“Third teenager has been caught trying to flee Australia to join Islamic State” – Daily Mail, UK

“Fifteen-year-old left home after 18 months of sadness following death of mother from cancer and father getting remarried” – The Guardian, UK

“Mother of two abandons husband to join Islamic State” – The Express Tribune, Pakistan

As the 11^th edition of the World Cup comes to an end, I decided to compile a list of the 10 best moments from this year’s tournament. Here they are: Ireland takes out the Windies: [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"] Photo: AFP[/caption] From the very start of the tournament, Ireland were out to make a statement after the ICC minimised the coming World Cup to 10 teams, and in their first game against the West Indies, they did just that. Chasing 304 at Nelson, Ireland won with ease with four wickets in hand and 25 balls to spare, staying true to their tag of ‘giant killers’ and proving that they needed to be taken more seriously. Tim Southeee decimates England: [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="594"] Tim Southee. Photo: AFP[/caption] Southee completely decimated the England batting line-up during New Zealand’s clash against England at Wellington. His figures of seven wickets for 33 runs were the best so far by a New Zealander in ODIs, and the third best by any bowler in a World Cup match. Unfortunately, England was cleaned up for 121. And if that was not enough, Captain Brendon McCullum came out and hit the fastest World Cup 50 to take New Zealand home with eight wickets in hand and 226 balls to spare. Kumar Sangakkara cannot stop scoring centuries: [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="591"] Kumar Sangakkara. Photo: AFP[/caption] Sangakkara reminded us why he is the legend that he is, as he became the first player to score four consecutive ODI centuries, as well as the first player to score four centuries in a World Cup. His centuries were made against Bangladesh, England, Australia and Scotland at Melbourne, Wellington, Sydney and Hobart respectively. Pakistani bowlers overpower South Africa: [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"] Photo: cricinfo[/caption] After painfully humiliating defeats against India and West Indies and a narrow win against Zimbabwe, Pakistan finally bounced back in a stunning fashion against South Africa. Defending just 231 at Auckland, the Pakistani seamers ripped through the mercurial South African batting line-up, bowling them out for 202 and setting up a 29 run victory. Bangladesh sends England packing: [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="596"] Photo: AFP[/caption] Bangladesh put forth a magnificent performance to send a struggling England side out of the World Cup. After a superb 100 from Mahmudullah Riyad which pushed the set-up to a total of 275, the Bangladeshi bowlers came out and bowled England out for 260, winning by 15 runs and advancing into the knockouts. Double tons galore: [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="456"] Chris Gayle. Photo: AFP[/caption] Chris Gayle destroyed a hapless Zimbabwean bowling attack at Canberra after scoring the first World Cup double century, as well as the fifth in ODI, as West Indies posted a mammoth 372 for four. His partnership with Marlon Samuels also broke the record for the highest partnership in ODIs for any wicket. Gayle’s record, however, did not even last a month, as New Zealander Martin Guptill scored an unbeaten 237 against the West Indies in the fourth quarter-final, setting up a huge New Zealand victory and winning themselves a place in the semis. South Africa did not exactly choke this time: [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500"] Photo: AFP[/caption] South Africa finally overcame their knockout hoax by thrashing Sri Lanka by nine wickets in the first quarter-final at Sydney. Their spinners Imran Tahir and JP Duminy took seven wickets between themselves. Duminy took a hat-trick, as Sri Lanka fell for a meagre 133. Sadly for Sangakara and Mahela Jayawardena, their last ODI match proved to be a highly forgettable one. But in the semi-finals they fought well against New Zealand and did not exactly choke out of the tournament as they were normally predicted to do. Wahab’s super spell: [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"] Photo: AFP[/caption] Pakistan’s batting failed to come through yet again in their quarter-final match against Australia at Adelaide as they were bowled out for 213. Wahab Riaz, however, was in no mood to go down without a fight. Bowling with brilliant pace and bounce, he produced one of the greatest bowling spells in World Cup history. Even though Pakistan could not win, the sensational spell that Wahab bowled will forever be etched in the minds of those who witnessed it, particularly Shane Watson. This would also be the last match of Misbahul Haq and Shahid Afridi’s ODI careers. Elliott takes New Zealand to MCG: [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="594"] Photo: AFP[/caption] The first semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa proved to be one of the most memorable and thrilling ODIs in recent history. In a rain-affected match, South Africa saw themselves defending a game of 298 in 43 overs. Despite a strong start, New Zealand saw the game slipping away from their hands as South Africa took wickets at regular intervals. Corey Anderson and Grant Elliott solidified the New Zealand chase with an important partnership, but South Africa struck back again with quick wickets and in the final over, the Kiwis needed 12 runs to win. Luckily for them, Elliott was at the crease and he smashed Dale Steyn for a six off the second last ball, and just like that, the Blackcaps were on their way to Melbourne. Australia lifts their fifth World Cup title: [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="599"] Photo: AFP[/caption] Many believed that Australia’s glory days were over after their quarter-final exit in the last World Cup in 2011, but Australia reinstated their dominance as they lifted their fifth World Cup title after beating New Zealand by seven wickets in front of 93,000 people at Melbourne. Their pacers, James Faulkner, Mitchell Johnson, and Mitchell Starc made quick work of the New Zealand batsmen, bowling them out for 183, after which Michael Clarke and Steven Smith hit resilient half centuries to take Australia to victory.

This World Cup has been different, not only because of the phenomenal performances that we have come across but also because a lot of experienced players have bid adieu to their glorious ODI careers after this tournament. These players are undoubtedly irreplaceable, keeping their past records and performances in mind. All of them have proved themselves as match winners and they will be sorely missed. Therefore, I believe these players should be given a proper farewell, as they represent our generation of brilliant players, and this blog is my way of appreciating all that they have done for their fans and the cricketing world at large. Daniel Vettori The first name on this list of remarkable players is of Daniel Vettori – his last appearance for the Black Caps was in the World Cup final against Australia. And what a performance it was. The result of the match may not have left good memories for Vettori, but his performance as a player left behind tons of memories for his fans. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400"] Daniel Vettori. Photo: AFP[/caption] Vettori is one of the most victorious left-arm bowlers in cricket history. Moreover, he was New Zealand’s youngest Test player when he made his debut against England in 1997. His 18-year-long career is like a book of adventure which always keeps his fans indulged. He has a magnificent record of 361 Test wickets, ranking him number two amongst the Kiwis. He has scored 6,989 runs altogether in 113 Test matches, 295 one-day international and 34 T20s. Vettori’s absence will be deeply felt, by not only the Kiwis but cricket fans everywhere. Michael Clarke Another star who ended his career after the World Cup – with an amazing victory – is Michael Clarke. His career statistics have been phenomenal and he has managed to surprise his fans with his magic almost every single time that he has played. Clarke was the most reliable batsman Australia had, having scored 8432 runs in 108 Test matches and 7762 runs in 238 ODI matches. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="596"] Michael Clarke. Photo: AFP[/caption] At the age of 34, he has never been reluctant to perform for his team. Clarke is the youngest player to retire amongst his peers and while he will still show his magic in Australia’s Test matches, his presence in the coloured jersey will surely be missed. Kumar Sangakkara In this list of spectacular players, the next hero is also the second highest run scorer of the 2015 World Cup. Kumar Sangakkara scored four consecutive centuries against Bangladesh, England, Australia and Scotland. He has not only gone down in World Cup history as the most successful batsman of his time, but has also set a record of the highest number of consecutive ODI centuries scored. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="620"] Kumar Sangakkara. Photo: AFP[/caption] Although Sri Lanka was knocked out of the tournament after South Africa defeated them in the quarter-finals, Sangakkara remains the most celebrated player of the tournament. He thinks his batting through and is consistent. Because of his consistency, he won three awards in 2012. Furthermore, he was also honoured as the ICC player of the year in 2013. Sangakkara retired with more than 14,000 ODI runs to his name and 25 hundreds in 404 matches. Additionally he has made his team proud by being among the top four players to achieve the man of the match award. Great players like him, who give their utmost devotion to their game and teams are always remembered in good books. After he announced his plans, Sangakkara was asked to reconsider his decision to retire. The request was valid, since we hardly have such refined players in our midst. But so far, he hasn’t given a response to this request. Mahela Jayawardene Since we are on the topic of great players, it would be a grotesque mistake to leave Mahela Jayawardene out of this list, as he too belongs to the group of legends who made their nations proud with their performances. With over 10,000 runs in both Tests and ODIs, and the title of captain in a World Cup final, it can easily be said that he has met the challenge serving his team sufficiently. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"] Mahela Jayawardene. Photo: AFP[/caption] Jayawardene isn’t praised much, but he is a true Sri Lankan hero as he has helped his team through many tough times. Misbahul Haq Alas, leaving our very own Tuk Tuk out of this list will not be fair. Yes, Misbahul Haq, who not only gave us many victories but also proved himself with every step despite being criticised constantly, has been a huge asset for the Pakistani team. He has probably been the best captain so far and one of the two players on the team to score 3000+ ODI runs. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="598"] Misbahul Haq. Photo: AFP[/caption] Misbah retired from ODI cricket with 5122 runs in 162 matches, and I doubt if we will ever be able to find anyone who can fill his shoes. Azhar Ali has to up his game exponentially in order to reflect Misbah’s brilliance. Shahid Afridi Lastly, this list cannot be complete without the mention of my favourite, Lala, or should I say, ‘Boom boom Afridi’ – the heartthrob of millions. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="620"] Shahid Afridi. Photo: AFP[/caption] No matter what you may choose to call him, you cannot forget his fastest century, as well as his amazing swing bowling. Also, one cannot overlook his performance in the Asia Cup against India, which led him to the top. He is more like a superstar than a cricketer to us, and he will always be remembered for his services to the team. Cricket is a game of nerves and emotions; every player battles through in order to prove their worth. And these six players have not only proved their worth, but have also made us love them. And retired or not, they will always have a soft spot in our hearts.

Michael Clarke made it to the list of illustrious players who captained their team to a World Cup triumph. There is no denying that captains in cricket are very significant, because they make all the strategies and they have to manoeuvre their men like pieces on a chessboard. Nevertheless, captains have been very influential in winning World Cup tournaments for their sides. Let’s look at the five best captains in cricket history who have helped their national teams win the grand trophy. These captains are determined on the basis of their leadership ability, the resources they possessed, and the legacy they left behind. 1. Imran Khan [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: AFP[/caption] Imran Khan was a very aggressive and intelligent captain who led from the front. He is, without a doubt, Pakistan’s best captain. He took an average team and transformed them into world champions. Under Imran’s captaincy, Pakistan recorded their first ever Test series win against India, England and a drawn series against West Indies. During the 1987 World Cup, the Pakistani cricket team under Imran was a favourite amongst the audience, but they eventually lost to the actual champions, Australia, in the semi-finals. After the 1987 World Cup, Imran announced his retirement from cricket. But in 1988, due to popular demand, he was asked to come back and lead the Pakistani side again. Finally, at the end of his career in 1992, he was able to fulfil his lifelong dream and won Pakistan it’s only World cup. A campaign that started poorly and was nearly at the brink of elimination, made a comeback due to Imran’s leadership and belief and Pakistan won the World Cup, which was a perfect farewell to him. 2. Mahendra Singh Dhoni [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"] Photo: AFP[/caption] Presently, Dhoni is the best captain in modern day cricket. Dhoni has been responsible for changing the face of Indian cricket. He started playing sports as a goal-keeper for his school football team but later became a wicket keeper-cum-batsman for his local team, and finally, he transitioned to become India’s greatest captain. Furthermore, under Dhoni’s captaincy, the Indian team has won all major trophies – which include the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup and the 2011 ICC World Cup. His defiance and brilliant leadership skills led India to their second World Cup victory, and in the final, Dhoni played a tremendous unbeaten innings and became ‘Man of the Match’. It was under his captaincy that India climbed to the number one spot in the ICC Test rankings in 2009. 3. Steve Waugh [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="594"] Photo: AFP[/caption] Waugh was a fighter. He never gave up and was responsible for taking the Australian cricket team to unprecedented heights. Waugh was part of two World Cup winning teams, in 1987 and 1999.  As a captain, he transformed the Australian side into one of the best teams in the history of cricket. He shaped the Australian team into a ruthless side, winning a record 16 Tests on the trot. His greatest achievement was conquering the World Cup in 1999, where the Australians witnessed a poor start to the tournament, losing two out of three matches, which meant that the Aussies had to win seven consecutive matches to win the World Cup – a feat which they managed to achieve brilliantly. Waugh’s awe-inspiring performance came during the crucial super six-match against South Africa, during which he scored a brilliant unbeaten century to take Australia to the next round, and eventually winning the tournament. 4. Allan Border [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="592"] Photo: AFP[/caption] Border was not a natural captain; he took over the Australian team while it was undergoing extremely difficult times, since their best players, such as Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh had left the team. His initial tenure as a captain was a very disappointing one, but Australia’s surprising victory in the 1987 World Cup proved to be a turning point and heralded the start of a more prosperous time for their side. Border did not perform much with the bat during the 1987 World Cup, but his tactics throughout the tournament were brilliant while defeating the English team by seven runs in the final. He was responsible for rejuvenating the Australian side into a world class unit. 5. Arjuna Ranatunga [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"] Photo: AFP[/caption] Ranatunga came to be known as a belligerent and intelligent leader, famous for defending his players at all costs. Before the 1996 World Cup, the Sri Lankan team was considered the underdogs, but Ranatunga inspired them to become world champions. Furthermore, Ranatunga was a very innovative and aggressive captain, and his tactic was to attack in the first 15 overs and make use of the field restrictions. Therefore, he decided to open with Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana. This decision resulted in completely changing the image of the Sri Lankan cricket team, since they defeated the cricket giants, Australia, in the final, to lift the 1996 World Cup trophy. While fans have just witnessed an amazing spree of matches during the 2015 ICC World Cup, and have come across some great captains and teams, I felt that it was important to mention these legends and understand that the difference between a good team and a great team is how amazing the captain is. Perhaps the PCB should keep this in mind while choosing Azhar Ali as Pakistan’s captain.

After 9/11, the US administration decided to go on a mass “witch hunt” to locate and exterminate culprits whom they believed were behind the attacks on the World Trade Centre. The ultimate culpability and responsibility for the attacks was placed on Osama bin Laden, the then head of al Qaeda. Although the prime suspects for the 9/11 attacks were led to be of Arab descent, the location where it was believed that Bin Laden and his associates were residing was Afghanistan. Afghanistan, at the time, had gone through a series of internal struggles during their war with the USSR, in which Afghan Mujahideen had fought against the Soviets in the decade preceding 9/11. The fight against the Soviets was spearheaded, amongst many others, by Bin Laden. Once the war against the Soviet Union subsided, the narrative for Bin Laden changed as it was promulgated that Bin Laden and his al Qaeda organisation were not pleased with what was unfolding in many Muslim lands. Sporadic wars were initiated against these countries, which led to the loss of many innocent lives. President George W Bush had initially used the word “crusade” as he began to romp off support from the international community to spring an attack on Afghanistan and exterminate “public enemy number one”, Osama bin Laden. This phrase was later retracted and we began to hear slogans such as “Operation Infinite Justice” and “Operation Infinite Freedom” as pretexts and justifications for the attack on Afghanistan. During this phase, when the US administration was mustering up military and political support for the attack on Afghanistan, the political mantra that President Bush and other senior military heads adopted was, “You are either with us or against us” or “Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists” in the fight against terrorism – the terrorism that was being orchestrated by al Qaeda, to be more precise. This either-or supposition left no middle ground as many nations, either voluntarily or involuntarily, based on military-diplomatic pressures and wider repercussions, ended up joining the “coalition of the willing” to attack Afghanistan and root out the terrorist networks that we were led to believe were operating there. Fast-forward to 2015 Having witnessed multiple theatres of warfare over the last decade in places such as Iraq, Syria, and Libya – a few amongst a long list – the “new” terrorist network under the name of Islamic State (IS), headed by Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, is dishing out the same international mantra of “with us or against us” to fight the West. IS is working to establish a self-declared Islamic state, featuring many existing nation states. These states would submerge into one universal nation, headed by their caliph, al Baghdadi. The consequences for those who do not succumb to the wishes of IS are mass indiscriminate killings. This threat is not only orchestrated in lands which they have a stranglehold in but is now spreading into countries in the West as well, whereby ad-hoc indiscriminate acts of terror are being orchestrated under the guise of IS-inspired doctrines, in places like Sydney, Australia. IS now has its eyes set on entering the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which houses two of the holiest sites in the Muslim World. The kingdom is now facing pressure from IS in the northern and southern terrain, which are currently witnessing the political upheaval. This political upheaval, in Yemen and Syria, could likely spill-over into the kingdom as well. With the death of King Abdullah, the new king, Salman, faces some very stiff challenges at domestic and international levels – namely religious, economic and political fronts, as to what strategic path he should take in these respective spheres. The rebuttal to the “with us or against us” narrative incorporates the following key premise. Namely, the narrative that was used by the US and its coalition allies, who had democratically elected and/or selected leaders to endorse their support for interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, was that these were leaders operating in the prism of being state actors and acting on behalf of the state based on a legitimate constitutional or wider authority. No doubt, there were voices of dissent in many of the countries who provided support to the US and their subsequent actions in Afghanistan and Iraq, but these were stifled or deemed too insignificant to change the international political consensus that had been reached at the time. IS and their affiliates are operating on a non-state actor basis that lacks any legitimacy apart from the individuals who have pledged their temporal and political allegiance to Abu Bakr al Baghdadi and the quest to create a self-declared Islamic state. An authoritative rebuttal to IS has been given by multiple senior Muslim scholars of the classical Islamic tradition, in an open letter to Dr Ibrahim Awwad al Badri alias Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi – and to his fighters and followers – where it is stated categorically that it is forbidden in Islam to kill the innocent, to kill emissaries, ambassadors, diplomats and hence journalist and aid workers. It is forbidden to force people to convert and ultimately “it is forbidden in Islam to declare a caliphate without consensus from all Muslims” – consensus, here, pertains to senior Muslim authorities and Muslim nations across the world. The “with us or against us” discourse in recent history has demonstrated that this narrative does not provide a solution to our contemporary global religious and political crisis. The solution to extremism has two phases: 1) Education against extremism  This starts with ensuring that our schools, colleges, universities and religious seminaries are given the tools, resources, access to scholars and academics that can disseminate the true pristine teachings of Islam to students from a young age so that they do not get lured into the trap and poisonous narrative that groups like IS and their affiliates propagate. The education against extremism has to also extend to the various online social media portals ensuring a strong defence mechanism and rebuttal to violent extremism is available which is accessible to all. 2) Action against extremism This incorporates a multi-faceted approach where severe sanctions and penal penalties are given to individuals and organisations that cross the threshold of extremism by inciting and promoting violent extremism which has a strong probability of leading to indiscriminate acts of terrorism. Strong legal frameworks and regulatory filters need to be put in place at a national and international level to ensure that the protagonist of these heinous acts are brought to justice which will then act as a strong symbolic deterrence against those that wish to traverse this dark path. This two pronged approach provides the theoretical and practical tools to eradicate the scourge of violent extremism and help individuals realise that the solutions to our core problems do not reside in the “with us or against us” narrative, nor the doctrine of violence, but that it resides in all communities working together by being united in the quest for peace and united against extremism.  

Once again, democracy is open for renovation, and frosty relations are back on track after prolonged negotiations. Earlier, only Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) signatories and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) were allowed to carry out nuclear trade. As a student of nuclear and strategic studies, I feel India has been able to strike a nuclear deal without abiding by the rules set out for other countries by the international non-proliferation regime. While democracy remains but a show, and power but a spectacle for the people to behold but not wield, this nation will remain handcuffed by favouritism. The Harrods sale of the Indo-US deal was signed in 2008 by the United Progressive Alliance government (UPA). Since the implementation of the NSG waiver, India has signed numerous nuclear deals with several countries including the likes of France, United States, Mongolia, Namibia, Kazakhstan, Canada, Australia and United Kingdom. India amusingly continues to embrace nuclear energy, claiming its inability to tackle severe power shortage, and bows to the interests of their foreign private counterparts, all the while the world is actively doing away with nuclear energy. The risk of embracing nuclear power is becoming clear with the Indo-US nuclear deal and the recent news about Canada agreeing to sell uranium to India. Phew! It really is a scorcher, since India developed its bomb using nuclear material from a reactor it had acquired from Canada for ‘civilian use’. NSG was created in response to the nuclear testing India conducted in 1974, and the purpose was to prevent nuclear material from reaching rogue nuclear states. But where are these rules when history is repeating itself again? Are these rules meant to be applied only to specific countries with a good track record of diplomacy? It seems that regimes like the NPT and the NSG are in tatters since they seem to be sacrificing nuclear non-proliferation principles and objectives for other benefits. Gregory Koblentz of George Mason University in Washington stated that even if Canadian uranium is used for civilian purposes,

“Whatever uranium India produces domestically will now be freed up for a military program.”

“India is not a signatory to the International Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It would be unacceptable for Canada to renege on its commitments to this treaty, which is indispensable to our global security.”

“The deed is done. But the real tragedy, for actors and audience alike, may lie in mistaking the beginning for the end of this drama.”

It’s been a strange ol’ week, even by Shahid Afridi’s standards. Afridi has gone from 0 to Afridi in just under the space of a week. And if that last sentence contains an excessive use of our T20 captain’s name, then I make no apologies. That is exactly how the past week has felt. After stating last week,

“The fact is that senior players are letting the team down. We can’t expect to win much with our current poor form. I want to lead from the front, and if I feel that I’m going to be a burden, then I will quit the format well before next year’s ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup in India”.

“My wish is to play the World T20 in 2016 and get a happy ending.”

There are times when nothing goes your way. When you lose at every stride and luck seems to have faded away from the stars, and it feels like nothing is going to change. Pakistan cricket team is going through such a phase. After a lacklustre World Cup, this nation was expecting for a turnaround with the arrival of young blood, but those expectations were crushed a little too soon. We not only lost to Bangladesh after 16 years, we were “Bangla-washed” in the ODI and T20 series and believe me, being a diehard fan, seeing Pakistan lose like this is excruciatingly painful. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Bangladesh cricketer Taskin Ahmed (C) reacts as Shakib Al Hasan (L) looks on after the dismissal of Pakistan cricket captain Azhar Ali (R) during the first One Day International cricket match between Bangladesh and Pakistan at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on April 17, 2015. Photo: AFP[/caption] However, Pakistan losing matches was not an entirely unexpected scenario. Some of us did believe in the possibility that we would lose quite a lot of matches – since our team lacks experience and direction. Some of us hesitantly thought of how Pakistan might not qualify for the 2017 Champions Trophy because we would end up at ninth place. And some of us also thought about how, if we keep on losing games after games, we will eventually not be able to get through to the qualification round for the 2019 World Cup. But no one thought it would start happening this soon, right after the World Cup. In order for us to qualify for the Champions Trophy, we need to win at least nine out of the upcoming 11 ODIs before the September 30^th deadline – otherwise, we can kiss our participation good bye. And the state in which our team is in, I highly doubt if we will be able to win nine ODIs. When surrounded by adversity, people often look for a positive side – something that can spark new hope and reincarnate the system with a new life. That hope might not be enough to give you your glory back but it can surely be a beginning of something to look forward to. For Pakistan, that positive side is its bowlers, who have been a ray of hope for the team on multiple occasions, even when there is no logical reason to believe in hope. And it is here that our team needs to work, if we wish to even entertain the idea of winning the upcoming 11 ODIs. Here is what our bowling side has to offer right. Wahab Riaz Wahab Riaz, after his spell against Watson, remained the talking point for everyone for a long time. His performance against Australia was something that brought out a spark for this nation. It had that onslaught, that aggression and that flavour of a young, aggressive Pakistani taking on the world champions, in their own backyard. Wahab’s spell was a real example of what this nation is capable of, and how we act when the chips are down. His spell was something new for the viewers but it wasn’t out of character for the Pakistani team. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Wahab Riaz. Photo: Reuters[/caption] As Ramiz Raja wrote in his article on EspnCricinfo, it is in our DNA to show aggression; that attitude of “if you hit with me a rock, I will hit you back with a brick” is just something that runs in our veins. Inexperienced fast-bowlers Wahab’s performance was a glimpse from the 90’s, when we had two formidable “Ws” who would take the world head on for their team. They used to run in with fire, with an attitude to annihilate the opposition with a fierce pace. But looking at Wahab’s stats throughout his career, they do not reflect the kind of charisma that he shows on the field. And why is that so? Well, there can be only two logical answers to this in my view. 1. He is a bit-and-pieces bowler 2. He is not being given a chance to show his talent [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Mohammad Irfan. Photo: Reuters[/caption] Personally, I believe the second one is more pertinent. The fact that our current bowlers are not of the same quality as the ones we used to have before, yet we were able to put nearly every batting team under pressure in the World Cup, goes to show our bowling merit. During Misbahul Haq’s era, Pakistan became too heavily dependent on the spinners – so much so that we stopped taking fast-bowlers as an attacking option, and this cost us heavily after ICC banned Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez one after another. Pitches not compatible with our pacers In order to understand this dichotomy better, I broke down the stats from the last 15 years into two sets – one from January 2001 to the 2011 World Cup final, and the second from after the World Cup final till the recent series against Bangladesh. The stats revealed that till the 2011 World Cup final, Pakistani pacers had a strike rate of 36, which was far greater than that of spinners during the same time (strike rate of 44.7) while playing at home-ground or neutral venue (UAE). However, after the World Cup, when we stopped depending on the seamers all together, our fast-bowlers strike rate, while playing at home, dropped to 38.5 and our spinners’ showed improving reductions to 41.2. The above mentioned statistics show that even on batting-friendly pitches, our pacers were able to give excellent performances. However, for some unknown reason, we started creating slow and low pitches, which offered none or very little assistance to fast-bowlers. Arguments that people make for creating such pitches are: 1. UAE is our makeshift home-ground, and since the pitches there are foreign to our bowlers, there is nothing much that we can do about it. 2. Pakistani batting is too weak to play on supportive pitches. For me, both arguments are flawed. First of all, once you have played in a country for nearly seven years, you should be able to create a track which would facilitate fast-bowlers. If I entertain argument number one, then how would PCB explain our performances against England in the Test series (especially in the second Test), where we ended up whitewashing them comprehensively? I am not saying that an Abu Dhabi or Sharjah pitch can be turned into a WACA pitch in seven years, but with better management and better vision, it could have been a bit more facilitative. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Pakistan's Adnan Akmal (R) plays a shot as England's Matt Prior (L) looks on during their first cricket test match at the Dubai International cricket stadium in the United Arab Emirates January 19, 2012. Photo: Reuters[/caption] As for the second argument, it is baseless because I believe that Pakistan always plays better when the pitches have something for everyone. That’s why we were able to beat South Africa on their home-ground in 2013, India on their home-ground in 2012-13 (where the pitches surprisingly were more useful for seamers) and victory against South Africa and Zimbabwe in the recent World Cup. Both of our major tournament triumphs (the victory of 1992 in Australia and the T20 victory in 2009 in England) came on pitches that had something for everyone, which proves my point that we can thrive in testing conditions as well. A compromised Ajmal and an out-of-charm Hafeez Seeing Ajmal and Hafeez’s performances after their action got remodelled, I don’t think they look anything like the bowling gods that they used to be for Pakistan, and so far, there is no reason to believe that they will be ever as effective as they were, since usually when bowlers make a comeback after remodelling their action, they end up losing their grip and hence give shabby performances. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="640"] Muhammad Hafeez (L) and Saeed Ajmal.[/caption] Need for aggression All of this leads us back to the primary elements of Pakistani cricket – aggression, passion, pace and a roaring attitude. We need to reverse the trend of focusing on spin bowling all together. We should look for creating pitches that are more fast-bowling-friendly in domestic as well as international matches, which will bring our mighty fast-bowlers back into the game and will surely help Pakistan as well. We might not have Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akhtar anymore, but that doesn’t matter, because other countries do not have that quality in their ranks either. But we do have the aggression of Wahab, the passion of Irfan, the swing of Junaid Khan and Rahat Ali and the yorkers of Sohail Khan to take any opposition down, on any given day. All they need is a little polish and a comprehensive vision.

In the recently concluded Dhaka Test match, we managed to break another world record. During Pakistan’s second innings, Misbahul Haq scored a six on Taijul Islam’s ball, making Pakistan the first Asian team to hit 1,000 sixes in the Test format. Pakistan achieved this feat in its 389^th test match. Since this is an astounding achievement, I feel it would be great if we dwell upon a few facts regarding Test match sixes. 1. Except for Pakistan, several non-Asian counties have crossed the 1,000 sixes or more in Test matches record, which include Australia, West Indies, New Zealand, South Africa and England. 2. Alongside this feat, Pakistan also has the second best six-hitting ratio in Test matches amongst Asian teams, with 2.58 sixes per match. 3. Surprisingly, Bangladesh, which is supposedly one of the weaker Asian teams, has the best six-hitting ratio at 3.05 sixes per match. This is because they got their Test status at a time when the Test-match dynamics were changing and overall scoring rates in Test innings were higher. 4. India, so far, has scored 995 sixes in 487 Test matches and they have played at a ratio of 2.04 sixes per match. They have the lowest per Test six-hitting ratio amongst Asian teams. 5. The first six in Test match history was scored by J Darling of Australia against England at Adelaide during the 1897/98 Test series. This was the 55^th Test match, from its inception. 6. In nearly 140 years of Test-cricket history, we only have one incident when the first ball of the Test match was smacked for a six and the honour for achieving this feat goes to Chris Gayle, who hit the first ball of the match for a six during an innings against Bangladesh at Dhaka in 2013. 7. Pakistan’s journey of sixes in Test-matches began during the inaugural Test-series that they played in 1952 – this was when the national team toured India. It was in Lucknow, during the second Test match of the series, that debutant Zulfiqar Ahmed batting at number nine for Pakistan hit India’s left-arm medium fast-bowler, Nyalchand Shah, for a six. This was the first ever six by Pakistan in their Test-cricket history. For poor Nylachand, this was the only Test match he played for India. 8. Pakistan’s match against New Zealand, which was played at the national stadium in Karachi during the 1976 series, is fifth in the list of most sixes hit in a Test match. This Test match is remembered for Majid Khan’s feat who became the first Pakistani to score a Test century before lunch on the first day of the match. Pakistan’s match against West Indies played at Kingston during the 1976 Test series is 37^th in this list. Although this seems to be a low ranking but this shows the flare Pakistan batsmen possess as West Indies was the most feared team of that era and to hit their bowlers for sixes was a daunting task. 9. Pakistan, in its Test cricket history, has come across many aggressive batsmen, but surprisingly, the record for most number of sixes  in a Test innings is accredited to Wasim Akram who, in his innings of 257 against Zimbabwe at Sheikhpura during the 1996/97 series, scored 12 sixes. This is also the world record for most number of sixes scored in a Test innings. Wasim broke the 63-year-old record of Wally Hammod, who had scored 10 sixes in an inning in 1933. 10. Three Pakistani bowlers, namely Danish Kaneria, Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar, jointly hold the record for being hit on for most sixes in an inning. Each of them hit seven sixes in an inning. Kaneria's was by West Indies during the Multan Test in 2006, while Shah and Babar faced their predicament against New Zealand at Sharjah in 2014. 11. In the list of most sixes scored in a Test career, two Pakistani players sit at the 22^nd and 27^th positions respectively – Younus Khan with 58 sixes and Misbahul Haq with 53 sixes. Javed Miandad is 34^th in this list. Pakistan, in the time to come, will surely score more sixes and our history will have more interesting facts and figures but Pakistan needs to build on its success in Test matches to improve its performance in one-day cricket as well – because without being able to perform magnificently in all formats, Pakistan’s achievements in Test matches would not make much of a difference for the national team’s image.

With back-to-back victories on their home ground against Zimbabwe, Pakistan, and India, Bangladeshi cricket fans have witnessed some of the best days watching their team play. The fans would say that beating Zimbabwe was predictable, but victories against two big teams, Pakistan and India, are what matters most. Asia will not always solely be about India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. A Champions Trophy spot is confirmed for Bangladesh and now the battle is between one of the big teams to fight it out against West Indies for the last spot. Only a year and half ago, Bangladesh had failed to impress many during the Asia Cup on their home ground; female spectators cried when the chance of Shahid Afridi being caught out was lost and Shakib Al Hasan told Bangladeshi spectators not to have too many expectations from them. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1enci7_afridi-made-bangladeshi-fans-cry_sport[/embed] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="456"] Photo: AFP[/caption] This was the least bit encouraging, especially after Bangladesh had knocked India and Sri Lanka out in the previous Asia Cup and had lost the series by only two runs against Pakistan in the final. The final loss had resulted in some tears in the Bangladeshi camp and people were heard saying that while other teams win games, Bangladesh wins hearts only. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="585"] Photo: AFP[/caption] Shakib, who is always in the charts as a number one all-rounder, threatened to quit international T20 cricket in July 2014. Earlier that year, he had been banned from a few games because of a crude gesture towards a cameraman. Eventually, things started turning around for the good. A new coach was hired, Shakib and Tamim Iqbal were rightfully reprimanded by the board to fix their game and attitude, rather than being thrown out of the team for their inconsistent performances. The extent to which the cricket board supported them is marvelous; they even gave them the huge responsibility of vice captaincy. Captaincy was handed over to the experienced Mashrafe Mortaza and this gave Mushfiqur Rahim enough space to concentrate on his wicket-keeping and batting, and finally, their unfortunate winless streak ended in November 2014 in a match against Zimbabwe. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="592"] Photo: AFP[/caption] More than anything, this highlighted that a team needs their best cricketers playing for them, rather than throwing them out. This is what good management is about. Shakib, Iqbal and Rahim are not only experienced players now, but they are also at par with the modern-day requirements of the game. Along came the World Cup 2015, where Bangladesh left us with countless amazing memories, from the controversy surrounding Rubel Hossain to knocking out England from the World Cup, which resulted in a makeover for the England cricket team. However, what really spiced things up was the quarter-final between India and Bangladesh. Although India managed to win, there were all sorts of allegations made by the Bangladeshi cricket fans and politicians. Mustafa Kamal even resigned as the International Cricket Council (ICC) president. Some intense moments during the match added fuel to the entire story when there was what seemed to be a heated eye contact between Virat Kohli and Hossain. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="598"] Photo: AFP[/caption] However, playing a quarter-final in Australian conditions is not an easy feat and it was an achievement for the tigers. After the World Cup, they comfortably beat Pakistan in the Bangladesh and Pakistan series. Pakistan was completely whitewashed in the ODI and the T20 series. Shakib was already flying high and now they could rightfully boast about their wins against a well-established team, such as Pakistan. He is even reported as saying that this is our best chance to beat Pakistan. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="594"] Photo: AFP[/caption] However, the recent series win against India is what’s most important. Not because this was a way of redemption after the quarter-final episode, but also because India was playing at full-strength. A new player, Mustafizur Rehman, who also happens to idolise Mohammad Amir as a bowler, troubled the mighty Indian batting order and Kohli failed yet again during the entire tour. This win against India is a major plus point for Bangladesh. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="532"] Photo: AFP[/caption] Some moments that highlighted the intensity and drama of the matches were MS Dhoni shoving Rahman during the first ODI, a send-off from Mashrafe to Kohli, showing him the way to the pavilion, the beating of an Indian fan, an argument between Shakib and the umpires, and the Bangladeshi crowd singing “Mauka Mauka” . Not surprisingly, that video went viral. Bangladesh versus India might just become the next big Asian rivalry in cricket. Beating Pakistan in 1999, Australia in 2005, knocking out India from the 2007 World Cup, knocking out West Indies from the 2007 World Cup T20 and then beating England in 2011 and 2015, in addition to some wins in a bilateral series, especially those against New Zealand, were some of the special moments during which Bangladesh ruined the chances for some big teams and established themselves as a strong team. Critics will argue that Bangladesh is in dire need to win Test matches and they need to win a series away from home in order to be recognised as a real force.However, many will agree that they either break the hearts of their own fans or hearts of others’ fans every time they play. Bangladesh is slowly emerging as a force to reckon with.

Define irony: When you pass a bill to ‘protect’ children and in that bill you allow a man to marry his adopted daughter even if she is as young as 13-years-old. Woody Allen, are you listening? I think it’s time to move to Iran. Or at least base your next movie there. Or maybe George RR Martin would be interested in this as his next plot twist? Parliamentarians in Iran have recently passed such a bill, I kid you not. It allows the caretaker to marry his or her adopted child if the court rules in the interests of the child. There are so many fundamental issues with this bill that human rights campaigners in Iran are, quite understandably, distressed. It is ridiculous to assume that a caretaker can only fend for the adopted child in the shape of a marriage contract. If the child is still under adoptive custody, what sense does it leave for someone to marry them – other than physical or maybe, in certain cases, financial exploitation? The even more disturbing fact is the age limit. This allows, as rights activists note, paedophiles to act freely and legally. All they need to do is adopt/marry their victims and they are completely safe from all kinds of punishment. Officials claim that this is a bill that helps solve the ‘headscarf’ issue – such that a girl in the same household, who reaches puberty, does not have to wear a headscarf in front of her adoptive ‘father’. This argument holds absolutely no water at all. In order to help women maintain their veil/pardah, the answer cannot possibly be for them to marry their adoptive fathers. What’s next? Marry all your cousins if you live in a joint family system? Countries such as South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Australia, and New Zealand all have strict laws against marriage of adoptive parents to their adoptive children. What possessed Iran, I wonder, to pass a law that not only creates a frightening loophole for paedophilia but also a way to further entrench women of the society? In Iran, it is permissible for a girl under 13 years of age to get married via permission of a judge. Instead of addressing this issue and instead of legalising the age as more than 16, which is the standard for the rest of the developed world, Iran has taken a step back in the field of women empowerment. Even though the said bill is yet to find a verdict from the Islamic Guardian Council in Iran, rights activists are concerned because it just might pass this time around. Shadi Sadr, a human rights activist working for ‘Justice for Iran’ fears this bill will be passed by the Guardian Council. Her fear is that this would eventually be paving way for legalising incest and paedophilia. The previous bill had completely prohibited marriage to adoptive children but this one might pass because it includes the ‘headscarf’ as an Islamic legal loophole to let these marriages take place. She’s not wrong. In 2010, 42,000 children between the age of 10 and 14 were married off in Iran. Conservative and fairly retrogressive councils such as these need to be monitored and criticism for their decision should be allowed, as they should definitely not be considered as the last legal stronghold/authority for human rights clauses. While their suggestions can be taken seriously and their reservations can be addressed, letting laws become their personal and religious battleground will not bode well for anyone – and from the way things are right now, especially not for the women of Iran.

The Pakistan cricket team, under the supreme leadership of Azhar Ali, has wrapped up the series against Sri Lanka by outplaying the hosts with a superbly dominant performance, winning three out of four matches in the five-match ODI series. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Reuters[/caption] This was Pakistan’s first bi-lateral ODI series win in Sri Lanka since 2006. It has also boosted Pakistan’s chances of making it to the Champions Trophy as Pakistan is currently ranked seventh in the ODI rankings, slightly ahead of West Indies. The national team has given a great overall performance. Pakistan’s batsmen have batted positively with strike rates ranging from Azhar’s 82 to Shoaib Malik’s 125. Azhar’s technique in the ODIs is going to get him a lot of runs in Asia. However, to challenge himself, he might have to shift back to his Test match technique on Australian or South African pitches. He has already become the fastest Asian batsman to reach 1,000 runs. Players such as Mohammad Hafeez have performed extremely well in the series and his bowling ban might have just resulted in him batting with ease, with the fear of bowling Tests out of his mind. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Hafeez was reported for a suspect action after the Abu Dhabi Test against New Zealand. Photo: Reuters[/caption] Zimbabwe’s tour to Pakistan has probably benefitted Azhar and Shoaib the most as Azhar has learnt some required captaincy skills and they both seemed to have gained confidence in their batting. Azhar’s captaincy can be criticised for not having attacking fields at the end of the second ODI but he is showing improvement for sure. Hafeez and Shoaib, being the most experienced batsmen in the team, have to continue to bat like this, with Hafeez being a vital member of the top order and Shoaib becoming a finisher, if Pakistan wants to bag more victories in the future. Shoaib had seen some terrible times over the past five years in international cricket, despite having performed in T20 leagues. Hopefully, his performances in this ODI series have boosted his confidence and let’s hope he can maintain his consistency. Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan and Ahmed Shehzad have batted aggressively and with courage. It is refreshing to see that the management backed Shehzad despite complains of him being ill-disciplined and an inconsistent player. Plans of replacing him with Mukhtar Ahmed were also underway, except he got better and better with every game and made a mark in the fourth ODI, scoring 95 runs off 90 balls. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Reuters[/caption] Our bowling attack has been pretty decent. At first, the exclusion of Wahab Riaz came as a blow, but with bowlers such as Yasir Shah and Mohammad Irfan, our bowling prospects didn’t seem that weak. Yasir is seen as improving in the ODIs whereas Rahat Ali and Anwar Ali provided a great performance, taking seven and six wickets respectively. Irfan made a great comeback from injury, taking four wickets. Imad Wasim seems like a stable prospect for the future. I feel that with Hafeez banned, Azhar should bowl more as he is a better bowler than Shoaib. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Imad Wasim is ecstatic after dismissing Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sri Lanka v Pakistan, 4th ODI, Colombo. Photo: AFP[/caption] We can talk about the quality of pitches and opposition when it comes to analysing batting and bowling, but fielding is related to fitness and attitude. Rizwan, Anwar, Yasir and even Shehzad have taken breath-taking catches and saved a lot of runs. Such great fielding efforts can lift the whole team as well as steer it towards victory. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] All-rounder Anwar Ali continues to hog the limelight with sensational fielding in the on-going ODI series; the 27-year old has already taken two astounding catches in successive games. PHOTO: AFP[/caption] Surprisingly, the game changer for the Pakistani cricket team has been its fielding, which has impressed many. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, has not only missed Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene with the bat on the pitch, but also on the field and in the dressing room. They were great team players and leaders. Even when they were not captains, they were the men a Sri Lankan captain would consult. It is not easy when you lose two great players – one was the world’s most consistent batsman and the other was the most experienced international cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar. Players such as Lasith Malinga and Thisara Perera also put forth an average performance during the series. Angelo Mathews, and for some time Tillakaratne Dilshan, along with the management will have to take this team along in the future with better efforts on and off the field. Jayawardene has been approached by England for a consultancy role, but Sri Lanka crucially needs his expertise for team mentoring, if he is willing. Pakistan’s cricket team’s future looks extremely bright. This team seems like a decent and promising squad. However, there is still uncertainty whether Anwar can be termed as a genuine all-rounder despite his performances, and whether Bilawal Bhatti and Sohail Tanvir are the solutions to this problem. In terms of new players in the squad, only a few have been given the chance to play, such as Hammad Azam, who has been given limited chances, whereas some all-rounders have not been given a chance at all. In terms of batting, Babar Azam played in place of his cousin, Umar Akmal and Sohaib Maqsood, Fawad Alam and Haris Sohail will definitely be under the selectors’ radar. Due to the way Rizwan and Sarfraz are playing, it seems the other Akmal brother, Kamran, will definitely not be joining the current squad. Mohammad Amir might be making a comeback into the team after his match fixing scandal. We are yet to find a good right-arm fast bowler in place of Umar Gul. Be it Mohammad Talha, Imran Khan or any new talent that has entered the squad, whoever plays, let’s hope Pakistan plays with aggression and positivity in all departments of the game.

Cricket is a cranky game. It does not get along with anyone, not even the best. Australia can relate to that more than anyone else. Stepping into England with all the momentum, they were the favourites, full of aplomb. Five-zero in the last Ashes encounter, two-zero against India earlier this year, two-zero against West Indies in the Caribbean. Winning came naturally and effortlessly to the Aussies. And then they landed in Cardiff. Since then onwards, it has been a spectacular series, a roller-coaster ride indeed. It has defied what most of us had prophesied at the start – England at Cardiff, Australia at Lord’s, England at Edgbaston. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"] Photo: AFP[/caption] This is Ashes at its best. So it stands at two-one in England’s favour and it is down to the Trent Bridge or Oval, if it goes that far. Will England come out of Nottingham smiling or will it be the Aussies squaring it up? Will Michael Clarke turn the tables and bring life into the series, or will Alastair Cook display that bewitching smile of his in the post-match press conference? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"] Photo: AFP[/caption] Here are five reasons why you must stick to your TV screens while the two arch rivals clash today at 3pm (PST). 1. It is do-or-die for Australia Square it up or give it up – this is the conundrum Clarke’s men find themselves in. If they’re still dreaming of pocketing that tiny trophy, they would have to put their best foot forward. Else it will jump out of their pocket. Do-or-die – this quandary ensures that they will come out with guns blazing. But the question is, do they have enough bullets left in their armoury? 2.  No James Anderson this time [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"] Photo: AFP[/caption] If there is any sign of relief for Australia, it would be the absence of England’s ace-man, Jimmy Anderson, the name that continues to haunt Aussie batsmen, especially after the Edgbaston debacle. Anderson plucked six wickets in the first innings, setting the tone for a hefty triumph. Adding to the ironies of England is his record at Trent Bridge – 53 wickets in just eight Test matches at an average of 19.24. These figures suggest that England cannot find a bloke of his quality, and his absence has left them with the responsibility of filling extremely big shoes. Thus, it would be quite interesting to see how England wrestles this hiccup when they step on to the field. 3. Steven Finn – the Hitman [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="596"] Photo: AFP[/caption] No Anderson? No problem. Steven Finn, man of the match in Edgbaston, would be the go-to man for Cook at Trent Bridge. Eight wickets in Test cricket after a sabbatical of 18 months, he just could not have asked for a more assuaging return to Test cricket. If Steven Smith, the world’s number one Test batsman, was hand-ridden by his pace and accuracy, can be there be any other batsman to play Finn’s bullets? Will he be able to carry his behemoth form at Trent Bridge? Will he take the on the onus in an Anderson-less attack? Let your TV screens answer these questions today. 4.  A heated crowd The significance of a crowd cannot go unheeded in cricket, especially in Ashes. If it can make Mitchell Johnson bowl two yards behind the wicket, is there anything the crowd in England cannot do? The England captain said,

“This was up there with the loudest I can remember at certain moments,” says England’s captain. “Even the guys who have played a fair bit were looking at each other and realising how special it was.”

“I suppose the challenge is can Trent Bridge be louder?”

As we all know, Australia and India are no strangers to international cricket triumphs. Both sides boast of powerful batting potential, currently glued together by just two young guns, Steven Smith and Virat Kohli. These batsmen are worthy of profuse praise, that’s for sure, given their careers are backed by super numbers and zero hype. But the real question is, does that justify a convincing contrast between the two? Statistics indicate a clear no. Allow me to throw in some numbers and explain just why. Imbalanced comparisons: Ratio of matches to runs First things first, Smith has been an irregular customer for the Aussie ODI IX. In the five years since his debut against West Indies in February 2010, the 26-year-old youngster has only managed 58 games for his country, with 1,549 crucial runs on record. Now inject a threefold increase in Smith’s number of games, you get a piece of Kohli. With 161 ODI games for India, Kohli is just 414 runs shy of the 7,000 club. I believe you can do the remainder of the math from here. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="597"] Photo: AFP[/caption] The T20 story is no different either. Although both batsmen have played less than 30 games each, Smith enjoys a bowler’s batting average of only 14 (158 runs in 21 games), whereas here too, Kohli maintains a productive ratio of 28 matches to 972 runs (averaging 46.28). [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="598"] Photo: AFP[/caption] The Test format of the sport is perhaps the only favourable match for both players. Smith’s career remains in kissing distance to the 3,000 runs club in only 31 games, whereas Kohli, in his 34 games, has just recently passed the 2,500 landmark. Smith is undisputedly in the lead here, but it has to be noted, the lead is far from an unsurpassable one. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: AFP[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="480"] Photo: AFP[/caption] Moreover, this is just one out of three formats we are talking about. Kohli’s stellar proliferation of runs in the rest of the two formats leaves Smith lagging well in the distance. Pressure machines: Kohli’s glory, Smith’s first taste Smith’s unorthodox mastery of stroke-play comes with great stamina, and Kohli’s textbook perfection comes with calculated restraint. Doubtlessly, these dominating personalities of modern day cricket are pressure’s greatest adversaries. Smith’s pressure-play was in ample evidence when he struck 190 runs against Pakistan in the crucial October 2014 ODI series in UAE, along with a match-sealing hundred against India in the semi-final of the 2015 World Cup. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="480"] Photo: AFP[/caption] The recent Test double ton in the recent 2015 Ashes series is just another log to a flame full of reasons for the bloke to be deemed a player of sheer character and resolve. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="592"] Photo: AFP[/caption] In similar regard, Kohli has had his share of triumphs under pressure, so how do we create a distinction between the two here? Simple, lets take frequency into account. Kohli’s six-hundreds against Sri Lanka alone include an unbeaten 133 on the neutral turf of Hobart. The youngster gunned down a mammoth total of 320 for India in that game with over 13 overs to spare. Twenty days later, he repeated history in Dhaka, outshining Sachin Tendulkar with a brilliant 183 against a mighty Pakistan bowling attack, murdering the chase to 329. Thus, along with 10 Test tons, Kohli’s impeccable batting has earned him 22 career-defining ODI hundreds. The bloke averages over 41.3 in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, not to mention an overall average of 47.5 against the current top eight ODI sides in the world. Quite definitive, yes? All-round performances: Smith’s utilities, Kohli’s adaptation The gist of 21^st century cricket is all-round skill. Smith overtakes Kohli in terms of bowling, offering handy leg-spinners to Australia whereas Kohli’s bowling can be best described as below par. Both gentlemen are a treat to watch in the field, but the phenomenal agility and intensity in Smith’s fielding sneaks him a point ahead of Kohli’s own athletic splendour. Captaincy is in its nascent stages for the two, making it premature to declare a victor. Therefore, Smith is your ultimate man of utility. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="310"] Photo: AFP[/caption] Adaptation on the other end is Kohli’s game. As stated earlier, the young gun’s ultra rare quality to acclimatise to differing conditions and bowling attacks, without compromise on output makes him a top choice. His batting is charged with a series of gears, allowing him to practice run-a-ball circumspection or ruthless hitting, any of the two on demand. Smith, on the other hand, follows measured stroke-play as a rule of thumb, yet to demonstrate rapid flexibility in his batsmanship. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="597"] Photo: AFP[/caption] Given the disharmony in comparative statistics, rather than contrasting Kohli with Smith, it would be accurate to declare Smith a follower of the former’s footsteps. A glorious rise does not equate firmly established class. With that said, the former can always end up paralleling the latter in the years to come.

Fear, it’s both a vital gift housed by human nature and an insidious enemy of the human race. On one hand, it whispers warnings and protects us from danger. On the other hand, it has the tendency to dramatise risk, rationalise rumours, glorify assumptions, and conjure terrifying truths in order to fill gaps in knowledge and experience. In this regard, fear often places two hands over our eyes and blinds us from hidden opportunities. It closes the gate on enlightening international relationships, thrilling life experiences and character-building adventures. I recently stared fear in the face and told it to take a back seat. It knew of my plans to explore Pakistan and it was starting to freak out. It kept replaying the frightful imagery and headlines I’d consumed through international media. My inner devil’s advocate didn’t have any good news stories to fight back with – so it seemed positive tales about Pakistan weren’t getting much airtime. As I started to share my travel plans with others, fear got it’s “I told you so” face on. Every time I mentioned that Pakistan was my gateway to “The Stans” and Europe, I was met with one of two responses,

“Why are you going there? It’s not safe.”

“Good luck!” backed by incredulous laughter.

“If you look for trouble, you’ll find it. If you stay safe and play by the rules, you’ll come out the other side unscathed.”

Al Jazeera News Network was recently in the news for relatively positive reasons. A surprise, one must say. Their editorial on “Why Al Jazeera will not say Mediterranean ‘migrants’”, grabbed attention not only among global media consumers but also various renowned media networks – who published scores of commentaries appreciating the stand taken by the media outlet. In their policy editorial by Barry Malone, Al Jazeera’s online editor, wrote,

“At this network, we try hard through our journalism to be the voice of those people in our world who, for whatever reason, find themselves without one. Migrant is a word that strips suffering people of voice. Substituting refugee for it is – in the smallest way – an attempt to give some back.”

The ban imposed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on the ‘tainted trio’ of Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Asif and Salman Butt, for their involvement in spot fixing was officially lifted on September 2, 2015. Although the ban on the players is lifted, I vehemently oppose the selection of these cricketers for the Pakistani team ever again. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should do what is right and impose a life ban on these players. They have caused immense embarrassment to the national team and the country. As of now, there is no consensus amongst former cricketers regarding the inclusion of these players in the national team. I stand with the group advocating against the re-selection of these players in the national team because if they have scammed us once, they may do it again. And we are too weak to take risks like that with our reputation for a second time. When a company decides to hire an employee, it performs background checks to avoid hiring a person with a criminal record. It does not want its image to be tainted or be put at risk internally or externally. The case of Amir, Butt and Asif is also similar to the abovementioned scenario. Re-selecting even one of these players will set a weak precedent for future players; one that says, so what if you committed a heinous crime like gambling or spot fixing, you were young and impressionable, so we forgive you. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"] Photo: AFP[/caption] But is that the kind of precedent we are ready to set and commit to? If compared to a cricketing nation like the West Indies, where talent is drying up and they have no option but to reinstate Marlon Samuels, despite him having served a two-year ban due to betting, ours is a very different case; Pakistan has absolutely no dearth of cricketing talent. Although some players and critics want to give this tainted trio a second chance, I am steadfast in my belief that these players are compulsive criminals. If they are given a chance to represent Pakistan again, God forbid, they will once again indulge in criminal activities and tarnish the image of Pakistan. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"] Photo: AFP[/caption] Starting with Asif; in 2006, he was slapped with a one-year ban by the PCB for failing a dope test. Asif appealed to the PCB and unfortunately, the organisation lifted the ban, based on the assumption that Asif would not repeat the act again. Asif committed a second criminal offence in 2008, when he was caught with drugs at the Dubai airport on his way back from India, after playing in the first edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). After the Dubai airport incident, Asif put forward his innocence by claiming that he is unaware of how the contraband made its way into his wallet. The Pakistani embassy and the PCB offered Asif their full support and prevented him from a long detention. How did Asif repay the benevolence of the PCB and this country? By indulging in spot fixing in England, in 2010. After reviewing Asif’s unscrupulous past, I ask you, do you think this man can be trusted to play on our team again? While you ponder over that, let me now move on to Salman Butt. In 2010, Butt was given the opportunity to perform as captain of the Pakistani cricket team during the England tour. He made history when he led our team to a Test match victory over Australia, at Headingly, after a dry spell of 15 years. While praise was showered on him from all quarters, his over-confidence, and perhaps the weight of expectation from fans, was too much to bear, leading him to what we believe to be the biggest spot-fixing scandal in the history of this country. Although marked currency notes were recovered from Butt’s room, he continues to blatantly deny his involvement in the crime. Butt pleaded his case in front of his family with so much conviction that they were sure he was innocent. So much so, that his sisters were trying to convince pedestrians on the streets of Lahore to accept their brother’s innocence. His father vowed to unveil the actual hidden facts behind the spot fixing allegations, but soon enough, all he could do was accept the crime committed by his son. Butt continued this façade of innocence for nearly five years. He finally succumbed to confessing, a few months ago, after realising that his admission would be more favourable than a lie. In light of his confession, would you be comfortable with him representing our team again? Is he the role-model our future players should aspire to? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Reuters[/caption] Amir, on the other hand, has been given an unfair advantage because of his ‘tender age’ at the time the crime was committed. Admittedly, he was just 18-years-old when he gave into the crime of spot fixing, but last I remember, an 18-year-old was considered a legal adult in most countries including Pakistan. Would an adult not be able to distinguish between right and wrong? Amir claims he was under duress from Butt and Asif and barely had a choice in the matter. According to Amir, when Butt said,

“Do me a favour. Bowl two no-balls for me.”

“I said, Bro, I’m scared I can’t do it. I was churning inside, thinking about it. I cursed myself. I knew I was cheating cricket...Then I did it.”

“It was a very lenient sentence, but it does send a message to other players that they cannot err. We’ve been too complacent in the past. This shows that we need to clean out our stables – and we need to do it very quickly.”

Dear Younus Khan, I hope this letter finds you well. Let me start by saying that you are, undoubtedly, one of the greatest Test match batsmen Pakistan has ever produced. Your powers of concentration and mental strength are only bettered by Misbahul Haq in the current Test team, while your skills as a stroke-maker coupled with your triathlon-athlete like endurance are a winning combination like no other. In a sense, you remind me of a boxer who lives for the counter punch. You, Younus, sometimes take more punches than a middle-order batsman has any right to handle, before you begin hitting back. It starts with numerous jabs in the shape of singles and doubles – which unbeknownst to your adversary do sizable damage – followed by more unorthodox shots such as sweeps and flicks, designed to infuriate the fielding team. Finally, your haymakers take their turn as you drive the leather off the old cherry. After a long tussle, as was with your incredible 171 against Sri Lanka, you are standing, arms raised, next to a bewildered and weary opponent, who is beaten black and blue after seemingly dominating the bout earlier. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="597"] PHOTO: AFP[/caption] Younus, though I am sure you have guessed where this is going next, it is imperative for you to continue reading. Throughout your career, there has been a pattern as clear as a quartz crystal for anyone to observe – you find your way into the limited-overs cricket team after some fabulous Test match performances, fail miserably, play magnificently in a new Test series, are dropped from the limited-overs format, throw a childlike tantrum on Pakistani media and emotionally blackmail your way back into the limited-overs team, fail in ODIs again, rinse and repeat. After the World Cup, Younus, I thought you had learned, but here we are once again. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="595"] PHOTO: AFP[/caption] Once more, you made your way to television and threw another outburst after it became apparent you would not be selected for the ODI series against Zimbabwe. Your statement was particularly immature,

“If I am not selected, the one-day team will not be able to stand up.”

“I would advise him to stop worrying about playing the ODI format.”

“I respect him a lot he is a legend of Pakistan cricket. But I think he should not bother or worry about me. Because after 15 years of international cricket, I don’t think I need to take anyone’s advice to decide what to do about my career.”

It was the summer of 1999 when Pakistani cricket fans were eagerly hoping our cricket team would bring home the second World Cup from the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. That night, I was not watching the hyped Australia versus Pakistan match in the comfort of my TV lounge or with my family and friends; rather I was watching it with my mother who was lying in a hospital bed, after undergoing a single breast mastectomy (which is the surgical removal of the entire breast in women). I remember my mother being in excruciating pain. I was too young to comprehend what on earth brought my mother to this stage, I was angry and confused because I did not understand why she had to undergo two surgeries even though she would consistently be visiting experienced doctors at one of the most renowned hospitals of Karachi. As I grew older, I came to know that the doctors at this renowned hospital in Karachi had misread my mother’s breast lump for around two years; and two years are enough for the lump to grow bigger and harder. To diagnose whether it was cancerous or not, she was scheduled for a lumpectomy (a surgical procedure that removes only the tumour and a small rim (area) of the normal tissue around it). The reports showed stage two breast cancer which had already spread to her lymph nodes (part of the body’s immune system) in the left underarm area. Therefore, to prevent the cancer from spreading to other parts of the body, she had to undergo a mastectomy of her left breast. To further prevent the cancer cells (if any were remaining) the doctor prescribed radiation therapy, which is a form of high-energy particles or waves, such as x-rays, gamma rays, etc, to destroy or damage cancer cells . Since radiation only works around primary areas, she was further administered with chemotherapy (chemo) which is a combination of pill form or medicine injected intravenously (into a vein with an IV) to treat cancer. The goal of chemo was to kill cancer cells throughout the body which may have spread to parts of the body away from the primary (original) tumour. Although the treatment procedure nauseated her beyond belief and caused hair Loss, but my mother did not lose hope and strength. However, 15 years after my mother recovered from breast cancer, my life took a U-turn. It was the summer of 2014 in June when I developed a constant pain in my right breast which made me cautious and I started getting flashbacks of my mother’s cancer treatment days. One day, the thought of having to deal with the entire diagnosis of breast cancer jolted me out of my bed. Without delaying things any further, I scheduled an appointment with my primary care physician and the next thing I knew I was sitting at the radiologist’s office with an ultrasound report revealing that there is a cyst which needs to be biopsied. I underwent a needle aspiration procedure, which is meant to draw a liquid sample from the cyst. The struggle of inserting a heavy needle in my right breast under a localised anaesthesia was traumatic as the doctors figured the breasts were too dense. I couldn’t hold back my tears and screams because the pain was so intense. After failed attempts of needle aspiration, it was then determined that since it was a lump, it would need to be removed surgically in order to be able to tell if it was benign or malignant. At the age of 28, knowing that my early age pregnancy and breastfeeding routine would protect me from breast cancer, I was at a loss after hearing about my lumpectomy. While recovering from lumpectomy and waiting for my biopsy reports, my mind automatically edged towards all sorts of negative thoughts about chemotherapy, losing my hair and ultimately losing my breast just like my mother did. It was devastating. Finally the day arrived when I was sitting at the breast surgeon’s office, waiting to hear the results. The doctor was snipping my dried out stitches with a pair of scissors and examining my recovery from a week old lumpectomy. I was relieved when the reports came clear and I realised that all the pain and apprehensions were worth it. The only way to prevent breast cancer is early detection, especially for high risk women like me who have a history of breast cancer in their family. However, early detection and regular breast examination should not only be followed by women with a history of breast cancer in their family but for all females once they hit puberty. It took me a real life experience to understand the importance of early diagnosis and early treatment to minimise the possibility of breast cancer. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month worldwide. Due to this annual campaign, more and more young and post-menopausal women are able to gain wider insight into the possible causes of breast cancer, such as high breast density and a family history of breast cancer, along with the understanding of preventive measures for women in the form of post-menstrual breast screenings and annual mammograms in post-menopausal women for better results. This means young women are advised to schedule their breast screening after their menstruation, because the change in breasts due to hormonal fluctuations just before and during the menstrual cycle can affect the clarity of reports. Women over 40, who have reached menopause, should not skip their annual physical appointments which should include mammograms. Apart from early screening, the healthy behaviour, along with healthy lifestyle choices may help in lowering our risk of different types of cancer listed below. - Be physically active (Get regular exercise). - Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. (Survivors who are overweight or obese should limit high-calorie foods and beverages and increase physical activity to help with weight loss). - Choose 100 per cent whole grain foods (such as 100 per cent whole grain breads and cereals, brown rice, millet and quinoa). - Limit red meat and processed meat. Choose chicken, fish or beans more often. - Limit bad fats (saturated and trans fats). These are found in foods such as red meat, fatty deli meats, poultry skin, full fat dairy, fried foods, margarine, donuts and microwave popcorn. - Eat good fats (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats). These are found in foods such as olive and canola oil, nuts and natural nut butters, avocado and olives. Since Pakistan has the highest incidence of breast cancer amongst the Asian countries, it is extremely important to emphasise a culture of healthy choices, early examination and diagnosis through public service messages and observing breast cancer awareness month at schools and colleges. Since early diagnosis increases the chances of surviving breast cancer as high as 90 per cent.

Historically, cricket pitches in Asia had the tag of ‘lifeless’ and ‘flat’ associated with them. They’re usually considered as batting paradises where scores of 500 are considered as decent and taking 20 wickets is akin to climbing Mount Everest. While this may be true in some cases, despite the notion that they’re flat, some non-Asian touring teams have often been found struggling in these batting-friendly conditions. Pitches on which Pakistan is able to score in excess of 500, touring parties like England and Australia have repeatedly been bundled out for less than 300. For instance, when both these teams were whitewashed in 2012 and 2014, respectively. Things were not any different for Australia during their tour of India in 2013, where they lost 4-0 on ‘flat’ surfaces. During the on-going Test series in the UAE between Pakistan and England, Michael Vaughan claimed that,

“Home advantage has swayed too far.”