="583"]Image may be NSFW.
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Clik here to view. Photo: Shehzad Ghias[/caption] He appealed every decision like an amateur lower court lawyer. Our team was excited, not nervous. We were finally going to get the monkey off our back. We were energetic in the field and the Indian batsmen were playing under pressure. Was going in as the underdogs finally allowing Pakistan to sneak a victory over our bigger neighbours? Sohail surprising Sharma with the bounce sent me bouncing off my seat. I could feel the electricity in the atmosphere all the way from Adelaide. But that was probably the highlight of the match. It was all downhill from there. The moment Shah dropped an incredibly difficult catch of Kohli, the heads of our team dropped. We allowed the batsmen to settle and score freely. As if the innings was trying to be a microcosm of the history of the Pakistan-India World Cup matches narrative, it started full of hope, hope that was ignited by the wicket. Umar Akmal doing his best Kamran Akmal impersonation did not help either. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="338"]Image may be NSFW.
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Clik here to view. Photo: Shehzad Ghias[/caption] As India set up for an explosion at the end, all hope looked lost... but the Pakistan cricket team never lets hope die. From the brink of a total disaster, the Pakistani bowlers clawed India back to a respectable target – a score that honestly seemed like we would be able to chase down. Our team went into the dressing rooms with their heads held high. If only Younus Khan could also get his head out of the way of that ball. The two decisions that cost us that match were to not have a specialist keeper and to open with Younus. However, the Pakistani team does not let you down easy. When you feel like all is lost, they give you hope before finally collapsing. Haris Sohail’s form, Ahmad Shahzad’s innings and Misbah’s presence in the middle all gave the Pakistani cricket fans hope... before inevitably sending it all crashing down. The only man to come out with any dignity was Misbahul Haq. I wonder if he smells bad; why does no other player want to spend time with him in the middle? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: Shehzad Ghias[/caption] And the seven stages of grief that every Pakistani cricket fan goes through began. The first was shock and denial How could we lose three wickets in two overs? What made Sohaib Maqsood play so carelessly outside his off stump on the second delivery he had faced? There is no way that our team could have performed that poorly. The team looked so good against England in the warm-up matches, especially Maqsood. Narendra Modi called Nawaz Sharif before the match. He must have asked him to ask the cricket team to lose. Maybe our checkered history was back to haunt us. We are in Australia; there must have been foul-play involved. That is it, the match was fixed. We agreed to lose the match for diplomacy – just as we did in 2011 and 1996. There is a worldwide conspiracy against us. They did not give Sachin out on review in 2011 and gave Umar out upon review in 2015. They also banned Saeed Ajmal before the World Cup. Zaid Hamid was right, there is a Yahoodi saazish (Jewish conspiracy)! [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
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Clik here to view. Photo: Shehzad Ghias[/caption] Then came pain and guilt It was my fault; I jinxed it by believing that we will win. Nazar laga di team ko. Followed by anger Why couldn’t Ahmad Shahzad just stay at the crease for a little longer? There was no need for that shot. Even at the end with seven wickets gone, the run-rate was achievable if only we had some recognised batsmen on the crease. If we had picked Fawad Alam in the squad, we would not have thrown away his wicket so cheaply. And bargaining Well at least we got the match out of the way. Now we can focus on the rest of the World Cup; we did not need to beat India to go through to the next round. We can still win the World Cup. Then came depression, loneliness and reflection We had Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, Shoaib, Mushtaq Ahmad and Saqlain Mushtaq playing in the same squad. Teams go through peaks and bottoms. At least I can watch videos of all those players to cheer myself up. I have the 1992 World Cup final memorised already... Oh why, oh why did Imran Khan not go to Australia as our coach? We could have promised him the prime minister-ship had we won us this World Cup! Then the upward turn Wait a minute! We lost our initial matches in the 1992 World Cup also. We went into that World Cup as the under dogs as well. Misbah can be our Imran. This is good. We have already hit rock bottom and from now on it will all be upwards. We will peak at the right time during this World Cup and end up winning it. And finally, acceptance and hope 2019 main pohendgay yaar (we’ll light it up in 2019). [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: Shehzad Ghias[/caption]

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The cricket World Cup 2015 is underway. Teams are strategising their wins, contemplating their losses and trying to find a way to be in the quarter-finals. Cricket followers around the globe are following this extravaganza match-by-match and it gets even more intense for them after every match ends. This is a flagship event of the International Cricket Council (ICC) but considering the importance of this tournament, I do not agree with its format. I think in its current state, the qualification of the top eight teams to the next round is a foregone conclusion, well before the tournament event starts. The format of the first four World Cups was identical to this one, but then in 1992, for the first time, the cricket World Cup format witnessed a change. This was then followed by format changes in 1996 and 1999. The format introduced in 1999 was followed in 2003 but the ICC changed it yet again in 2007 to accommodate two additional teams. The format of the current World Cup is a replica of the 2011 and 1996 formats. A major drawback of this is that it makes the qualifications of the top teams in the second round inevitable. The teams are more concerned about their probable opponents rather than their qualification to the next round; home teams try to get to the quarter final match in their home ground. I remember the 1996 World Cup, where after losing the group match against South Africa, Pakistan team management was contemplating to throw away their last pool match in order to get to the home quarter-final. Global tournaments have fixed formats for decades, which remain unchanged irrespective of an addition or deletion of participating teams. I have been following football World Cups for more than two decades now and have never observed any changes in the tournament’s format. Frequent alterations create confusion for followers. The ICC has to come up with a format that keeps spectators deeply engrossed in the tournament from start to finish. The ICC should devise a system which can be followed for all future tournaments. The cricket governing body should also think about reducing the duration of the tournament, as it is difficult to maintain the public’s interest for more than 40 days. I think the ICC World Cup is the longest global tournament as compared to other global events like the FIFA World Cup or the Olympics, which conclude within a month’s time. The current pool matches will continue for one month and many of these matches, especially those featuring associate teams, have minimal crowd interest. This lack of interest in associate teams’ matches can be gauged from the fact that few matches will be played at Saxton Oval, a cricket ground located in New Zealand’s city of Nelson, that has a seating capacity of only 5,000 spectators. From the first to the 12^th World Cup, the number of playing nations has increased, with a few of the new entrants still struggling to compete with the top teams. And in the presence of these weak teams, the participation of four associate members takes the thrust out of the large number of pool matches. The World Cup is a premier cricketing tournament, and I think that only highly qualified nations should take part in it. To encourage associate teams, only two nations should be allowed in the tournament. The participation of four associate members not only lengthens the duration but it also increases the number of one-sided matches. For future games, the ICC should reduce the number of associate teams and also come up with a format in which pool matches have more relevance regarding the teams’ qualification to next round of the tournament. Future World Cups should be restricted to 12 teams, and tournaments should be played on single league basis. After the completion of round matches, top four teams should qualify for the semi-finals. This format will make every match important for the participating teams and will also keep the viewers’ interest alive till the last pool match, along with its commercial interest. This format was followed in the 1992 World Cup where the last semi-final spot was decided after the conclusion of the last league match. In my view, the ICC is hesitant to come up with a format that threatens the first elimination of the Big Three, especially India.

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For the third time, I check my voice recorder to make sure the device is in operational order.   Yes, it is fine. Of course it is fine. I wipe away my sweaty palms on the fabric of my jeans and allow myself a few deep breaths. This will be the biggest interview I’ve ever conducted. I am sitting in a small conference room at the Pakistan cricket team hotel in Brisbane, Australia, waiting for captain Misbahul Haq, coach Waqar Younis, and chief selector Moin Khan. Determined to put my admiration for these three individuals aside, I try to focus. After all, a cricket mad nation is hungry for answers. Just when my eyes dart at my wrist watch again, the door opens. As my eyes take in the three men entering the room, a smile forms on my face face in spite of myself. Waqar enters first, wearing shorts, a cornered tigers t-shirt, and a polite smile. Behind him is a weary looking Misbah dressed in a similarly casual fashion. Moin completes the trio, but unlike the other two, is wearing a sharp looking grey coloured suit. As the three take their seats across from me, I try not to stare at the dark circles under Moin’s concerned eyes. His hand nervously shifts in his pocket and I can hear a curious jingle of what sounds like several small pieces of plastic. After we exchange pleasantries, I explain that I’d like to record the interview for my notes. None of them seem to mind. My first bouncer is directed at the captain,

“Mr Misbahul Haq, Pakistan was beaten by India, and then completely outplayed by the West Indies. Why is the team finding it so difficult to compete?” “Well, you gotta understand that the boys are still adjusting to the conditions here. The ball is bouncing a lot and the extra swing is not easy. We aren’t used to it. We are trying our best and God willing we shall improve. In both games, we were batting second and even South Africa lost badly to India chasing. Not that it is an excuse.” “But you won the toss and elected to field against the West Indies?” “Yeah, just the plan didn’t click. We are working really hard. Hope to turn things around.”

“Mr Khan…”

“Sir, the question on every fan’s mind has to do with the selection of Younus Khan. Clearly, he is not performing, and he has a poor track record in ODI cricket. On what basis was he selected, and why is he still in the playing 11 ahead of Sarfaraz Ahmed?”

“Well, he is a really experienced player and you cannot ignore such experience. And he has scored many centuries recently. He was an automatic selection.” “Yes, he scored heavily in the Test matches and scored a 100 in the UAE, but you must admit that overall, his recent limited overs record is poor. His batting average is barely over 30, and over the last few years he has scored on average just over 20 runs a match. If you take away that UAE century he scored, his record is even worse. Yet he’s an automatic selection?”

“Listen, he’s a really nice guy and he is a very honest and experienced cricketer. Did I mention his mental strength?”

“OK fine. I am leaving anyway. Look, just off-the-record, let me tell you something. Younus Khan… he’s…he’s…well he’s a little unsta-” “Hey guys! What’s happening?”

“I was going out to the petting zoo when I heard my name. Decided I would join (the) interview.”

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“Glad you could join us, Younus!” “My pleasure!”

“Younus Khan, can Pakistan still win the World Cup? Can you help us lift the trophy?” “Yes of, course. I think I will perform really good and inshaa’allah shall win the World Cup for Pakistan. It will be tight game but we will win at Lords!” “Uhh...Lords? But isn’t Lords in England? We are in Australia?” “Yes I am talking about 2019 World Cup. You seriously asking if we have chance in this World Cup?” “Uhh…Okay. But Younus, the World Cup in England is four years away. And you are 37, right?”

“Yes. Who says this is my last World Cup?”

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“Sach batao. Did any of these guys say it was my last World Cup? Was it Moin? Waqar?”

“You know something Mr Interviewer? I am the greatest batsman in this team and one of the best to play for Pakistan.”

“WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?” Younus stands screaming.

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“Nothing! Nothing!” Misbah protests, “I uh… I said Ban Choke. As in we should ban chokeholds. They are too dangerous, especially when Afridi and Shehzad do kabadi.”

“OK sorry I thought you call me Akmal.”

“You don’t bring paan?” Younus inquires.

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“Oh my god! I am so sorry Younus! Are you alright?”

“Yes, don’t worry. My reflexes are not good early in morning. This is why I convince team to bat second against West Indies.”

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“Mr Younis, the team doesn’t seem to be bowling with a game plan. You are one of the greatest bowlers to play for Pakistan…”

“Yes, thank you. I don’t know why no one else realises that not only am I a great batsman, but also a great bowler. I should open the bowling.”

“I don’t know why media people don’t realise there is too much pressure on the boys. South Africa lost by a greater margin to India than we did but did any South African fans burn effigies of their players? Did ex-cricketers come on TV and say terrible things? Are their fans hurling abuse, personal insults, and threats on Twitter to official Twitter accounts of South African players? Did you read some of the nasty things our former wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal had to deal with on Twitter?”

“What is so funny, Younus?”

“I’ll tell you secret. It was really me cursing Kamran Akmal using a fake Twitter account.”

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“But why Younus? Why would you do that to the poor guy?” wonders Waqar.

“Because, he is a black magician. Like Voldermort. But you can say his name.”

“What?” “Let me explain and then you will learn. In Sydney Test, Kamran Akmal dropped more catches from Danish Kaneria’s bowling than I have fingers.” “Okay.” “But who was removed from team? Yes, Danish Kaneria. While later Kaneria never play for Pakistan again but Kamran continue to play.” “Okay.” “In last World Cup, Kamran dropped catch after catch from Akhtar’s bowling in game against New Zealand. Akhtar so angry he had big fight with Kamran. Which was not fair fight. It was like Tarzan versus Frodo. But who was dropped? Kamran or Akhtar? Akhtar did not play for Pakistan again, but Kamran keep playing. And playing. And playing.” “Alright.” “Finally he dropped but he make sure at least one Akmal always in team wicket keeping. They are clones. And they using the dark magic. During selection, many selectors try to put Kamran back in team for World Cup.”

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“Mr Younis… err... Waqar… why is Fawad Alam not in the side? He has an incredible record in the first class circuit and has been one of Pakistan’s leading batsmen over the last year or so.”

“Well, when we had a player of Younus Khan’s caliber in the side, then unfortunately there was no place for Fawad Alam who is no doubt a tremendous talent.”

“It was actually bet. I bet them that they couldn’t drop Fawad Alam and then turn some average player into Fawad Alam. That’s why they select Haris Sohail.” “That doesn’t make any sense.” “Yes it does Mr Interviewer. Think. Fawad Alam left-handed batsman with great record and also bowl a lot in domestic (cricket). Haris Sohail not as good left-handed batsman who hardly bowl in domestic (cricket). Yet they drop proven performer like Fawad Alam, not give him any chance in Abu Dhabi, and replace him with Haris Sohail (and) ask him to start bowling for first time in his life. Why did they do this when they already had Fawad Alam?” “I see.” “Well, either they took my bet seriously or they are incredibly Akmal.”  

“Oh that not ghost. It was only Afridi and Shehzad doing shirtless selfies with camera flash in Haris room. Haris easily scared.”

“Yes, a lot of fun has been poked at Afridi and Shehzad for the shirtless selfies. I don’t know why our nation is so obsessed. We are obsessed with them not wearing shirts. We are obsessed with Roger Federer wearing Indian team's shirts. What’s the problem?”

“Misbah, do you feel victimised?” “I am used to it, though I am trying my best. Shoaib Akhtar calls me selfish but tell me does a selfish man have zero centuries in ODI cricket? If I was selfish, I would come at the top of the order and score many slow centuries for myself.  Akhtar talks a lot but the only good thing he did was when he hit Mohammad Asif with a bat on the bum.” “Misbah, what’s the strategy in the next game?” “Well, against India, we play six batsmen and not succeed. Against West Indies, we play seven batsmen not succeed. So…”

“So, against Zimbabwe, you’ll play an extra bowler and hopefully a specialist wicketkeeper?” “No, are you Akmal’ing me? We play eight batsmen against Zimbabwe. And if we lose to Zimbabwe, then nine batsmen against UAE… if you count Younus as a batsman.”

“Misbah, why do you keep playing more batsmen?”

“Listen, we are a government organisation, yes? What happens in government organisations when they are not performing? They keep adding more and more people but not remove anyone. Just look at PIA.”

“Speaking of PIA, I just realised that I need to get ready for my flight back home and we must end this interview.” “Before we conclude, I have one final question for Misbah. Captain, do you think you and the team can still pull together and win this tournament?”

“Yes, I think before we were having many concerns that were disrupting our cricket. But now that Moin Khan’s casino issue is out in the open, and now that people are aware that our coach’s relative who operates in a completely unrelated occupation, and was working in another geographical location with what might be dodgy educational documents, yes, we are about to finally play to our potential. In the next game, neither Moin Khan’s personal life, nor Waqar’s sibling… whatever his name is… will be on our minds.”

“To everyone wondering why my picture was used for my brother’s story on TV, print and online, well, we look identical. Don’t let the fact that he’s much younger than me confuse you.”

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Mariam, mother of two, is an Afghan refugee in Pakistan. She sought refuge even before the Afghan War started and has been proudly calling herself a Pakistani since then. Pakistan provided her the liberty to do what she wants without any fear or prejudice. Her children take advantage of an education system unavailable in her home country and she herself is a trained lawyer, an opportunity that is a dream for women in Afghanistan. But Mariam recently took offence when a famous departmental store sold shirts that read,

“If you don’t love it, leave,” with a Pakistan flag printed on it.

“An environment where everyone is treated with dignity, courtesy and respect.”

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“Flood this towelhead subhuman vermin with as much racial and religious abuse as we possibly can”.

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What do you do when all hope seems lost and there seems to be no way out? What do you do when all that can go wrong does go wrong? What do you do when those who support you turn on you? What do you do when you are backed in to a corner? Just what is it that you do? These are some of the questions that the Pakistani cricket team in Australia and New Zealand were confronted with almost a week ago. After two harrowing defeats against India and the West Indies, Pakistan finally seems to be gathering some much needed steam while heading into the business end of the tournament, with two successive victories, albeit against weaker teams like Zimbabwe and the UAE. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] But despite the turnaround, it has not been smooth sailing for the team in terms of  winning back their supporters, many of whom it had lost in the wake of the opening losses and questionable team selection. From being labelled as the worst team to represent Pakistan at a World Cup to predictions regarding a first round exit, there seemed to be no show of support for the men in green almost a week ago. The image of the team was further tarnished by remarks from Shoaib Akhtar, describing the team and Misbahul Haq as a source of embarrassment for himself across the border, and remarks from the king of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Najam Sethi, cautioning against high expectations from a team which was devoid of its first-choice players, both due to injuries and suspensions. With so much negativity surrounding the team, it had become highly impossible to expect them to perform to their true potential. Pakistan now, though like always, seems to be just a step away from finding its rhythm. A few changes in the line-up here and there and a big match against South Africa may help them finally step up their game. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: Reuters[/caption] But regardless of what shall happen, I want our team to know that, no matter what anyone says, there is still a plethora of fans out there who choose to remain optimistic and take solace in the current advertisement campaigns which draw a parallel to the events of the 1992 World Cup. We are praying that they may eventually turn a corner. I have a message for our players and the management team: You are not alone, we are with you and we stand by you during this hour of need. Our support, our love, and our passion for our cricket team are unconditional and we will stand by you no matter what happens. Do not get bogged down by criticism. We are a nation of fighters. Despite all the adversity we face, we manage to find a way to shine. Had we been the sort who gave up and succumbed to the pressure, terrorists would have gotten the better of us and our enemies would have succeeded. But that has not happened and shall never happen. Yes, we have a few shortcomings and may not be as exceptional as the teams of the past, or as other competing nations are in the tournament, yet each player is extraordinary in his own right. Even though our team has not played a match in our home ground for the past six years, we have managed to bag victories all over the world. Our team is led by two players, who are the absolute best at what they do and manage to complement one another. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] Misbah, our team captain, is a true champion who never gives up. His defiance in the face of adversity is legendary. The manner in which he has led us with stability over the past few years is admirable. He has never been the sort to shy away from a crisis, which makes him a remarkable player. How we are going to miss him when he is no longer around.Image may be NSFW.
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Clik here to view. Photo: Reuters[/caption] His antithesis, Shahid Afridi, is the heartbeat of our generation. He has enthralled us over the years with his superb batting and spectacular bowling. He is the last remaining link who connects us to the past glory days of the 90’s. Despite his many batting failures, his last over against UAE is a source of optimism and motivation for Pakistani fans, and himself too. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] Our team does not need to look beyond these two for inspiration.  These men need to come together and lead us to victory. All is not lost. We have full faith in our team. Remember, it is the darkest before dawn and when cornered, a tiger’s only way forward is to attack. So step forward Team Pakistan and let’s do this, as #WeStillBelieve. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="594"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption]

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This was the moment the World Cup came alive. Until now, Pakistan and its fans had sleepwalked through the World Cup. The team had, until now, been doing a fairly good job of alienating its fan base. The mood back home was as sour as one can remember in recent times, after facing humiliating losses to India and West Indies followed by a narrow win over Zimbabwe. But this team has a habit of roping you back in just when you think you are done. Pakistan entered the match having never beaten South Africa in their previous World Cup meetings, and having won only four of their last 14 matches with the team and its balance in disarray. South Africa, on the other hand, was coming into this match full of confidence on the back of consecutive 400 plus scores in their last two matches. They were simply supposed to brush Pakistan aside with the combination of Steyn-Morkel – too much for Pakistan’s brittle batting line-up – and their batting, which was too explosive for an inexperienced Pakistani bowling attack. Yet, what unfolded was an absolute cracker of a game; the sort of game you could argue this World Cup needed with all preceding matches between the top eight teams so far being one-sided. After a circumspect start with both teams weighing each other, the game exploded into life behind Sarfaraz Ahmed’s batting and exquisite fielding by the South Africans. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. South African batsman David Miller (R) plays a shot with Pakistan wicket keeper Sarfaraz Ahmed (L) during the Pool B 2015 Cricket World Cup match between South Africa and Pakistan at Eden Park on March 7, 2015. Photo: AFP[/caption] From there on, it was akin to a heavyweight match up with both teams wrestling momentum from one another, exchanging blow after blow before Pakistan finally put the final nail in the proverbial coffin of the South Africans with Sohail Khan putting an end to AB De Villiers’s outstanding innings. A win to make every Pakistani believe in the repeat of the ‘92 miracle, it came not without its talking points. In the build-up to the match, Pakistan coach Waqar Younis caused quite a stir when he revealed the management was considering Sarfaraz Ahmad, Pakistan’s hero the pervious winter, purely as a wicketkeeper rather than an opening batsman as well. In fact, Waqar went as far as to say that Sarfaraz’s technique was ill-suited to Australian conditions. These comments caused even more outrage as they came in the wake of Nasir Jamshed’s wretched form – one run in three innings – and Umar Akmal’s costly mistakes behind the stumps. It seemed the whole of Pakistan from the street vendors to former players were crying out for the same thing and they finally got what they wished for as Sarfaraz opened the innings. His inclusion provided a breath of fresh air to the team and it was his attacking approach, signalled by the three sixes in one over to JP Duminy, which provided the team the much needed impetus it had previously lacked. Although, his innings was to end tragically as he pushed for an unwarranted second run in order to reach his 50 and was caught yards outside. One can imagine, 20 years from now, Sarfaraz kicking himself thinking about his innings rather than watching the highlights of a Master-class show. If there were still doubts lingering about his inclusion, his performance behind the stumps put those doubts to rest with six catches in total, including an absolute stunner low dive to his right to get rid of the backbone of the South African line-up, Hashim Amla. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. South African batsman Hashim Amla (R) watches his hit with Pakistan wicket keeper Sarfaraz Ahmed (L) during the Pool B 2015 Cricket World Cup match between South Africa and Pakistan at Eden Park on March 7, 2015. Photo: AFP[/caption] Pakistan fans could be forgiven for wondering whether they should lambast the team management for their stubbornness in abstaining from playing Sarfaraz or praising them for his eventual inclusion. This was indeed a man of the match performance that no doubt leaves some egg shells on the face of Waqar and the rest of us with endless repetition of a quote from PK. Unfortunately, Misbahul Haq’s innings yet again warranted debate. It seems the captain cannot help but polarise opinion. Having received plenty of criticism for his innings against Zimbabwe, Misbah walked in to bat this time, however, at 56 for two in the 17^th over with a firm momentum. Yet his slow start of 19 from 38 balls, including a blocked maiden over of Imran Tahir, duly gave the momentum back to South Africa. An argument can also be made that it led to the dismissal of Younus Khan who will surely feel he missed out on a certain century after a solid start. If Pakistan is to compete with the heavyweight line-ups of Australia and New Zealand, then Misbah will have to up the ante where 300 seem to be par. Yet, it is telling that amongst the three Pakistani batsmen to get good starts, Misbah’s innings was the worst of the lot, considering it was him who carried on to his standard 50. The others would do well to learn from the captain. While Misbah receives criticism for scoring slowly, it is perplexing that both Umar Akmal and Sohaib Maqsood escape such treatment for scoring altogether. Sohaib’s struggles continue outside off stump as he has failed to come to terms with the bounce and pace of the wickets down under and the batsman will need to improve to shake off a growing reputation of a faulty technique and temperament. While Sohaib’s struggles might be relatively new, Umar Akmal’s need no mention. It is fair to say that Umar pulled an “Umar-Akmal”. An interesting statistic would be to see how many times the batsman has got out in the batting Powerplay and he once again managed to throw away his wicket at a crucial moment with a mind boggling shot. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Umar Akmal (L) and Sohaib Maqsood[/caption] Indeed the inclusion of both Sohaib and Umar in the middle order merits a discussion as perhaps it leaves the middle order brittle and susceptible to a collapse – as was the case today where it hampered Pakistan’s chances of posting a daunting total. In fact, it can be argued that both are similar types of attacking batsman who accelerate the innings but neither can be trusted to build an innings for now. It is an issue which can be resolved with Haris Sohail’s return for Sohaib Maqsood, a move which should provide the team with more stability. The fielding of the South Africans also merits a mention. The Pakistan team would do well to learn from the high intensity display of the South Africans where the gaps were plugged, singles increasingly hard to come by and led directly to the dismissal of Ahmad Shehzad through a wonderful catch by Dale Steyn and then Sarfraz Ahmad courtesy of a bullet throw by David Miller. Defending 232 in 47 overs on a batting wicket with short boundaries; not many would have fancied Pakistan but their bowling display was one that took you back to the glory days of the 90s when Wasim and Waqar would be in full flow. While our bowling has maintained its position as the backbone of our team, it has transformed from a fast bowling attack to a spinning one with the success of Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez and Shahid Afridi. However, with two of them not around, and the third out of form, it was the fast bowlers who stepped up yet again. While our spinners brought us countless joy, there are not many things which make Pakistanis feel as fuzzy inside as when witnessing a fast bowler in full flow. Particular praise should be reserved for Rahat Ali. Many questioned his inclusion in the squad after he was not included in the original 30, yet called up as a replacement for the injured Junaid Khan. In fact, Pakistan, as it has so often been in the past, seems to have uncovered a new gem in One Day cricket with Rahat building on his test performances from earlier. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Rahat Ali celebrates his wicket of David Miller after dismissing him by LBW. Photo: Reuters[/caption] He has provided crucial breakthroughs such as that of Hashim Amla today and made himself an indispensable asset to the team. And that delivery to David Miller, which shall be etched into our memories for a long time to come, was one even the great Wasim Akram would have been proud of. While we are in a generous mood, a special mention should be made of Chairman Shahryar Khan who vetoed the decision of the team management to request the tried and tested Sohail Tanvir that allowed Rahat Ali to be called up. It seems it was another decision the team management got wrong. Speaking of Sohail Tanvir, it was reported that it was touch and go between him and Wahab Riaz when the squad was being named. It is a debate that Riaz is making a mockery out of it with each passing spell. Blessed with sheer pace, Riaz in this World Cup is doing a fine job growing into the leader of the bowling attack and evolving into the bowler we all envisaged he would become after that lung-bursting spell in Mohali which left us all in a daze. It would be easier to praise the bowling unit altogether but such were their performances that they merited individual mentions. Going into the World Cup, we were all aware he could be a priceless asset with his height on the bouncy tracks in Australia, but he is doing a remarkable job for Pakistan – not only in taking wickets but also his economy rate. He set the tone for the innings with the wicket of De Kock with an absolute peach of a delivery and then came back to provide the vital wicket of Duminy. Mohammad Irfan shares a heavy burden of the attack and his importance to the team means every time he pulls up lame our hearts collectively skip a beat. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Pakistan fast bowler Muhammad Irfan (L) takes the wicket of South African Dale Steyn (R) as Sarfaraz Ahmed takes the catch behind the wicket. Photo AFP[/caption] While on the subject, Misbahul Haq has been much maligned for his defensive captaincy in ODIs, yet today he was fantastic from the start. He set attacking fields with catchers in place, often two slips and a gully and an underrated part of the game was when the close-in fielders prevented Miller and De Villiers from releasing the pressure with cheap singles. This strategy built up pressure and eventually resulted in the wicket of Miller. Moreover, he brought back Irfan to land the killer blow and he duly delivered with the wicket of Duminy. Misbah truly possessed the Midas touch tonight. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. South African captain AB De Villiers (C) watches the ball head to the boundary with Pakistan captain Misbah Ul Haq (L) and batsman Younus Khan (R) running between the wickets during the Pool B 2015 Cricket World Cup match between South Africa and Pakistan at Eden Park on March 7, 2015. Photo: AFP[/caption] However, not all aspects of our bowling fired. The form of Afridi is becoming a source of concern for the Pakistan team. Batting at number seven, the team is reliant on Afridi as a specialist bowler and expects him to get through his 10 overs. Yet, not only is his bowling no longer threatening to take a wicket, his economy rate also took a hit as the South African and Zimbabwean batsmen both feasted on him. While it may still be too early to drop him, given Pakistan’s lack of an all-rounder as a replacement, the alarm bells are surely ringing. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Boom Boom Shahid Afridi smashes the ball out of the boundary finally making his bat work. Photo: Reuters[/caption] Finally it would be remiss to conclude the match without talking about the brilliance of AB De Villiers. He has truly established himself as the best batsman in the World across all formats. His innings possessed a touch of genius as he flicked Riaz for consecutive sixes off his hips and swept Afridi for the maximum. Solely responsible for raising the collective blood pressure of the Pakistani public, he did not belong on the losing team. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. South African captain AB De Villiers walks back to the pavilion making victory certain for Pakistan. Photo: AFP[/caption] So after a nail-biting victory, Pakistan’s stuttering World Cup campaign has finally come to life. It was not a must-win game but it was as close as possible to being one. Beating a team like South Africa will have brought a much needed confidence boost as Pakistan can now look forward to not only qualifying for the quarter-finals, but finishing as high as possible in the group to get a favourable matchup. There are still issues to resolve for the team but that is for another day. Today it’s all about falling back in love with the team again.

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In every field, humans invest in certain objects to get a desired output from them. In cricket too, teams invest in talented players before important tournaments, give them a maximum number of matches to play and work on their weak points so that they can help the team bag victories. A year before the cricket World cup 2015, almost all teams, including Pakistan, invested in certain players. Australia gave a chance to Glenn Maxwell, developed his skills and turned him into a brilliant match finisher. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="387"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] Shikhar Dhawan played for India in Australia, which got him used to the pitch conditions. Even though he was not able to perform, the Indian management decided to stick with him because they knew a domestic opener from India would take another few matches to adapt to the conditions, which would inevitably hurt their progress. Therefore, they gave Dhawan a chance and he has proven to be a good choice since he is amongst the top scorers of the tournament. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Now, let's take a look at the attitude of the Pakistani team management. We played three big series before the World Cup, including two in UAE, plus the one in New Zealand. The most consistent player, other than our captain Misbahul Haq, was Sarfaraz Ahmed, whose form and positive aggression instilled belief in Pakistani fans; a belief that we have a firing batsman and a keeper who can take wickets on fast Australian pitches. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="380"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] In New Zealand, our batting line-up, which included Sarfaraz, failed. But that does not mean that he cannot play on pitches on that side of the world. That's the time when our management team, consisting of Moin Khan and Waqar Younis, started playing the giddy goat, which continued when Waqar walked out of the press conference in an unprofessional manner. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="594"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] Do you recall the time when Moin suggested Sarfaraz as the third opener in the absence of Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shahzad? Speaking to the press after Pakistan's match against UAE, our head coach said that this was more than enough to astonish fans and experts all over the world. Our coach's statement made it seem as if he was throwing down the gauntlet as compared to Moin's statement, who proposed Sarfaraz as the third opener. According to Waqar, since we did not have a third opener, we took in Nasir Jamshed. The statement reflected upon the confused mindset of our team management. How can Waqar, Moin and Misbah justify dropping their most promising player? Pakistan played three important matches with an opener who cannot be called a good cricketer in his present condition, simply due to his batting and fielding mishaps. This decision put pressure on the Pakistani team from the start. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="556"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] Secondly, our wicket keeper, Umar Akmal, dropped easy catches that not only increased the work load of our bowlers but also drained their energy. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="594"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] They did not try to accommodate Sarfaraz in the team. That’s okay. They tried Umer. That is alright as well. But allowing him to play against South Africa must have made them recognise his bravery and positive aggression against lethal fast bowlers. So why are they not admitting their mistake? Waqar's attitude and behaviour has raised red flags in the dressing room. He has always remained a narcissistic hero and will continue to be so. We as a nation rarely recognise and admit mistakes, and Waqar proved to be a part of this setup. The way Waqar scorned at the reporter who asked him about Sarfaraz, failed to depict that he is a respective player in a gentleman's game. However, Pakistan looked completely confident in their batting against South Africa, as well as their bowling. The bowlers bowled with more confidence, belief and energy knowing that there is a lesser chance of dropped catches behind the wicket. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Rahat Ali celebrates after removing the dangerous David Miller. Photo: AFP[/caption] Our management should stick with the regular keeper and leave all other matters till the end of the World Cup, when new plans will be needed, especially since Misbah and Shahid Afridi will be retiring from the gentlemen's game.

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Yesterday’s win against Ireland allowed Pakistan to wiggle their way into the quarter-finals. The match not only secured us a place in the top four but also allowed Sarfraz Ahmed to score his first ODI century. This century was not only important for him, but for Pakistan as well since it broke the dry spell our batsmen were suffering from since the 2007 World Cup.  [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="558"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Pakistan's Wahab Riaz (2nd L) celebrates with team mates after dismissing Ireland's Ed Joyce (2nd R) for eleven runs during their Cricket World Cup match at the Adelaide Oval March 15, 2015.
Photo: Reuters[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="580"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. THANKSGIVING PRAYER: Sarfraz Ahmed celebrates his century against Ireland at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
Photo: AFP[/caption] Since the World Cup has begun, comparisons are being made with the 1992 edition, not just by Pakistanis but cricket fans all around the world as well.It was initially said that cricketers will be donning colour kits resembling the 1992 World Cup kit, which was proven wrong later onwards. Replica jerseys of the 1992 World Cup were sold though and were really appreciated among the fans. Keeping some obvious connections aside due to the same venue, Australia and New Zealand, people are creating similarities between the two editions to fuel their hopes of Pakistan’s world cup victory. I am not against thinking big, not at all – ‘The Magic of Thinking Big’ by David J Schwartz is one of my all-time favourites – but there are at least four reasons why I consider that Pakistan’s1992 World Cup campaign is not the same as the current on-going World Cup campaign. 1. Misbahul Haq is good, but he is not Imran Khan (the cricketer, not the politician) Misbah is good, Misbah is fantastic, but he is not Imran Khan. Misbah may add more value to the team as Imran did, but he does not seem to have the same authority over his herd as latter did. There were instances where Misbah had a verbal spat with players on the field, including the famous one with Shahid Afridi. Even if you cannot hear the conversation, the manner in which Afridi was talking to Misbah says a lot. Had it happened between Imran and another player before the 1992 World Cup, you might not have seen that particular player playing in the team as long as Imran would be captaining the team. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Former captain Shahid Afridi's retirement has prompted the PCB to groom a young captain especially since Misbah is not a long-term option. Photo: AFP[/caption] 2. Getting to the semi-finals in this World Cup is not a big deal as compared to the World Cup in 1992. The biggest difference between the two editions is probably the format. In 1992, you had to play good cricket against strong teams to get into the top four. Every team had a chance to play against all participating teams of the tournament. There were no pools as the tournament was scheduled with the Round Robin league concept, where all teams do face each other in the tournament and the top four make it to semi-finals. This time it is completely different. You just need to play above average cricket to qualify for the quarter-finals and then it is a matter of one or two good days and you find yourself in the finals. There is every possibility that you win the World Cup without even facing a team that you feared most. I am quite sure that even with current surge of better performances, Pakistan would have found it really tough to get into the top four with teams like Australia, South Africa, India, Sri Lanka and New Zealand. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. World Cup 2015 India v/s South Africa Factbox.
Photo: AFP[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="599"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Live Cricket Score Updates New Zealand vs South Africa, ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Warm-up Match 8: NZ beat SA by 134 runs
Photo: AFP[/caption] 3. Lala of World Cup 2015 is not Inzi of World Cup 1992 Inzamamul Haq’s performances and knockouts in the last league matches played a critical role in achieving victory. Those cameos of 30-40 runs really turned the tables in favour of Pakistan on more than one occasion. They were not big hundreds but there was a level of consistency the batting middle order had which instilled confidence in the lower order big hitters. This is not the case right now; we have Lala and he has all the ability to provide a late onslaught, but the last thing that comes to mind when you think about Lala’s batting is consistency. More often than not, he fails miserably and if he comes to bat on the same number where Inzi batted, he is most likely to fail, yet again. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="278"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Inzamam-ul-Haq plays a shot
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Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] 4. Media coverage of World Cup 2015 is way more lethal than World Cup 1992 This is one more crucial difference between the two World Cups. In the earlier edition of the World Cup, the media, social and electronic, was not that advanced and players had limited access to what is going on outside. This time around, there is a huge difference. With the help of social media, everybody who has a little bit of knowledge about the game becomes a commentator and those who do not have any knowledge at all, are critics. There is a selection committee of 140 million people deciding which 10 players should play along with Afridi. Moreover, there are joker-cum-commentators, led by Shoaib Akhtar, who can go to any low to increase their popularity rates. Sadly, players in the tournament, not only know about this but they can even have a look at how former players are mocking their age, walking posture, etc. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="499"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Former international cricketer Shoaib Akhtar. Photo: AFP[/caption] Believe me, World Cup 2015 does not have to be the same as World Cup 1992 for Pakistan to win. We have the players, we have the talent and we have the support our team needs. I do not see why history will not repeat itself.

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The tall and towering Muhammad Irfan is out of the World Cup, due to a stress fracture in the pelvis. But there is no time for remorse. The Pakistan team is in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, after they changed their fortunes and came back from a very dismal start to end the group matches on a high note with an easy win against Ireland. But now there, is no room for error and no time to cry over spilt milk. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Muhammad Irfan. Photo: AFP[/caption] Muhammad Irfan was supposed to be the spearhead of our bowling attack against Australia but so were Saeed Ajmal, Muhammad Hafeez and Umar Gul when Pakistan came into the World Cup. Despite losing their frontline spinners, Pakistan made a statement against South Africa by restricting them from chasing the target. The message sent to the world was: we are back to our strength – fast bowling. For the past few years, Pakistan had been relying too much on Ajmal, Hafeez and Shahid Afridi to rescue the cause for them and fast bowlers like Junaid Khan, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir and Irfan were there as supplements. Pakistan, in this World Cup, when pushed back due to the unavailability of Ajmal and Hafeez, was able to revive an attack comprising of fast bowlers which the men in green were always known for. Rahat Ali, who was called in for the injured Junaid Khan, has been a perfect addition to the pace attack that Pakistan is famous to garner. The quality of his bowling was being measured over his appearances in the ODIs for Pakistan but the left-arm pacer has proven his worth with exceptional bowling performance in the four matches he has played, bagging seven wickets in total. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="506"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Rahat Ali. Photo: AFP[/caption] Wahab Riaz, another left-arm pacer, has hit his prime form at the right moment for Pakistan and the trigger was the fifty he scored against Zimbabwe when Pakistan seemed to fall for less than 200 runs. He has 14 wickets to his name in the tournament so far, just two behind the highest wicket-taker Aussie Mitchell Starc. Both bowlers will be looking to add a few more scalps in their quota in the March 20 quarter-final. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="533"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Wahab Riaz. Photo: AFP[/caption] Meanwhile, Sohail Khan has not disappointed with his right-arm yorkers simultaneously swinging the ball both ways. A five-for in his very first World Cup match against India made his presence felt on the field. He has found the block hole quite a lot and will be ready to grab a few important wickets against Australia too. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Sohail Khan. Photo: AFP[/caption] However, the problem caused by Irfan’s injury is the selection of the fourth bowler. Ehsan Adil was given a chance against Ireland and he was able to give Pakistan the first breakthrough but as far as the Adelaide pitch is concerned, it is supposed to be batsmen’s heaven. Ehsan would be a good choice for the opening overs but if the Australians see-off the new ball, he will be their main target due to the lack of pace in his deliveries. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="640"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Ehsan Adil. Photo: AFP[/caption] Conversely, Yasir Shah is being tipped for the clash against the Kangaroos. If he manages to make his way into the side, he can cause problems for the Aussie batsmen as he did in the Test series in UAE when Pakistan whitewashed Australia 2-0. He was given an opportunity against Indians, who play spin better than many, to prove his mettle but he was not able to account for any batsman. Said to be a surprise package in the World Cup, Yasir’s services would be required against Australia if Pakistan is to bamboozle Aussie plans on the Adelaide pitch, which is nearly as good for spinners as the ones in UAE. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Yasir Shah. Photo: AFP[/caption] On a concluding note, Pakistani batsmen have put up a very mediocre show in the 2015 World Cup and only a few have been able to inspire the team. Sarfraz Ahmed is one such example. His heroics against South Africa and Ireland are not alien to anyone. But if there is any possibility that Pakistan will beat Australia, it will be because of their bowling strength. Muhammad Irfan is out but we have Rahat, Wahab and Sohail hitting the deck with pace and bounce. Misbahul Haq has a full-strength bowling attack despite Irfan’s injury. Remember, we came in the event to play with only three bowlers. Pakistan captain needs to up the ante this time with Irfan out. Ehsan or Yasir? Misbah has to lay down a plan and then choose wisely who will be more effective against the mighty Aussies.

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Being happy in one’s skin is not an easy task. Being happy in one’s clothing is an almost impossible adventure. I have been told that the greatest form of happiness is to be one’s true and natural self. This is not a universal truth that I am preaching but merely a life lesson and something to live by. My good friend, Pramit, a leading journalist, and I were once working on a project together. It so happened that we were both invited for a breakfast meeting at the White House, a key location in our little town of intrigues and conspiracies. Needless to say, our meeting invite included the dress code details, not surprisingly, a suit and tie. Pramit and I lived in the same apartment building so we decided to meet in the lobby prior to taking the bus that would take us to the ‘presidential palace’. Bright and early, suited up, I waited. Shortly, I saw a man walking from a distance toward me, attired in a red polo shirt with a bleach stain near the collar, some casual business pants that I saw Pramit wear forever and a pair of shoes that had long lived their life and should have been let go off perhaps a century ago. In an as subtle a manner possible, I asked Pramit if he remembered where we were headed that morning. Being smart and sharp as a sword, Pramit caught the drift and retorted by saying,

“I only wear stuff that I feel comfortable in. Anything less than that is false vanity, a made up condition to appease others, a strategy that only the wild and the reckless would adhere to.”

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“I’m a fashion threat, not a terror threat.”

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Pakistan’s World Cup campaign came to an end yesterday, and while many expected the Aussies to emerge victorious, very few had expected Wahab Riaz to put up a fight the way he did. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] Pakistan’s batting and fielding proved to be the biggest shortcoming yesterday, yet again, and defending a measly total of 213 proved too much for the bowlers this time. While Australia managed to dominate most of the match, there was a short spell of 12 overs or so when this was not the case. In a single spell of six overs, Wahab showcased an epic display of fast-bowling which had the likes of Shane Watson begging for mercy and nearly everyone in the world was left singing his praises. Wahab was aggressive and up in Watson’s face with every ball he bowled. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2k2sbu[/embed] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] At times, it felt that he was the only player on the pitch who wanted to win and you could see it on his face and through his attitude. Bowling with fire and passion, he threw everything he had, with the exception of a kitchen sink, at Watson. If Rahat Ali would have not dropped the catch at short fine leg, the story could have been very different. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Rahat Ali drops a catch. Photo: AFP[/caption] But what’s done is done; it is time for us to march forward instead of dwelling on the past. Currently, the most imperative thing is deciding who will be Pakistan’s next ODI captain with both Misbahul Haq and Shahid Afridi gone. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="598"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] Candidates for the captaincy are only a handful. Till last year, Ahmed Shehzad was a viable candidate but his disciplinary issues and inconsistent form have put him out of the running; Mohammad Hafeez along with Younus Khan are the most experienced ODI players. However, Hafeez proved highly ineffective as a captain when he captained the team in the 2014 T20 World Cup and the result was him quitting as captain. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="596"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="594"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="596"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] Fawad Alam, in my opinion, looks like someone who has the capabilities to become a captain one day, but first he needs the support of the selectors and a place on the team. Therefore, Wahab seems like the best option, and with his current form, I feel Pakistan should choose him. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="597"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] The thing about Wahab is that he has always been a good, if not great, bowler. His performance against India in the 2011 World Cup semi-final, where he picked up five wickets for 46 runs, showed us what he was capable of. However, recently, he has been an absolute revelation with the ball. His control over pace and bounce is astounding and he can vary his pace quite well. He has the required swing and the ability to bowl some of the best yorkers in the world. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="594"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Wahab Riaz is ecstatic after knocking over MS Dhoni. Photo: AFP[/caption] One thing that has threatened his progress is his inconsistency due to his injuries. Also, his performance lacks experience, because even though he made his ODI debut way back in 2008, he has only played 54 ODI matches so far. Many will say his economy rate is also a concern but I feel it is something you have to accept if you are an attacking bowler like Wahab. In yesterday’s single venomous spell, I think Wahab firmly established himself as one of the best fast-bowlers in the world; he was already experiencing a creeping rise but yesterday was the cherry on top. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="597"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] Another thing that particularly impressed me about Wahab was the extreme aggression he showed, which was justified since he could back it up with his performance. It is something you expect from fast-bowlers and something Australians are not afraid to express. If he can bring the same aggression to his captaincy, it could lead Pakistan in a new and different direction and would be a change from Misbah’s calm and cool-headed approach. The fact of the matter is that Pakistan has to take a chance on their younger players sooner or later, because it will not be long before the likes of Misbah and Younus will be retiring from the longer format as well. Grooming the younger players should be critical right now. Luckily, at the age of 29, Wahab is neither too young nor too old and has just about enough experience to captain the team. Yes, it will be a risky move as fast-bowlers tend to get injured more easily as compared to batsmen but there have been great captains who were fast-bowlers – Imran Khan, Kapil Dev and Wasim Akram are just a few names. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="594"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Photo: AFP[/caption] So please choose Wahab, as he seems to be one of the few players who can prove to be adequate captains. His captaincy could be what Pakistani cricket is lacking and in dire need of. I vote Wahab Riaz for captain.

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It couldn’t have been any other team than Australia who could knock the unbeaten defending champions out of the 2015 World Cup. And when the time came in the semi-final at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the Kangaroos made sure they did so. Before presenting the review of Australia’s magnificent World Cup campaign, I would like to clear that this defeat does not mean that India were not challenged in the tournament and came till the second last stage without any serious threat. But they were only pushed to the limit once against Zimbabwe while chasing a 288-run target. In the end, MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina made sure they didn’t topple as they chased down the target in 48.4 overs. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Australian batsman David Warner (C) walks off the pitch after he was caught out by India's Virat Kohli off the bowling of Umesh Yadav (L) during their Cricket World Cup semi-final match in Sydney, March 26, 2015. Photo: Reuters[/caption] Meanwhile, the reason for Australia’s victory today was quite evident. They were psychologically riding over the Indians throughout the match. No one can forget the torment India had to face since their tour of Australia started back in November 2014. Australia beat them in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-0. If that was not enough to push their moral down to below-normal level, India lost every match of the tri-series against Australia and England in January 2015. And the knockout punch was delivered by Australia when India faced the World Cup co-hosts in their first warm-up match and lost by 106 runs at Adelaide on February 8. No one was expecting the Indians to reach the semis after such a murky run Down Under, but they did. And no one was expecting the Kangaroos to lose easily at their home and they surely did not. They were riding on the back of the tri-series victory against England in the final and beat their opponent by big margins in the warm-ups — India by 106 runs and the UAE by 188 runs at Melbourne. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="384"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Michael Clarke hits through midwicket enroute his half-century, Australia v UAE, World Cup warm-up, Melbourne, February 11, 2015. Photo: AFP[/caption] They were put up against England in their first group fixture of the World Cup and beat England by 111 runs as Aaron Finch scored 135 runs off 128 balls and later Mitchell Marsh bagged a five-for to contribute to his team’s victory. The match against Bangladesh was a washout but with the ominous form the Aussies were in, they would have run over the Bengali Tigers with ease. The Kangaroos were up for the Kiwi challenge in the next encounter. Both teams showed that they are in an unbeatable form until Kane Williamson showed that he was the difference between both the sides. He hit a six off the last over to help his team end the unbeaten run of the Australians. Mitchell Starc was the man of the moment for the Aussies as he bagged six wickets with two at the pinnacle moment when New Zealand needed just four runs to win with three wickets remaining. They lost but they were not out of the event. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Kumar Sangakkara became the first player to score three consecutive World Cup tons, Australia v Sri Lanka, World Cup 2015, Group A, Sydney, March 8, 2015. Photo: AFP[/caption] A 275-run victory against Afghanistan followed and after that the Sri Lankans were the target. Australia scored 376-9 courtesy Glenn Maxwell’s 102 but Kumar Sangakkara replied with a 104 in an attempt to lead his team across the line. However, the Islanders were not successful in their run chase due to the some good death bowling by the Aussies. The next encounter against Scotland was a walk in the park for the mighty Aussies as they won by seven wickets chasing a meagre 131-run target. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Mitchell Starc appeals against Matt Machan, Australia v Scotland, World Cup 2015, Group A, Hobart, March 14, 2015. Photo: AFP[/caption] They were second in their pool A and were scheduled to play against the mercurial Pakistan side. Shane Watson clarified Aussies’ position against the men in green in very interesting words,

“They will either blow us or self-destruct; there is no midway for them.”

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