The Express Tribune

We live in a time where our very existence is offensive to some people. It is hard to imagine how much cricket has been used as a weapon for political folly. It is absolutely outrageous that our team is in constant limbo, adjusting to whatever catastrophe will hit them next. Perhaps we are sensitive people, maybe our history has taught us the art of playing victim, but there is a general feeling of resentment underlying Pakistan cricket, a sense that we are treated like second-class citizens, a complete double standard when it comes to anything Pakistan related and the deafening silence from the outside world is only perpetuating it. Perhaps we are wrong, the harm we have inflicted on ourselves has been more lethal than any attack from exterior forces but the pain is all the same. Earlier when Australia cancelled their tour of Bangladesh, it was because their safety had to be put first. We had scores of self-proclaimed gurus on Twitter claiming there is nothing heroic about putting your life on the line to play a sport and the Australians were justified in their actions. https://twitter.com/hammadhshahir/status/649092055369560064 India, Pakistan and South Africa had all toured in the months before that. The World T20, the Asia Cup and the Bangladesh Premiere League (BPL) have all been held in recent times without a blip, but this non-specific threat was enough to cancel on the eve of the departure and not a single question needed to be raised. In the same breath, you have the Shiv Sena in India causing absolute mayhem, threatening an International Cricket Council (ICC) official Aleem Dar, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman, Shahryar Khan and Najam Sethi sealed in their hotel for security reasons, Wasim Akram and Shoaib Akthar unable to commentate, Pakistani artists being forced to cancel events and an immense hatred for the country and anything and everything associated with it. That is not to say that all of India feels this way, it is impossible to generalise and believe that the actions of a few reflect the sentiments of 1.2 billion souls. If only the rest of the world didn’t think we are all hiding in our bomb shelters and funding lunatics. The ICC has decided that given the cash cow the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is, they could not take the World T20 away from India, after all, it is only Pakistan who is at stake. Instead, our players who are under serious attack will simply not play in the state of Maharashtra. There you have it, problem brilliantly solved. If the Shiv Sena is attacking Pakistanis, simply remove them from the equation. The deafening silence from both the ICC and the BCCI is enough to make one question the very foundation of the cricketing world. What is this dictatorship? If a team feels threatened in a country, how can you expect them to play, but if the roles were reversed there would be outrage? Given all the power the BCCI now has, the rest of the playing nations are simply ostriches, afraid to ruffle any feathers in fear of the mighty Indian wrath. On June 26, 2014, the headlines roared about how India and Pakistan, under the leadership of then chairman Najam Sethi, had a binding agreement with India; six tours between the years 2015-2023 which had been sketched into the Future Tours Programme for both teams. Pakistan was also apparently said to be given the fourth largest share of revenue after the Big Three, allowing us to believe we had some say in the ruling of the cricket world. As it stands, the situation has reached new levels of low with intolerance rampant on both sides of the border and cricket and its avid followers are the ones to suffer. You have the ministry and heads of the BCCI claiming that they will not play cricket with Pakistan because the country is harbouring certain terrorists? Is this what cricket has now been reduced to, a bargaining tool for a political agenda? On the flip side, the chief executive of the PCB is desperate for some cricketing ties with India, realising the importance of their presence in the sport. With the Pakistan Super League (PSL) on the rise, he’s open to the idea of having Indian players on board; perhaps that sentiment might have changed after recent events. It is pertinent to also point out that earlier this year, during the Indian Premiere League (IPL), Sri Lankan players were not able to play any matches in Chennai so perhaps the threat looms for nations as a whole and not one specific neighbour. There was little talk, even less ridicule and a simple sense of acceptance, that’s just how it was. As Pakistanis, we’re used to this every single year (again playing victim of course), we are all too familiar with the depression that sinks in when IPL season is on. These are dark times for Pakistan cricket. It’s a hard time to be a fan no matter where you live in the world. The sport is slowly being wrought with the sort of red tape and governance that takes away from the magic. It’s going to be a wonder how Pakistan will manage to play any games at all at the World T20. If we boycott the World Cup, it is only our team that will suffer. The time is now for the ICC to create a standard policy for the security of all playing nations around the world and yes dare I say, one that includes the nuisance that is Pakistan.

During my school days, students would queue in the main ground and proudly sing Pakistan’s national anthem during the morning assembly. Singing the national anthem brought everyone together, nurturing inclusiveness and a sense of unity. The school had students from different religious backgrounds, although the majority was Sunni Muslims. Singing the anthem instilled love for Pakistan from an early age and brought everyone together in solidarity. Those were the only times when Jinnah’s Pakistan twinkled in the eyes of everyone and reminded us of his quote,

“You are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed. That has nothing to do with the business of the State.”

In light of this, my indignation at Cranbourne Carlisle Primary School does not seem unwarranted. It has come under scrutiny for allowing 30 to 40 Muslim students, aged eight to 10, to walk out before the school sang Australia’s national anthem. This was done to not hurt their religious sentiments as it was Muharram and Muslims consider it a month of mourning. The school sports the motto “many cultures one community” but seems to have shot itself in the foot by allowing its students to walk out of their community and nation’s national anthem. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]

Photo: Sabeer Lodhi[/caption] Since when did the unfortunate Karbala incident become a cultural event? Countries like Pakistan lost their plot when they blurred lines between culture and religion and now Australia seems to be following suit through its ‘progressive policies’ that are breeding more exclusion than inclusiveness. Australia is a democracy and an individual should have the right to choose. But singing the national anthem of a country goes at the heart of its identity and culture. By allowing the children to walk out, the school administration might have wanted to be sensitive to their religious sentiments but ended up amplifying the line between ‘us and them’ and breaking barriers of ‘one community’. The school has 440 children that hail from 21 different countries. By allowing 40 Muslim students to walk out, the school administration separated them from the rest of their peers on religious pretexts and showed that religion is more important than unity, giving them a sense of entitlement. On the other hand, students who stood there for the national anthem could grow up to see Muslims as ‘others.’ The fact that they were allowed to exclude themselves on religious pretexts is questionable. Allowing religion to seep into the school system is a dangerous step that can promote radicalisation as children have vulnerable minds which are shaped by situations around them. Schools should not have to adapt to different religious sensitivities. Religion and its values should belong to individuals and practiced accordingly. There is a genuine concern of Islamophobia seeping into the Western society but Muslims will have to learn to adapt to Western culture and values instead of expecting others to adapt to their way of life. In this case, students should have stood in the assembly to show respect to the anthem of their host country while being given the right to not sing it. By allowing them to walk out of the assembly, the school might have catered to their religious sentiments but ended up hurting the nationalism of many Australians and promoting exclusion.

Uber, a company worth around $50 billion has decided to launch its operations in Pakistan – wonderful news for our developing nation, is it not? Well, in actuality, not really. Uber is a controversial private taxi service currently based in over 60 countries, and is notorious for the numerous legal, safety, regulatory as well as privacy issues it faces. Before I expand on these risks and issues, let me first brief the readers on what Uber is and how it operates. Uber is a web-based service through which you can ask strangers in your vicinity to arrive at your destination and give you a ride, much like a private taxi. The payment is conveniently charged from your credit card. It’s easy for anyone to be hired as a driver for Uber – all that is needed is a working car, a license and a 13-minute YouTube video to be watched. Though it sounds like the perfect, simple idea, probably causing you to say, “Why didn’t I ever think of this before?”, it is just too good to be true. First of all, the fact that anyone with a working car can drive an Uber taxi leaves a huge question mark on the security of the service. The driver could be anyone; a teacher and a criminal have equal chances of being your driver. In August 2015, it was discovered in Los Angeles that four drivers had been allowed to operate by Uber despite having records of manslaughter, identity theft, child exploitation and DUI. Though Uber runs background checks and promises that, “ridesharing and livery drivers in the US are screened through a process that includes county, federal, and multi-state criminal background checks”, these security measures have been criticised for being too easy and simple to evade. To date, three deaths have been reported in Uber accidents, five alleged kidnappings, 10 cases of imposters, over 30 charges of sexual assaults and harassment incidents and 17 cases of physical assaults. Keeping in mind that these incidents have occurred mostly in developed and leading nations including the US, Australia and Britain, we can only imagine the security threats that Uber faces in Pakistan – a country already greatly disturbed by terrorism. What is worse is the fact that many a times, Uber’s management acts highly irresponsibly in times of such issues. In January 2014, Syed Muzaffar, an Uber driver in San Francisco was responsible for running over and killing a six-year-old girl. Uber denied any responsibility for the driver’s action, even though it was later discovered that Muzaffar was previously convicted for reckless driving – another failure of Uber’s background checks. Moreover, Uber claims that to keep personal information private, only the first name of the rider is provided to the driver. However, their claims of privacy remain doubtful. In March 2014, Olivia Nuzzi shared her disturbing experience with Uber on The Daily Beast. She writes,

“At the end of the ride, the Uber driver asked me if I had been near Lincoln Centre a few hours earlier. I said I hadn’t, since I didn’t remember walking past there. Then he took out his iPad. ‘Really?’ he asked. ‘Because you look like this girl,’ he turned the iPad around to face the back seat. To my surprise, I saw a full-length, close-up picture of me, wearing the workout clothes I’d had on an hour previously.”

Of course, the woman immediately filed a complaint and the driver was fired, but that it is not where it ends. Contrary to Uber’s claim of keeping contact information private, the driver managed to contact her via email and Facebook. Uber’s short history already overflows with great amounts of such horrifying incidents. Adding to that are the legal challenges it is always faced by in several countries and has been subjected to protests from taxi drivers, taxi companies, and governments around the world. In San Francisco last year, the district attorneys filed a civil suit against the company and sought a permanent injunction against the service regarding their claim that its background checks screened out drivers who were committed of a crime. To date, protests have been staged in countries including Britain, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Brazil, China and in India – where a 26-year-old passenger claimed of being raped by her Uber driver. Often these protests and other legal issues have led to the taxi service being banned in certain regions of countries including Japan, Thailand, France, Brazil and South Korea. To say the least, a company already leaking with abundance of issues and risks may very well prove to be perilous to users living in the sensitive areas of Pakistan, as it already has in numerous other countries. Though the cities of Pakistan do need an overhaul in the ever deteriorating taxi services, Uber is not necessarily the best choice – in fact, it is amongst the riskiest choices. Pakistan already has a long path to tread towards stability in the region. Although terrorism is in decline, petty thefts and street crimes still soar along with cases of sexual harassment and rape. Plus, owing to these conditions, in a country where people are already afraid to even confront a stranger on the street, I doubt that the idea of strangers giving other strangers rides in their cars would thrive. Perhaps it may manage to work in a few posh areas of cities such as Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad, but other than that, I see a dim future for Uber in Pakistan, at least for now. In terms of security and privacy, a taxi service in control of the respective provincial governments would fare much better and it is, after all, their responsibility to provide the citizens with comfortable means of public transportation. In the end, I believe it would be the better choice for both Pakistan and for Uber to stay away from each other. The problems that Uber may bring to our nation; I will leave to your imaginations.

In the spring of 2001, while in Copenhagen, I went to Gun Nation, an exhibit by British photojournalist Zed Nelson. Nelson’s opus, with book of same title, intertwined Americans’ love of weapons with carnage: victims’ photos juxtaposed with images of domestic bliss, say, a man holding a pistol in one hand while cradling his infant in the other. Guns, mass shootings, and gang violence have been a part of America for decades. So why does every shooting generate incredulity in this Sisyphean landscape? Recently, on December 2, 2015, two heavily armed persons entered a community centre for the disabled in San Bernardino and killed at least 14 people. Social media erupted. Sans evidence the media speculated that perhaps a nearby Planned Parenthood was the target; others ascribed it to the myth of the white male shooter. In the end, however, two Muslims emerged as perpetrators. The aftermath has seen the usual tropes and distractions, including oblivion to the definition of terrorism, which is “violence or the threat of violence, especially bombing, kidnapping, and assassination, carried out for political purposes.” Timothy McVeigh was a terrorist, the Sandy Hook shooter wasn’t. Helping the media distort, consider the ‘whatabouters’. They ask,

“What about the Colorado Planned Parenthood shooting?”

They defend Daesh by saying,

“What about the KKK?”

Dean Obeidallah defends Muslims by highlighting how Christians are also capable of atrocity. Mike Huckabee, after the Planned Parenthood killings, exhibits moral vacancy by arguing,

“What about aborted babies?”

Then there’s the ‘blame the gun posse’. I blame the killers not the National Rifle Association (NRA) or gun culture. That doesn’t mean guns are not a problem, but the blame-game riles up paranoid Second Amendment activists who complain about how their right to bear arms trumps victims, which leads to the ‘Conspiracy Freak’. The most repulsive views derive from nuts such as the Sandy Hook Truthers who somehow believe the government plotted the massacre of school children so they could ban guns in the United States. If that’s not enough, we have an identity crisis of ‘Tag, you’re racist!’ – Faux accusations of bigotry that fuel division. The South Carolina church shooter does not represent white people, and the San Bernardino shooters do not represent Muslims. And in a way we all become apologists, for aren’t we all sorry? What should we do? Process information, use data, and fact check. Make correct analogies. For example, compare Australia, a country that has a more comprehensive ban on guns, to the United States. After the 1996 Port Arthur killings in Tasmania, Australia has seen no mass killings, with “mass killing” defined as four or more fatalities. Pew Research reports that the homicide rate has dropped since 1993 in the US, but gun crime remains disproportionately high compared to most countries in Europe, Japan, Singapore, and elsewhere in the developing world. When Michael Moore, in Bowling for Columbine, says that Canada has similar gun ownership to the US but far less gun crime, we can verify. We can use the internet as a library. And informed arguments make for convincing arguments. Yes, guns are, for better or worse, part of our society, whether for hunting, recreation, or security. We cannot ban, but we can control and regulate. Let’s keep moving in that direction. To reduce violence all the self-righteous blaming will add nothing, we can only improve society by changing the culture. Let’s change the culture.

Some say, it’s a confidence issue. Others say that it is the lack of international cricket at home. Fingers are pointed at the flawed domestic setup or the nepotism in selection. Whatever the case may be; as far as ODI and T20 cricket is concerned, Pakistan batting is indeed at its lowest ebb ever. After watching the recently concluded ODI series between Australia and India, I was mesmerised by the batting at display. It was aggressive, belligerent, but at the same time poised and full of confidence. Chasing or posting scores in the proximity of 300 and above was the norm. On the other hand, head east a bit towards the shore of New Zealand, and we see the green shirts finding it hard to chase even 280 on the much diminutive grounds of the Kiwi’s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fGJtKlpWxs It just made me wonder how immense the gap has become between the Pakistan batting and it’s counterparts. I believe the last time a Pakistani batsman scored a comprehensive match-winning century, was about the same time that Qaim Ali Shah must have been born. It’s as if, overnight, we have just forgotten how to bat in the shorter formats. Correct me if I’m wrong, but weren’t the Pakistani players in the days of yore known for their aggressive style. Be it bowling or batting. Yes, I confess that ours was never the most dependable of batting line ups, and it was always one heartbeat away from a collapse, but aggression was our forte. This is one of the reasons that we did so well in ODI cricket and the initial T20 world cups. These formats were tailor-made for us. The lack of playing at home has no doubt hurt us, but that does not justify the gulf that is so evident between the Pakistan batting and the rest. Plus, our adopted home in the UAE can boasts some of the flattest tracks on this planet. So really, there is no excuse for the batsmen to not score big. So what then is the reason for this decline? I guess we just stagnated. We were too consumed with our laurels of the 90’s where we had a team that was just generally god gifted. We just thought that we will keep on finding such talent. Well, we did so in our bowling but weren’t so lucky with the bat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cab9GBSxZn4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ3HHQR_Hmc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-q28TTiK18 I remember as a kid in the 90’s, the subtle wrist work of Anwar, the brute force of Afridi, the calmness/ferociousness of Inzi (depending on which mood he was in) and the brilliant stroke play of Yousa Youhana (later Mohammad Yousaf). These guys had different styles but they all had an appetite for scoring big runs and scoring them quickly. More importantly they knew how to build an innings. Compare them with the current lot, and it seems that the batsmen today are just unsure of how to go about scoring their runs, especially when the situation demands some alacrity on their part. It’s been an eternity that Pakistan has produced a proper modern day batsmen for ODI cricket that can score consistently and quickly. While the batting in Test matches has been hunky-dory, we have hit the reverse gear in the shorter format. I’m sick and tired of waiting for Umar Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood or Ahmed Shehzad et al. to be the next big thing. Guess what? It isn’t happening and I don’t see it happening anytime soon. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Sohaib Maqsood (left), Ahmed Shehzad (centre), Umar Akmal (right)[/caption] The Pakistani batsmen need to really do some serious soul searching and change their ways to keep themselves relevant in this day and age of powerful hitting and rapid run making. In short they need to find their lost mojo. In the meantime, we, the fans, have to make do watching and marveling at the great batting displays of the foreigners, albeit with a tinge of jealousy and wistfulness.

The CNN headline: Australian hospital refuses to discharge asylum seeker baby. The details:

“Nepalese baby, while at a detention centre in Nauru, an island in the South Pacific 2,000 miles away from the hospital in Brisbane, suffered severe burns. Now that she had recovered, though, the hospital didn’t want her to return to the abominable conditions in Nauru.”

To morph a cliché attributed to Joseph Stalin – individual tragedy moves us; millions of tragedies become statistics. This signifies either that humanity cares nothing about humanity, or that we cannot process mass atrocity. I’ll take the latter. The story of one life, disseminated to millions, can result in greater empathy. The Syrian boy, Aylan Kurdi, did more than any promulgation of demographics counting the dead and displaced. The article continues:

“A 2015 Australian Senate inquiry reported that the camps had poor hygiene, provided little educational opportunities and also documented several instances of sexual assault.”

Outside the hospital protestors support Asha, volunteers offer a home, but not everyone in Australia is welcoming. It’s the same old argument. The Herald Sun observes that “Nepal has no war, famine and dictatorship” and asks why Australian tax revenue should feed economic migrants. Why can’t this Nepalese family stay in Nepal? A country with a dead economy may as well have war, famine and dictatorship. Every day we observe headlines, read articles and sometimes, despite distance, feel involved. As for myself, comfortable in front of my computer screen, I try (and surely fail) to avoid platitudes in lieu of fresh language to capture how Asha might be important. Before I went overseas I thought multiculturalism was the answer; let’s open borders, mix, communicate, we’re all the same. If you had asked me,

“Should South and North Korea be one country? Should China and Taiwan be one country? Should Israel and Palestine…” I’d have answered, “The whole world should be one country.”

But the whole world is not one country. I’ve been to Australia and Nepal, Kathmandu and Sydney, Nagarkot and Devonport; they contrast greatly. They say money talks, but in Nepal, like other low per capita income nations, money screams. My eight years overseas, mostly in the developing world, taught me more about economy than Milton Friedman, John Keynes, Karl Marx, Adam Smith, and the Wall Street Journal. In Brazil, my salary is less than US minimum wage, and yet I worked half the hours for twice the pay-cheque of my co-workers. The wealthier students arrived and departed with their armed bodyguards. In the United Arab Emirates, my students drove SUVs and BMWs, boasted of lavish weekends in Dubai, while my fellow teachers from the Levant and the Maghreb drove decade old Plymouths or Toyotas. The South Asian janitors took the bus. In Phnom Penh, Bangkok and Manila, the ubiquitous site is of young girls arm-in-arm with septuagenarians from Europe, Australia, and North America. In the UAE, we took a long weekend, rented an SUV, and headed to the Al Hajar, a range in Oman. Far from modern civilisation, an hour from paved roads and even a convenience store, we drove up steep hard gravel roads that cut into mountainous rock, back and forth, hoping to find paradise underneath blue sky and chanced onto an oasis and mansion. No cars. We parked, took our picnic lunch into the oasis, and discovered a wadi, a desert pool. As we swam we noticed two strangers in shalwar kameez. They told us using rudimentary English how they worked for an Omani sultan who owned the mansion. We told them how lucky they were to live in heaven. One said,

“Not heaven. This is hell.”

Their salaries helped a family in Pakistan, where they returned for one month a year. They considered themselves slaves, lonely and isolated in their prison. Money doesn’t talk, it screams. Asha signifies this classic struggle, the dichotomy of rich and poor. The rich do not trouble me so much, as I’d prefer to live in a country that produces as many millionaires and billionaires as possible; it’s the poor that merit attention. There’s a reason people struggle to escape poverty, even if their destination is unwelcoming and capable of cruelty. Baby Asha’s family wanted a better life. Immigration, free trade, market economy, wealth distribution, in human terms and demographics and percentages become a mathematical and esoteric puzzle. Statistics can be simplified. The Holy Quran, in Chapter Five, Verse 32 states whoever kills a soul, it is as if he killed all mankind and whoever saves a soul, it as if he saved all mankind. All great religions or philosophies have some form of this aphorism; we have no excuse for not heeding.

During my visit to Azad Kashmir, I came across a truck on the road that was unusually bereft of any truck art; it’s exterior was all plain apart from a few words boldly painted at the back, clearly stating “Boom boom Afridi”. It proudly exhibited the truck owner’s love for the Pakistani cricket player, Shahid Afridi. This immediately reminded me of the first scene from the Bollywood film ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ , showcasing Pakistan’s side Kashmiris cheering for Team Green, a lady among them who was even willing to name her new born after Afridi. On the Pakistan cricket team’s recent visit to India during the World T20, on the day of their match against New Zealand (March 22, 2016), I received a mention over social media from a Kashmiri (Indian-held Kashmir) saying: https://twitter.com/RoufDar_/status/712260530711310336 This was the wish of any Kashmiri; to have his love for the Pakistani cricket team recognised by the players. At the beginning of the match, it was quite amazing to see that when Afridi was asked to comment on the support that was visible in the stadium, he did not falter in recognising the support outpouring from Kashmir. It was Ramiz Raja who asked:

“It seems you have a bit of fan following here in Mohali…”

To which Afridi responded by saying:

“Yes, a lot of people, a lot of people are here from Kashmir as well. And I want to thank people of Kolkata; they really support us as well.”

This recognition of support by Afridi made Kashmiri spectators ecstatic. After all, who wouldn’t want their love to be appreciated before the world, and that too by their favourite sportsperson? The posters in the image below also speak volumes in this regard: [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"]

Kashmiris hold posters in Mohali saying ‘We are here for Afridi’ and ‘From Kashmir with love”
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] Perhaps a Pakistani uttering the highly sensitive K-word in India wasn’t acceptable to the locals and the following consequences commenced. The Indian media began to report the incident with headlines such as:

‘Now, Afridi says people from Kashmir have come to support Pakistan’ (Hindustan Times) ‘SHOCKING: Shahid Afridi Talks About Kashmir Before World T20 Match’ (ABP News) The next day, BCCI came out criticising Afridi for using the K-word and advised him to abstain from passing any ‘political’ statements. It’s ridiculously hilarious that a mere appreciation of people and their support has been associated with politics – why?

Because the fans in question belonged to a place that is in dispute between India and Pakistan; a notion that makes no sense at all. https://twitter.com/mehdizafar/status/712308138502787073 The story did not end there. After a few days, on March 25, 2016, when Pakistan played against Australia at the same Mohali, again it was noted that a significant number of Kashmiri supporters were present at the stadium, cheering for the Pakistani cricket team. While watching the match, my own family members wondered how Pakistan had obtained an overwhelming amount of support, considering the match was in India and not Pakistan. I informed them that the supporters were Kashmiris who had travelled all the way from Indian-held Kashmir to Mohali for the Pakistani team. Some of the Kashmiris talked about it on Twitter in following words: https://twitter.com/Saqibnzr/status/713331456462888961 https://twitter.com/Daniyalbr/status/713406480146280448 https://twitter.com/__qureshi/status/713298360078196736 On the same day at the post-match ceremony, Afridi thanked the crowd for their support on behalf of the entire team in the following words:

“I want to thank people from Kolkata. I thank people who came and supported us from Pakistan and Kashmir.”

Once again, he mentioned Kashmir. And again, the Kashmiri spectators were overjoyed while the locals were irked. An Indian journalists then tweeted: https://twitter.com/ShekharGupta/status/713353532322111488 Mr Shekhar Gupta should really explain to all of us how thanking the people of Kashmir was in any way an attempt to resolve the Kashmir issue! Kashmiris on the other hand reacted via social media: https://twitter.com/Daniyalbr/status/713361778692861952 https://twitter.com/MirzaWaheed/status/713356645401800704 https://twitter.com/_Faysal/status/713355446447316993 https://twitter.com/Uqab_/status/713410685053583360 In both circumstances, Afridi’s words were not even remotely political. It’s shocking to see how India has reacted to the mere mention of Kashmir. After all, how could thanking the crowd for their support be in any way political? And let’s not ignore the fact that both these times Kolkata and Kashmir were mentioned synonymously, a point that has been hypocritically ignored. Afridi’s words could only have been termed as ‘political’ if he had talked of occupation, the freedom movement or any kind of relevant dispute. However, there was none. The reaction of BCCI was quite uncalled for, disappointing and irrelevant. This instance only reflects one thing; India’s sensitivity towards Kashmir, so much so that it becomes intolerable for them to even hear a Pakistani using the K-word while standing on their soil. It is equally pertinent to acknowledge that this is not the first time Kashmir’s support for Pakistan’s cricket team has come into the spotlight. Kashmiris have been cheering for Pakistan for quite a long time. This has also been the cause of beatings, expulsions from educational institutes and also bookings under sedition charges in India. All these incidents bear an underlying message; it is high time India accepts that, when it comes to cricket, Kashmir – on both sides – generally, has sentiments for Team Green and Shahid Afridi. Accepting this fact will not hurt the Indian political narrative on Kashmir in any way.

Last night, whilst watching The Dark Knight Rises, yet again, I realised the city of Gotham has a lot in common with the Pakistan cricket structure. Batman ends up saving Gotham city. Even when he was completely down and out, he did not surrender; and if the Dark Knight didn’t give up, why should Pakistani cricket fans? In the movie, the mayor of the city was as powerless as the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Shahryar Khan, whereas the bureaucratic structure was as inefficient and incompetent as Intikhab Alam. It was natural, therefore, for every Pakistani cricket fan to look for their superhero, their Batman in order to address this downward spiral. On the eve of March 25, 2016, things began to look bleaker for Pakistani cricket after yet another poor performance during an International Cricket Council (ICC) event. This was the third time the men in green failed to qualify for semi-finals over the past three years at an ICC event. It almost felt like the collapse of Gotham; and just like its desperate residents, there was an increasing sense of frustration amongst the fans. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: AP[/caption] However, as the sun rose 10 days later, so did a new feeling of hope amongst most cricket lovers in the country, as PCB named Sarfraz Ahmed the T20 captain. As a cricket fan, I feel like I can identify Sarfraz as the superhero we were desperately searching for. As much as hope and excitement this news may have brought, there is also a need for a reality check. The harsh reality is that the sport remains to be in terrible condition in Pakistan and that cannot change overnight. But the real question is; what can we actually expect from Sarfraz as a captain in the near future? To begin with, the best thing about the Karachi-born wicketkeeper cum batsman is, just like any other superhero, he seems to be absolutely clear in his approach towards the game, which is an ideal and welcome factor in a clueless team like ours. This is one of the reasons why so many pundits were calling for the 28-year-old to be named captain. He emerged on to the scene after rising to an occasion (just like Batman did nearly every time) when he played a tournament-winning innings of 46, not-out, against Bangladesh during the Asia Cup 2012 final. At a time when the men in green were facing immense trouble with a shoddy score of 133-6 in the 35^th over, Sarfraz showed immense maturity in an innings where he hit just four boundaries in 52 balls. He then showed his mettle at Test level, with breath-taking 100’s against Australia and then New Zealand in a home series in the UAE. Through these feats, he managed to rescue his team just like Batman rescued his city. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: AP[/caption] After seeing him perform with the bat, the then head coach, Waqar Younis, tried him as an opener against the mighty Aussies in an ODI series, where he scored an impressive 65 runs off 72 balls against a strong bowling attack. His performance at the top forced the team management to use him as an opener in the ICC World Cup as well, where he once again showed that he is the right choice during a period of crisis. He won back-to-back man-of-the-match awards against South Africa and Ireland to help Misbahul Haq’s men qualify for the quarter-final. He then showed his leadership skills as he took the dark-horses, the Quetta Gladiators, to the final of the inaugural edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). This 28-year-old has a knack for making bold calls under pressure. He brought the experienced Zulfiqar Babar in during the first few overs of the innings; he then backed Mohammad Nawaz to take wickets and used Aizaz Cheema ahead of the experienced Umar Gul. He utilised Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi and New Zealand’s Grant Elliott to good effect and made sure the aggressive nature of the team remained regardless of what happened in the game. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400"] Photo: PSL[/caption] All in all, there is a lot to be excited about when thinking about the prospect of this little fellow leading our team green in the shortest format of the game. But, is he the superhero we are looking for? Only time will tell. There are various reasons as to why people will expect bigger and better things from him, which may be unfair to him as well, but isn’t that how heroes write their story — by thriving under-pressure? By the looks of it, this story line has all the characters in order for him to emerge as our very own Batman. But just like any other superhero story, he will also have to fight against the prevailing injustice and evil. Unfortunately, the evil here is none other than the cricket board itself. [poll id="503"]

After leaving a lucrative career as a pop singer, Junaid Jamshed (JJ) has evolved into a preacher and poster boy for the austere deobandi group, the Tableeghi Jamaat. He once jokingly remarked,

“When I was a singer people use to throw rose petals at me, since I came into Islam they throw stones at me.”

This simple statement does more to highlight Pakistan’s state of affairs than explain how someone, who has been referred to by his musician friends, and in his Islamic circles, as “the nicest person one can meet”, can be party to one controversy after another? Some say, he is a ‘buffoon who continues to stick his foot in his mouth’. So, is it because one minute he is talking about women not driving and the next he is seen holding hands and hugging his old mates from the music industry? Or are other forces at work? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="556"]

One minute he is talking about women not driving and the next he is seen holding hands and hugging his old mates from the music industry.
Photo: Twitter[/caption] The whole world (well, mainly Pakistanis and expat Pakistanis) watched with horror as the man cited as one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world was attacked with punches and kicks at the Islamabad airport. It was later revealed that these men were part of the pro-Qadri brigade. However, the video that went viral featured the unbearded attackers in western clothing, following the orders of a bearded man dressed in shalwar kameez and a topi. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9zj30Rs1v4&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dm9zj30Rs1v4&has_verified=1 The bearded man shouted,

“We have been looking for you” “Beat him!”

And,

“You are “ghustakh-e-ay-rasool””.

Needless to say, JJ’s non-violent response, coupled with his attempts to converse with the attackers while standing his ground, won him admiration from world over. The question is, how did he get into a position, where accusations of blasphemy led him to a point where he left the country until the situation cleared up? In one instance in London, he stopped an interview because tears started to flow down his face upon mentioning how his words had been misunderstood. This mild mannered man, who most have been seen on TV screens smiling, crying or begging for forgiveness, had not realised that he had walked into a minefield, where bitter religious rivalries existed between the Barelvis’s represented by the Sunni Tehreek and the Wahabi styled Deobandis’. The Sunni Tehreek were, as the saying goes, ‘a bit peeved’ by the sudden popularity of the Deobandis. If the Deobandis had not realised it, the Barelvis had; it was the fame of JJ that had increased the attractiveness of the group. JJ had become the protégé of Maulana Tariq Jameel, whom he saw as his “elder brother”. He travelled around from Canada to America, Australia, New Zealand and Britain to spread the groups message. His events were packed wherever he went and his following grew, as did the popularity of the group he represented. Through his efforts, he managed to put this unknown group on the radar, giving it a softer image than the one it had acquired through the notorious activities of it’s off-shoot, the Sipah-e-Sihaba (known for killing and maiming innocents perpetuating an intolerant form of Islam). However, the drama that unfolded highlighted just how much the beautiful, merciful and forgiving Islam the Prophet (PBUH) had preached had now been twisted and used by the holier-than-thou groups and lynch mobs that claim to be judge and jury. Fearing the lynch crowd, no media or publication really examined what JJ had said. The issue of JJ being blasphemous, according to many clerics, was not so much blasphemy as it was the way in which he had narrated the story of the blessed Prophet’s wife Hazrat Ayesha (RA), taken from the Sunni book, Sahih Bukhari. According to Maulana Ibraheem Isa,

“It was not so much a case of blasphemy but a matter of incorrect adab”.

Overnight, JJ’s mentor, who he always consulted along with the “elders in Raiwind”, disowned him publicly with Tariq Jameel stating that he was ‘ignorant and uneducated as a scholar’ and that he had no ties with the Tableeghi Jamaat (TJ). This came as a surprise to JJ considering he had been travelling the world upon their orders, as well as raised the profile of the group. According to their rules, no member of the group could take independent decisions without permission from the heads at Raiwind; if JJ was asked to appear on a morning TV show, he had to have acquired permission to do so. His views on women, which according to his old friends used to be quite liberal, now became conservative, reflecting the Islamic group’s attitude. He ended up saying contradictory things about women which he probably found illogical himself, as a close source to his family explains,

“His beloved aunty is in politics and his wife was allowed to drive but she chose not to, and his daughter worked for a short while as an intern in London.”

Most people had become accustomed to JJ’s inimitable, down-to-earth style; full of humour and pleasant bayans, his style of singing religious songs and videos were peppered with a Bollywood appeal and as the saying goes,

“You can take the boy out of show business but you can’t take the show business out of the boy.”

If we examine who was the main person who had accused JJ, we may get a clearer picture of how this celebrity mullah was used as a tool to attack a rival group and tarnish their popularity. During the tirade against his alleged blasphemy in the press and websites, no one once bothered to ask why a video that had already been circulating for the past two years was suddenly highlighted as blasphemous? We mustn’t forget that this is a country where it doesn’t take long to “rent a crowd” for a handful of rupees. Many use the blasphemy laws to settle political or personal scores. It is also interesting that the main agitator against JJ who demanded his arrest and imprisonment was the Pakistan Sunni Tehreek (PST) Rabita Committee member Mubeen Qadri. Did it take Mr Qadri two years to come to the conclusion that JJ was a blasphemer? Also, is it not naive for Mr Qadri to be completely unaware that he had opened up a whole can of worms? Many legal advisers in the country have asked how many other tapes of JJ and other scholars he is willing to go through if he has issued a fatwa on a tape that was two years old. How many other people was he going to be enforcing a fatwa on? Apparently no other scholar except JJ, as time has shown. The other reason why no one from the political arena stepped in to help him was because JJ had unwittingly entered the murky world of politics by supporting Imran Khan’s dharnas. When the fervour started on the streets of Pakistan led by Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri, by the end 2014, where Pakistanis were demanding a new system that caters to all, JJ’s enthusiasm could not be contained and he decided to voice his support for Imran Khan’s campaign to bring in “Naya Pakistan”. He stated in an interview,

“After years of watching injustices happening I don’t want to keep quiet anymore.”

He also attended the campaign site where he sang a few religious songs. The fact that the headquarters of the Deobandis is situated right next to Nawaz Sharif’s home on Raiwind, to what extent the Sharif brothers support the group is unclear. However, the Raiwind elders were not amused with JJ showing support for Imran Khan so he was ordered to take a back step. In the meantime, interestingly, we had Nawaz Sharif’s spokesperson Khawaja Asif speaking on TV bashing JJ’s credibility as a scholar and stating he is just a clothes seller. Inadvertently highlighting how upset Nawaz Sharif’s government was at JJ’s stance. No one supported JJ when he had to flee the country after an FIR was taken out against him. He said,

“All who were supposed to be my friends stopped calling me.”

Except his old Vital Signs band mates who were there for him. One can understand why many didn’t, but why the Deobandis disowned him so publicly is a question asked by many. The only explanation for the Deobandis stance may have been because JJ was becoming a liability as he did not stay within the unspoken sectarian boundaries that existed. He would attend any gathering whether it was Barelvis, Deobandis, Shias and Sufi in an effort to bring people together. And the forces that exist in Pakistan, those that want division, sectarian conflict, and turmoil in Pakistan, were not happy with his pleas for ‘unity’ on his TV shows. Needless to say the dharna’s came to a final end, and in the way that JJ had sacrificed his position with the ruling Nawaz Sharif party, along with all the people who sat out for months in the heat and intolerable weather with their children. In peaceful demonstrations, mostly the poor and the middle class were sacrificing their time; all their efforts were wasted. The dharna’s were disbanded a few months later because of the horrific killings of school children in Peshawar. But as many asked, shouldn’t the protests have continued especially after the killings, as the need for a just fair system, with education and social services had become dire? Imran Khan decided to end the dharna and reward all the thousands of people who had sat in the sun all day and night and made sacrifices; by secretly getting married. They say politicians are fickle; Imran Khan who had begged JJ and other celebrities to come and sing at the dharnas, didn’t bother to offer any support to him at the time of the blasphemy charges or now after he had been attacked by hooligans. Whereas the Nawaz Sharif’s government and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar did step in to arrest the attackers, realising most probably that JJ is not only a celebrity in Pakistan but internationally. It would be seen as a disgrace and affirm what most westerners believe; Pakistan is a failed state where religious extremists control the country. One also hopes that JJ has also learnt that one doesn’t have to go along blindly and spew up narratives he doesn’t really believe in, like Allah is not fond of women etc. He should instead continue to walk his own path, call for tolerance and remember to be a voice for those whose voices are suppressed. Those like Aasia bibi.

There is nothing better than watching a brilliant cover drive or a solid defensive push from a high-quality batsman. But it seems cricket has lost all its excitement and enthusiasm with the retirement of world-class batsmen such as Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis , Rahul Dravid, Michael Clarke, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. There are exceptions, of course, such as Younis Khan, Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers who still know how to swing a bat impeccably. But all hope is not lost. A few noteworthy youngsters have repeatedly proven themselves and may end up becoming some of the best batsmen of the world. The names that deserve to be on this list are Steven Smith, Joe Root, Kane Williamson and Virat Kohli. They have made their way into the top 10 ICC Test rankings; though it remains to be seen which one of these will become the leading contemporary batsmen. 4. Joe Root [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="620"] It is safe to say, the coming years will mould Root into one of the finest English batsman.
Photo: AFP[/caption] This 25-year-old is tipped as one of the brightest stars for the English side. Slim and lean, Root depends more on precision than the strength of his stroke. His patience and stubbornness at the crease makes him a dependable batsman. Root can perform well at home and away, such as his series against South Africa and West Indies. He can also adapt to subcontinent conditions like India, Sri Lanka and UAE. Despite Root’s unfortunate performance at the Ashes in Australia, he made a strong comeback, accumulating an unbeaten 200 runs at Lord’s against Sri Lanka. His consistency as the fifth batsman in the English batting line-up has helped him cement his place as one of the best batsman of his team. It is safe to say, the coming years will mould Root into one of the finest English batsman the country has produced. 3. Virat Kohli [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] At only 27, Kohli has plenty of time to flaunt his tremendous talent and become a true heir to Sachin Tendulkar.
Photo: AFP[/caption] Kohli is known for his variety of shots, his capacity to chase and his ability to bat successfully under pressure. He is considered as one of the best ODI players, averaging at 51. Kohli is not far behind in Tests either, as he averages close to 45 runs. The year 2014 was a difficult time for him as his 10 innings in England totalled to only 134 runs at an average of 13. His technique was brutally attacked by James Anderson. Fortunately, he dug himself out of the mess by performing exceptionally well in late 2014 in Australia. In 24 innings in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, his average was an exceptional 64.26 runs with seven centuries in 12 Tests. At only 27, Kohli has plenty of time to flaunt his tremendous talent and become a true heir to Sachin Tendulkar. 2. Steve Smith [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] At 26, he is already averaging 60 runs, higher than anyone else currently playing the game.
Photo: AFP[/caption] It is unbelievable to think how Smith started out as a regular leg spinner and reinvented himself to become one of the best batsmen of the world. He was recently awarded the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for being named the ICC Cricketer of the Year as well as the Test Cricketer of the Year for 2014-15. At 26, he is already averaging 60 runs, higher than anyone else currently playing the game. Smith, the right-hander, employs classical textbook strokes and is at ease with spin bowling. He doesn’t fail to amuse and admire fans since he performs brilliantly in every setting, be it home or away. As Captain of the Aussie-side, Smith appears to be inching towards greatness and establishing himself as one of the best Australian cricketers. 1. Kane Williamson [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] He seems destined to become Kiwi’s all-time best, even surpassing Martin Crowe.
Photo: AFP[/caption] Williamson has one of the soundest techniques when it comes to retaining batting on the pitch. Ian Chappell praised him in the following words,

“Absolutely, he’s one of the best players in the world at the moment.”

Williamson, at 25, is already averaging almost 50 runs. He seems destined to become Kiwi’s all-time best, even surpassing Martin Crowe. He is an all-rounder, equally at ease when it comes to batting or spin bowling. I feel Williamson’s form, development and superior technique make him the strongest contender of his generation. [poll id="525"]

Unpredictability is the word that best describes what drives the daily operations in Pakistan cricket. Players touted to be “the next big thing” get sucked into doldrums of financial constraints or fitness issues, inevitably resulting in them having to give up cricket entirely. Three players with similar names and twists of fate came onto the scene with great intent and promise but eventually went missing without logical reasoning. Usman Khan Shinwari When the selection committee announced his name in the T20I squad for the series against Sri Lanka, scheduled to be held in the United Arab Emirates, Usman Shinwari was a name unknown to many. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Hailing from Khyber Agency, FATA, an untapped gold mine of talented cricketers, Shinwari was seen as a remarkable option.
Photo: NewsTribe[/caption] On December 3, 2013, Shinwari took five wickets after giving away nine runs to propel Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited to a huge victory against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in the final of the Faysal Bank T20 Cup. His staggering performance in the final, combined with his overall tournament statistics of 11 wickets in six games, catapulted him straight into the national side. Hailing from Khyber Agency, FATA, an untapped gold mine of talented cricketers, Shinwari was seen as a remarkable option by many due to his ability to swing the ball at pace. If he could have continued from where he had left in the final, his stay in international cricket would have been prolonged. In his debut match, Usman was only trusted with one over by the captain after he leaked nine runs. His next over came in his second and, unfortunately, last game against Sri Lanka. This time though, on the contrary, Shinwari was allowed to complete his full quota of four overs which led to disastrous figures of 52-0, marking the end of his brief stay with the national side. Following the series, the decision to include Usman was highly criticised by the general public, along with harsh criticisms hurled towards the reliability of domestic performances, the quality of cricket balls used in domestic cricket, and the lack of planning in selection matters. Upon his return, Shinwari admitted that he had indeed failed to read the change in conditions effectively, but also that the international flavour had given him more confidence to perform better in the future. The then-selector, Saleem Jaffar, was persistent about the decision to induct Shinwari into the national team, stating that he would not be dumped after his failure in the brief stint, and that the board would continue to monitor his progress in the domestic circuit. His horror show was forever etched in history, but he himself faded away into a familiar pool of irrelevance. Whether it was due to prolonged injuries or any other reasons, Shinwari did not feature in a single domestic game last year, and played his last match on November 6, 2014, against Peshawar Panthers. Shinwari re-emerged during the National One Day Cup 2015-16, representing the Hyderabad region. He ended the tournament with nine wickets in five matches with a glimpse of obvious rustiness due to the lack of match practice. At 21-years of age, Shinwari is set to be highly competitive and, hopefully, free of any unpleasant throwbacks. Usman Qadir The only thing more mysterious than Usman Qadir's spin bowling is his abrupt disappearance from the national scene. Usman inherited the talent of leg-spin bowling in his genes from his father, Abdul Qadir, who took 236 wickets in 67 Tests for Pakistan and is praised as one of the game’s finest ever leg-spinners. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Usman inherited the talent of leg-spin bowling in his genes from his father, Abdul Qadir.
Photo: Daily Pakistan Global[/caption] Usman also inherited his father's brain, copied his extravagant action, and emerged with a bag of tricks – googlies, flippers and the traditional leg-break. Qadir first came into the spotlight during the 2009-10 U19 World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand. Belonging to the same lot as Ahmed Shehzad and Babar Azam, Usman was considered one of the major finds of the tournament after he bagged nine wickets in six matches for the junior team, ending up as the joint highest wicket-taker for Pakistan. With plenty of promise, Usman initially played departmental cricket for Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited before moving onto National Bank of Pakistan. In the shorter formats, he regularly featured for Lahore Eagles and Lahore Lions. Usman was also part of the Pakistan team at the Asian Games held in Guangzhou, China that won a bronze medal by beating Sri Lanka for the third place play-offs. Despite the dream start that his career has had, Qadir played his last First-Class game on December 13, 2014, against Port Qasim and is yet to feature again in domestic cricket. Speculations arose early in his career regarding his choice of switching allegiance to Australia after he was offered to play international cricket for the Kangaroos. Coaxed to come to Australia by Darren Berry, Usman played for the Adelaide Cricket Club during the 2012-13 seasons, eliciting genuine praise from local coaches. Usman himself admitted to being captivated by the prospects of representing Australia, but would ultimately allow his father to make the decision for him. Times have indeed changed since the speculations first emerged. Australia has leg-spinning talent in abundance with Adam Zampa, James Muirhead and another Pakistani-born talent Fawad Ahmed, all climbing up the ranks at a fast rate. Usman’s involvement in Pakistan’s domestic circuit has been negligible and is disappointing to say the least. Curious minds like mine, who have seen him bowl, want to see him play a bigger and better role in shaping Pakistan's future in the spin department. 22-year-old Usman has international exposure and plenty of potential to offer. Usman Salahuddin Very few people are aware of the talent possessed by Usman Salahuddin and even fewer people are aware of the fact that Usman has two international caps to his name. His introduction to international cricket in 2011 was harsh to say the very least and a flawed reflection of what he is truly capable of. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Usman Salahuddin.
Photo: AFP[/caption] The right-handed middle-order batsman only managed to score 13 runs in two innings before being discarded off by the selection committee. Having lost the backing to participate in international assignments, Usman busied himself on the domestic scene where in First-Class cricket he amassed 5069 runs in 82 matches, with an impressive tally of 16 centuries and 27 half centuries, whilst in List A games he has 1621 runs in 56 matches, scoring at a healthy average of 42.65. Usman should not be expected to fill the void left by Shahid Afridi’s retirement because he most certainly won’t. Usman is tailor-made for the anchor role and prefers batting for longer time periods, much like his domestic counterpart Asad Shafiq. The main reason behind the infrequent praise for him is his technical correctness. One of the many criticisms regarding his performance is the amount of balls that he wastes before fully getting into the game, but there is absolutely no reason to believe that he would be a bad fit for our test team. That will be put to trial after Younis Khan’s eventual retirement. While recalling his tough debut, Usman himself said that he is reluctant to start an international career because of the pressures that comes with it and the level of maturity required to take charge of situations. However, he now feels that with five additional years of domestic experience under his belt, he is now a much more experienced and mature batsmen who is ready to face the obstacles that he initially failed to overcome. With the spotlight snatched by a returning Salman Butt during the National One Day Cup a few months ago, Usman’s valiant batting efforts went unnoticed once again. He ended the tournament as the fourth highest run scorer, scoring 469 runs in seven matches at a highly impressive average of 93.80 against some of the top bowlers of Pakistan domestic’s pool. Despite his remarkable achievements with the bat, Usman was given a cold shoulder by all five team captains during the draft for the Pakistan Cup, leaving him with no choice but to wait for his chance. In order to further expand his skills set as a reliable batsman, Usman will be playing club cricket in England after signing with Newcastle City Cricket Club for the entire season. Usman has been heavily judged on what he could not do when he had a chance, or half a chance, and has been constantly ignored despite racking up the runs in both First-Class and List A matches. He will have to let his bat do the talking for a little longer. Besides Usman Qadir, who is yet to represent Pakistan at the international stage, it can be safely concluded that both Usman Shinwari and Usman Salahuddin were handed out international caps prematurely due to the presence of an unaccountable selection criteria. After half chances, both were discarded as selectors, both apologised for their poor judgment and everything returned to normal for everyone except these two. If talents like Qadir, Salahuddin and Shinwari can be protected and groomed, they can yield remarkable results for Pakistan in the future. But if their progress is not monitored or is judged based on their past performances, Pakistani cricket will eventually be the real loser.

Domestic cricket is the budding ground that provides national teams with young talent in order to keep them abreast with the rest of the competitive cricketing nations. In this piece, I will discuss the basic components that make a successful and spectator-oriented domestic cricket structure. We begin with the teams system. Pakistan is probably the only country in the world where the main national cricket tournament involves teams representing state departments. Nobody wants to go the stadium to watch PIA face off against WAPDA. This is the most obvious (and yet persistent) problem of our domestic leagues. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Umar Akmal celebrates his record-equalling century after pummelling Rawalpindi bowlers for nine sixes and as many fours. Photo: Shahid Saeed/ Express[/caption] It is only when we will have cities or provinces playing each other that our tournaments can generate the sort of crowd interest in local matches as is witnessed in England and Australia. This is because region-based cricket inculcates within players and fans alike a feeling of affiliation and ownership in their teams, that is unmatched by departmental cricket. In our current Quaid-e-Azam Trophy configuration, we see absurd groupings, such as Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited against Islamabad and Khan Research Laboratories against Peshawar. How can that possibly be a successful model to follow? There are two strong but diverging voices in Pakistan on this important matter, both boasting credentials of equal calibre. Imran Khan, who disapproves the prevalent approach, and Javed Miandad, who believes departmental cricket is the best way to secure a good financial future for players. The answer lies somewhere in the middle: We should hold uniform region-based tournaments three times in the year for the three separate formats, where departments, instead of fielding their own teams, sponsor the regional outfits. With better crowds and higher television viewership, it would be a win-win situation for the teams and the departments. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Lahores vs FATA.
Photo: PCB[/caption] To be fair to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), they do hold national city-based T20 Cups every year, and with the successful holding of Pakistan Super League (PSL), we have finally managed to sway away from departmental cricket. But we lack consistency; the PCB must ensure the regional squads that feature in T20s, also play in domestic four day and one day tournaments, instead of any departments. The main reason why Australia has reigned over the cricket world for such a long time is their domestic Sheffield Shield cricket. Australian players compete at such high levels while representing their provinces that it prepares them mentally and physically to transition easily to the international arena. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="696"] The NSW Blues (pictured) will play a Sheffield Shield match. Photo: AAP[/caption] We, on the other hand, depend entirely on natural talent. This did get us through till the 90s, but now, with the fast changing landscape of this sport, raw talent no longer cuts it; polishing has become essential, and that can only be achieved by a competitive national structure. After we have taken the first step, the next would be the venue selection. Rather than holding tournaments at randomly selected cities, we should play at a ‘home and away’ basis, something we see in English County cricket. It makes no sense for Lahore and Karachi to play a match in Multan. Rather, if one weekend, the Lahore side plays Karachi at the Gaddafi stadium, and seven days later, they play at the National stadium, this would create great anticipation amongst people and some intense rivalries unheard of in our local cricket. With proper advertising, affordable ticketing and full securities measures in place, fans would definitely pack the stadiums to support their respective cities. And as we know, good contests produce higher standards of performances, with bragging rights on the cards. Granted, Pakistan has become the world’s best Test team, an astonishing feat for which words alone can do no justice. But, let us be clear, we achieved that distinction despite the system, not because of it. If our domestic structure was at par with the likes of Australia, England or South Africa, we would have become number one a long time ago, and that is what people at the helm need to understand. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Pakistan celebrate their win over England in fourth Test at Kia Oval, August 14, 2016. Photo: Reuters[/caption]

In 1944, Beverley Nichols’ sensational Verdict on India came out with a slap in the face of what we know today as Bangladesh, India and Pakistan — or BIP, to duck a mouthful. Nichols thoughtlessly trashed BIP’s society and culture, out-doing Churchill’s well-known:

“I hate Indians. They are a beastly people with a beastly religion.”

The religion might have been Hinduism, but the cigar-puffing fat man’s book, The River War, reveals as much contempt for Muslims. Nichols’ vitriol, though, stands in a class of its own. BIP’s classical music was a “… shattering onslaught of sheer Bedlam … hullabaloo … pandemonium.” He dismissed Ayurveda, in a chapter titled Mumbo Jumbo, as “extraneous superstitions”. He did not deign to eat BIP cuisine, monogamously wedded to his bland and stodgy English fare. Nichols jeered that,

“There is only one trained nurse to 65,000 Indians… in the city of Peshawar alone… 60,000 cases of tuberculosis.”

He believed that no educational program could be successful in India, permeated as it was with mendacity, cruelty to animals and endemic poverty. He talked of South Asia’s dark future as though it were an independent country and not a guilefully acquired subject colony administered by an alien power that defined its own refinement. The British colonists in India, though, lacked neither health care nor education. The twisted logic of Verdict on India was unable to process South Asia as a pinched jewel in the crown of a foreign power that loudly proclaimed its own enlightenment but then, as E M Forster said,

“Englishmen like posing as gods.”

Indeed, these middle-class gods were busy riding elephants, shooting tigers, spearing wild boar and appropriating the princely game of polo for the eventual likes of Ralph Lauren. They were tended by doctors and nurses and their children were well-schooled. Perhaps that is why they were too busy to provide education, adequate sanitary services, and medical facilities to increase their subjects’ life expectancy, reduce their infant mortality or manage their famines. But they did have time to shift the blame on their subjects while writing their own myths. Devoid of altruism, their legendary administrative efficiency served their own interests but that of their subjects only by default. Their quality educational institutions in BIP were private, fee-paying and ran at a profit for the “nation of shopkeepers” as Napoleon Bonaparte is believed to have described the British. The British have always circumvented three core criteria for measuring their civilisation’s contribution to BIP — food supply, literacy and, health care measured by life expectancy. They have smoothly deflected these criteria to the post-independence period where they generate unease within independent BIP. The British have artfully filled the blank canvas of these criteria during the Raj with chugging trains, uniformed police, post offices, revival of the Hindu and Mughal canal irrigation and the English language — all of which were actually indispensable to their own operability. However, comparing the pre and post-independence results of the core criteria inverts the verdict back on Nichols and Churchill to tarnish their lustre. Nichols lived long enough to see the change in BIP and the devastating BIP influence on his native culture with chicken tikka masala overtaking fish n’chips! Some estimates of total famine deaths under the pomp and glory of the British Raj go up to 1.5 billion. Suffice it to say that the deaths were in double digit millions, due to British ineptness in crisis management, according to the research of, among others, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen. Even though the population shows an approximate four-fold increase since Independence in 1947, they have disappeared from BIP with the last one being in the early sixties. The population of BIP on the eve of partition and Independence was 390 million. The literacy rate was 12% and life expectancy a pathetic 32 years. The current population of BIP is estimated to have quadrupled at around 1,625 million, yet the literacy rate, working out at roughly 66%, outstrips that increase by a further one-fourth. Then there’s the measly 32 years of life expectancy which has roughly more than doubled to 67 years as an average for BIP. Going by education and life expectancy alone, BIP is much better off without the British. The United States, Australia, New Zealand and Canada could say the same, the difference being they wouldn’t need to back up the claim with any figures. Their credibility has been established by other manifestations of development, sadly absent in BIP. As such, BIP claims of progress in these core criteria need to be justified. Moreover, when not compared with pre-independence conditions but with those of their peers, BIP citizens themselves tend to become despondent, bemoaning the state of affairs surrounding them and slipping into nostalgia for a ‘golden age of the Raj’. They mythify queues, clean streets, gymkhanas, choo-choo trains, respectful coolies and first-class compartments from which they were excluded. BIP’s verdict on Nichols’ Raj has a stronger basis than that of Nichols on BIP. Nonetheless, it is undeniable that BIP’s future is indeed a misty peak atop a steep slope littered with jagged expectations that may perversely sustain Beverly Nichols’ own cross-eyed vision. Relishing his contempt for natives in loincloths, BIP fell short of his standards because he disregarded its colonial, occupied status. Disillusioned BIP citizens of today, also ignore their erstwhile subject status, despising themselves on this issue the way the British press is occasionally prone to run down BIP through nimble subtexts. However, when the contemporary BIP reality in literacy, life expectancy and health care is not compared with that of developed nations but with the inheritance of 1947, the past 69 years become optimistically propulsive. As long as BIP remains focused on the acquisition of these core criteria, it will not lose its soul chasing the shadows of inflated self-images in games of one-upmanship.

And here we go again. Or not go, to be precise in this particular case. The Kabaddi World Cup was just a couple of days away from kickstarting and yesterday the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) announced that Pakistan has been barred from competing in the event. Do I need to mention the reason? Well, for those living on Mars and completely oblivious to what is happening in their neighbouring planet, the on-going escalation in the tension between the Asian neighbours, Pakistan and India, has resulted in this unfortunate exclusion of our national team. A major event for the sport, the World Cup will take place in Ahmedabad, India from October 7^th for a fortnight. It will include teams from Australia, Iran, South Korea, India, England, Poland, Kenya, Argentina and the newbies, United State of America. The International Kabaddi Federation announced,

“This is not the right time to engage with Pakistan”.

The chief of IKF, Deoraj Chaturvedi, an Indian himself, said,

“Pakistan is a valuable member of the IKF but looking at the current scenario and in the best interest of both the nations, we decided that Pakistan must be refrained from the championship.”

While from across the border, Rana Mohammad Sarwar, Secretary of Pakistan Kabaddi Federation accused the rival nation of being unfair. He was suggestive that the host country itself should have been banned along with Pakistan from participating in the event, due to the rising tension and security concerns.

“We have called a meeting to discuss this issue but let me tell you that a Kabaddi World Cup is no world cup without Pakistan,” said Rana Muhammad Sarwar. “This is just like a football world cup without Brazil.”

The decision was nothing out of the blue to say the least. For the past several days, the axe was very obviously on the cards for the green trunks’ due to the existing heightened levels of cross border hostilities. I have noticed that over the years there have been plenty of instances where sports have been held hostage by the dirty games played on the field of politics. I am a firm believer that sports and politics like water and oil cannot and should not be mixed together. In fact, I believe sports to be very powerful. Not just full of power but supreme too. Powerful because it brings together people from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds, religions, races and colour. And it is supreme because it has an aura of authoritative capability which promotes solidarity, harmony and tolerance amongst the competitors. Olympics always tend to leave a profound mark on me. For almost a month every four years, I am simply in awe of how each participating country puts on a show full of discipline, equality and teamwork and most importantly, respecting other competing nations, all that under one big roof. I am not a fervent Kabaddi follower. I don’t even remember the last time I watched it and it would be preposterously foolish of me to compare the Kabaddi World Cup with the Olympics. But surely Pakistan’s presence in the event could have only helped cool down the on-goi ng war frenzy. All that aggression and resentment present on both sides of the border needs to come out and this catharsis would be a lot more beneficial to the people of both nations if it is vented on a sporting ground rather than a battlefield.

Pakistan lost its first Test series in Christchurch after seven consecutive Test series. Tours to New Zealand and Australia have always been tough for Pakistan. After Pakistan’s unsatisfactory performance in Sharjah against the West Indies, there have been doubts regarding our batting line up against New Zealand and Australian conditions; thus resurfacing and strengthening the fear that the Pakistani team will struggle in such trying conditions. Misbahul Haq is a legend in the current team. He has played many match-saving and match-winning innings for Pakistan. His captaincy and batting ability is the reason why Pakistan is placed in the top half of the Test playing nations’ ranking charts. Misbah has been our rock of Gibraltar for the last few years but unfortunately, in last few Test matches, he was bowled out while playing loose shots. It is a shame that, as a result of this performance, Pakistan will go into the second test without their captain Misbahul Haq who has been suspended for one Test due to the slow over-rate in this match. The ban imposed on Misbah showcases the unprofessional attitude of the players. I hope the team, as well as the management learn from this error and avoid such minor infringements in the future, as they could prove to be just as vital in the shift between victory and defeat. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Misbahul Haq top scored with 31.[/caption] The ban being imposed on Misbah in this particular match on the tour, however, is a blessing in disguise, as he was already going to miss the match at Hamilton due to the sad demise of his father-in-law. Misbah will return to lead the team in the rest of the Test matches on the Australian tour and I hope the players and management all play their part and avoid fines and suspensions due to a slow over-rate. Misbah needs to rethink his shot selection. We are expecting long innings from him during the current tours of New Zealand and Australia. I sincerely hope he reassesses his strategy and continues his good work with the bat for the national team. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Yasir Shah's 20th Test match was his first wicketless game, New Zealand v/s Pakistan, first Test, Christchurch, fourth day, November 20, 2016.[/caption] But Misbah is not the only person to be blamed for how the match turned out; the other players also failed to perform. Pakistan’s first inning was poor as their top four players only managed to make a total of 43 runs. The last time Pakistan performed this poorly was in Johannesburg during the 2013 tour of South Africa, when Pakistan’s top four added less than 50 runs in their first inning. Pakistan’s batting was unable to stand up to the Test New Zealand put forward in its first match. It is ironic that Pakistan batted for many overs in both innings of the Test match and yet was unable to score runs at a decent rate. Pakistan’s run rate in the first inning was 2.38 runs per over, and in the second inning it regressed to 2.17, even after the impetus provided by tailender Sohail Khan, who scored a whirlwind 40 runs. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Trent Boult appeals for lbw.[/caption] The snail-like pace with which Pakistan was performing with during the second inning resulted in the team only being able to score 80 runs in the first 50 overs. This is the lowest number of runs ever scored by Pakistan in the first 50 overs of an inning since 2001. After the failure of the batting line up in the first inning, it was the bowlers who were able to reel the team back in to provide them with some chance of fighting back. Everyone expected Pakistan’s batting to be better but unfortunately that was not the case. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Rahat Ali nervously settles under the ball at fine leg to send back Colin de Grandhomme.[/caption] When a batsman who is coming to bat in the ninth position, turns out to be the highest scorer of the inning, it verifies the notion that there is something seriously wrong with the batting line up. This indicates a lack of determination by the top order, particularly by the openers who were only looking to survive. This strategy is regressive as it results in openers that play 18 overs yet score only 21 runs. I agree that the conditions were tough but even in rough batting conditions batsmen should find a way to score at a decent rate. The openers need to learn the art of maneuvering the balls. Azhar Ali is a senior batsman now. His role is to stay stationed at one end so the other cricketers can play around him. But instead, he ends up blocking the others entirely. This resulted in him making only 31 runs out of 173 balls. Things could have ended differently for the team if he had scored 60 or 70 more runs within the same amount. This defence strategy of blocking balls will tire the opposition, but not put them under pressure. To pressurise the opponent, one needs to score runs. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Azhar Ali sits on the floor after losing balance against a bouncer.[/caption] Azhar and Babar Azam scored 37 runs in a second wicket partnership that lasted 137 balls. During this partnership, an inexperienced Babar displayed some effort by scoring 29 runs from 66 balls whereas Azhar was only able to score five runs from the 71 he was dealt with during this partnership. Babar’s efforts helped Pakistan reduce the deficit and set the example that one can score runs if one aims for it. I suggest that Azhar, if he is not comfortable as an opener, should be shifted to third position and instead promote Babar as an opener. The way Younis Khan has been performing, I believe his reflexes are slowing down. He has been bowled out while playing some ordinary shots in the last few Test matches. Younis Khan is a legend yet we want him to be honest about his fitness and ball sighting ability. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400"] Younis Khan jumps out of the way of a bouncer, New Zealand v/s Pakistan, first Test, Christchurch, third day, November 19, 2016.[/caption] Sarfraz failed at batting during the 2012 South Africa tour. As a result, he was dropped from the team. He worked on his weaknesses and, after two years, came back stronger. He is a senior player now and an integral part of the national team in all three formats. He needs to understand his responsibilities; he bowls out when playing loose shots on various occasions in the last few Tests. It’s high time he understands the difference between playing aggressively and playing carelessly. In the second inning, he got out on a good ball but during the first inning he played a careless shot. He was bowled out to similar shots in England on a few occasions. At a crucial stage, he played a loose shot in the second inning of the Sharjah Test and cost Pakistan the match. I hope the management sits down with him and explains his role to him with clarity. Sarfraz should also work hard on his weak areas and try to contribute more regularly with the bat. Asad Shafiq also needs to work on the areas he’s lacking in. Asad blossoms when he is partnered with Misbah or Younis while batting, but often fails to deliver when he needs to hold the reins of the innings on his own. Pakistan needs Asad, now among the list of senior players, to be more consistent in his performance in the upcoming months. Sohail Khan also exhibited a strong commitment; his stroke play had the New Zealand captain worried, as he had to send his players across the field. This should be an added example of how one can relieve the pressure on the batsmen themselves by scoring runs. I suggest that Pakistan replace Rahat Ali with Wahab Riaz and Muhammad Amir with Sohail Khan in the batting line up in the Hamilton Test. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Sohail Khan is congratulated by his team-mates after dismissing Colin de Grandhomme.[/caption] The conclusion I have drawn is simple – Pakistan needs to understand that surviving a match is not the only element of necessity, scoring runs is essential and the primary goal that the team should be focusing on. Recently, there have been so many examples where fast scoring has changed the direction of the match. The on-going series between Australia and South Africa is a perfect example of how scoring quickly can pressurise the opponent. At Pakistan’s recent tour of England, Bairstow and Moeen Ali, by scoring rapidly, put pressure on Pakistan and allowed England an ample amount of time to bowl out Pakistan and inevitably win the match. Pakistan’s next stop is Australia, a team that is also facing a batting crisis these days. This will be a good chance for Pakistan to get a taste of success, but for that to happen, the batting line-up needs to be rearranged. In the past, Pakistan has bounced back from their defeat on the New Zealand tour. Their ability to do so is pivotal in their dominance over New Zealand who, for more than 41 years, has been unable to beat Pakistan in a Test series at home ground. I hope the management will do a lot of soul searching and the batting line will be amended by learning from previous mistakes. They must come up with a better strategy to counter the Kiwis and deliver some powerful counter punches to level with others in this Test series. All photos: AFP

China is snapping at the US’s heels in the race for world leadership. Punters cheer it on, disregarding the significance of the Anglosphere, a multinational composite of domestic prosperity, political sagacity, economic achievement, military prowess and soft power concentrated within the Anglo-Saxon group of five effective countries. The Trump administration will further strengthen this sphere’s dynamism and harness it to its vision. The active club members are the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand—Ireland may be discounted for ineffectiveness. The five are intertwined within the United Kingdom-United States of America Agreement (UKUSA) by seven treaties in intelligence, signals intelligence, communications electronics, technical cooperation, air and space inter-operability and common naval and army protocols only publicly acknowledged in 2005. The group has also achieved notoriety as ‘Five Eyes’ for its maligned Echelon program of electronic eavesdropping. By size and power, New Zealand’s only qualification for membership is its predominantly Anglo-Saxon ancestry and culture, confirming the Anglosphere’s ethnic profiling. Yet, unforeseen parameters could transform New Zealand’s insignificance the way Britain was transmuted from a nation of fishermen and shepherds dodging raindrops into an empire of perpetual daylight. So, China and India being outside the Anglosphere’s collegial inner circle, they will either have to form another alliance, or travel economy class. Despite hopes disguised as analyses, the US’ current situation is not yet comparable with the twilight of the British Raj. In 1870, the American economy overtook that of Britain which subsequently sang its swan song in the victory celebrations of World War I. But it was only after World War II that the British started becoming American surrogates. Thus, the last elephant took 80 years to die. This one is bigger, stronger, meaner and more cohesive. Unlike the British Empire, its components are neither disparate, nor restive and, are bound by a common cultural, linguistic, political and institutional tradition. Technology, education and infrastructure further extend the US’ shelf life, but it is certainly not infinite. UKUSA’s Anglo-Saxon glue has kept the Anglosphere a step ahead of the rest of the world by being the best informed through electronic and cyber espionage in further cooperation with Germany, Nordic countries and Philippines. The core Anglosphere members function as a board of governors with the US taking on the role of a CEO. Canada, gradually overtaking the US just as the latter surpassed Britain, will succeed to the chairpersonship. It has the largest number of college graduates and the third largest oil reserves in the world. Its territory and strategic natural resources exceed those of the US, topped by a smaller, more prosperous and better looked after population. In the top ten world financial centres, Toronto has already moved up two spaces in the rankings to claim eighth position. Furthermore, Canada is discreet and patient. It has been playing second fiddle to the US as in foregoing an auto industry, apparently biding its time. Nevertheless, it seeks to prepare for its enthronement by inconspicuously encroaching on the US’s trading areas. The CEO does not contemplate immediate retirement but the successor has started preparing. The freshly negotiated Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union (EU) was initiated in 2009. When Barack Obama was elected in 2008, he was too busy building his abortive Brave New World to notice CETA and nip it in the bud. Into the fifth year of his presidency, Obama’s administration realised that the CETA initiative just might be successful. Even without the addition of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)—on the future of which Mr Trump has so far cast doubts—CETA would give Canada such a hefty punch that manufacturing cars would become an irrelevance. Eventually, the US’s Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) opened the on-going negotiations with the EU as a companion agreement to the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TTP) involving 40% of the world economy. The companion TTIP is now under a cloud, and it is not known whether President elect Trump’s November 22^nd announcement of serving a ‘notification of intent to withdraw from the TTP on his first day in office’, will lead to abrogation renegotiation or a replacement series of bilateral deals. If the latter, it would initiate a tussle of overlapping bilateral and multilateral deals by the US and Canada on the EU’s economic battleground. In response to Canada’s self-interest, the US will reinforce the Anglosphere’s life expectancy and secure for itself a more advantageous position within it. While the mechanics of exercising power will impose their own dynamics, Team Trump will jockey for a privileged outcome on all proposals and inroads from partner nations. Injecting new life into the US’s chairpersonship does not grant immortality and, the group’s internal rivalry opens no inroads. When push comes to shove, each component of the sphere will interlock with the others—and then snap back to business as usual. As in the two world wars. Strategically, it is not possible to deal with the collegial Anglosphere as a single entity. Tactically, though, each member conducts sovereign bilateral and multilateral relations. Partners of the Anglosphere’s member countries have nothing to lose by running with the hare, hunting with the hound, and hedging their bets for the prospective “five-year ban on executive officials becoming lobbyists after they leave the (Trump) administration,” announced by Mr Trump. Long-term economic and cultural ties with each Anglosphere cog, notably Canada, would balance the constraints on tactical manoeuvrability in Washington’s corridors of power. Any of the 52 commonwealth countries can invert the past disadvantage of colonisation into the benefit of English language based cultural links. They all have vibrant intellectual communities of functional Anglo-Saxons who sustain and thrive on core Anglophone culture. Cultural artisans should be deployed to create a navigable space within the Anglosphere, leading to economic and political opportunities that contribute to a generally safer and more prosperous environment.

The Pakistan Blind cricket team can hardly put the wrong foot forward in the on-going World Cup T20 in India as they stay well and truly on course to lift the elusive trophy in the backyard of their arch rivals. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] The openers dominated the West Indies bowlers right from the outset and set up a solid platform with an opening stand of 198 runs.
Photo: Twitter.[/caption] Pakistan’s flawless track of run form in the tournament has now seen them win eight matches in a row with the side moving from strength to strength with every passing match. In their latest outing, the men in green smashed their own world highest score record after they notched up a massive 373 run-rate against the West Indies on Wednesday and went on to win the match by 182 runs. Pakistan’s previous record of 364 runs was also against the same side back in 2012. Pakistan set up this mammoth total courtesy of the brilliant batting display from their openers Mohammad Jamil and Riasat Khan. Jamil scored a fantastic 100 off just 36 balls whereas Khan scored 94 runs off 32 balls but was unfortunate to miss out on a well-deserved century. The duo dominated the West Indies bowlers right from the outset and set up a solid platform with an opening stand of 198 runs. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] The men in green smashed their own world highest score record.
Photo: Twitter.[/caption] Other Pakistani batsmen in the shape of Mohammad Zafar (46 off 14 balls), Mohsin Khan (32), Matiullah (27) also chipped in with valuable contributions towards the end of the innings to propel Pakistan to this huge total. In reply, the Caribbean side could only muster 191 runs in their allotted 20 overs and were never really in the hunt to chase down the total. The half century from Dennal Deboya Shim was the only positive outcome of the Windies innings. Sajid Nawaz, Mohammad Akram, Riasat Khan, Anees Javed and Mohsin Khan grabbed a wicket each for Pakistan. The confident Pakistani side will look to cap off their group stage matches with a win in their final match against Australia on Thursday and hence register their ninth consecutive win in the tournament. Due to the nature of this type of cricket, the sweep shot is a must-have stroke for a batsman because the bowlers bowl under arm with ball bouncing and rolling at ankle length most of the time. The hand-ear combination is extremely vital and even the slightest misjudgement can land you in trouble in the form of losing your wicket or even suffering injuries. Keeping in mind the trouble these visually-impaired men have to endure in order to excel at this level, it is amazing how the Pakistani team has managed to come up with spirited performances in every match of the tournament thus far. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] With both the neighbouring countries already in the semi-final, there are high chances of an Indo-Pak final in Bangalore on February 12th.
Photo: Twitter.[/caption] Pakistan’s old foes and defending champions, India, are also going through a solid campaign so far, despite losing to Pakistan in their pool match. With both the neighbouring countries already in the semi-final, there are high chances of an Indo-Pak final in Bangalore on February 12^th. Pakistan lost to India in the 2012 final by 29 runs, but this time around they would be looking to go one step further and lift the title. Considering the already deteriorating condition of sports in Pakistan, the victory will go a long way in inspiring the whole nation and hopefully bring back the glorious days of sports in Pakistan. Although most of the Pakistanis are eagerly waiting for the Pakistan Super League(PSL) to begin, they must not forget to keep an eye on their National Blind cricket team which is giving its all to bring the title back home to Pakistan.

I’ve been reading about Australian youth activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied (we appeared on an Australian show once together) and her words to Jacqui Lambie on an Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television show that Islam is (to her) the most feminist religion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs_H4jzbWFU Yassmin got pilloried in the Australian press for this statement. With the state of affairs for women in many Muslim countries today, it’s easy to see how it might not sit well with a cynical and non-Muslim-friendly audience. It would have gone down great with an audience full of Muslims, but we should probably unpack the statement a little bit to come somewhere between the optimism of Yassmin’s assertion and the rest of Australia’s derision. The statement that would have made more sense is,

“Islam embodies many of the principles that feminism fights for – equality, dignity and respect of women. At the time it came into existence, it was revolutionary for the rights that it gave to women, which had not been seen in any religion previously. However, patriarchy is the norm for the countries into which Islam took hold, and patriarchy has a way of corrupting everything in its path. What we see today is a massive distortion of what Islam was meant to be for women – and men.”

But let’s take this a little further. I’m a feminist, but I’m also a practicing Muslim. And I have always believed that feminism is not to be confused with Islam. Feminism is the mechanism by which I fight for the rights that have been taken away from me by men in my country in the name of Islam. If Islam gave me the right to own property, patriarchy in Pakistan makes it difficult if not impossible for me to technically and legally administer and maintain my own property. If Islam gave me the right to go to school, patriarchy in Pakistan guarantees that girls in my country don’t have access to safe schools. “Islam” and “Sharia” then become shorthand for “patriarchy in Muslim countries”. The way all religions work is through the engine of human conscience. Islam, like any other religion, is based on an honour system. No, I don’t mean the skewed South Asian/Middle Eastern system of izzat but the honour system of universities, where there was no proctor and you were trusted not to cheat because you wanted to be honest, not because you would be caught. It’s up to you to abide by the principles of a religion; Islam’s principle of just treatment and fairness for all regardless of race, gender, nationality or class is ignored by too many of its adherents. They think God is looking the other way when they mistreat women, that they won’t be caught, or that God even wants it this way because men have been made superior to women. Your conscience is never more severely tested when you have been given stewardship of vulnerable people. Unfortunately, men have colluded in Muslim countries to keep women in a vulnerable position in order to strengthen their own sense of power. Feminism helps us to understand this power dynamic and work towards dismantling it. Feminism is a powerful movement, but it has its limits. Islam doesn’t mandate the superiority of one sex over the other, but strives to achieve balance between the sexes. What “balance” looks like in Muslim countries is very different from what it looks like in European or American ones. This is down to a complex mix of society, culture and politics. Feminists in Muslim countries have different battles to fight than those in Western cultures. Perhaps that’s why Yassmin’s stance seems odd – she’s fighting a different battle in Australia than what Australians see us fighting against in, say Syria or Saudi Arabia. But Western countries shouldn’t fool themselves that women have already achieved equality or that racism and bigotry don’t exist in their countries. I don’t like to make assertions that Islam is a feminist religion. I like to think of it as something even bigger than feminism – a system through which we humans achieve our full potential on earth as well as cultivating our relationship with our Creator. This is a struggle that applies to both men and women. How we run our affairs on earth can be influenced very positively by feminism. How we treat each other and look to the meaning of life beyond what is here in this physical and spatial plane is beyond feminism, and we need to remember that. This post originally appeared here.

For more than 20 years, the name Shahid Afridi has been part and parcel of Pakistan cricket, so much so that Pakistan’s cricketing history would be incomplete without highlighting his contributions. Even the greatest of cricketers have found it difficult to dominate oppositions from the very beginning of their careers, but that was not the case with Afridi. The manner in which he announced himself on the international arena was beyond amazing. He made a mockery of the Sri Lankan bowling attack in the second ODI match of his career, scoring the fastest century off just 37 balls, a record which stood for almost two decades. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBl83KVVaLQ During his prime, Afridi was a complete package as he transformed himself into a fine all-rounder. He was a flamboyant batsman, a skilful leg spinner and one of the best fielders on the field. Every now and then, Afridi would disappoint you with his wrong shot selection but even those cannot overshadow some of his unforgettable performances. Popularly known as ‘Boom Boom’, Afridi has been instrumental in many victories for Pakistan over the years. Who can forget his match-winning performance in the knockout stages of the World T20 in 2009 where Pakistan were crowned champions, or those two famous sixes against Ravichandran Ashwin during the Asia Cup in 2014 to seal the deal against India. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkxaZjkCx_A Afridi knew how to make a statement which can be gauged from the fact that he made a resounding comeback in 2013 with a scintillating bowling spell where he took seven wickets for just 12 runs, ensuring everyone that his career was far from over. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84QbzWR_XM4 Although Afridi burst onto the screens in grand style, he perhaps set the bar too high for himself. He was never really seen as a player who would perform well consistently, especially with the bat, which is visible from a batting average of 23 in almost 400 matches. Towards the second half of his career, Afridi became better known for his bowling as compared to his batting. He worked extensively on his bowling and developed into a fine leg-spinner. He would provide his side with breakthroughs during the crucial middle-overs and would stem the flow of runs with his economical bowling. The explosive all-rounder played his last T20 match against Australia at Mohali during the World T20 in 2016. Interestingly, Afridi’s last ODI, Test and T20 match were all against Australia. He was leading his side in the tournament where Pakistan had a lacklustre campaign, losing three out of the four matches they played. Although he had earlier indicated that he would retire after the World T20, he decided to continue playing. However, that did not work out in his favour as he was never selected to represent Pakistan internationally again. After playing blistering innings against Karachi Kings in the on-going Pakistan Super League (PSL) which nearly eliminated his side, Peshawar Zalmi, from the tournament, Afridi has finally decided to call it a day by stating that his days in international cricket are over but will continue playing for his PSL franchise for another two years. According to Boom Boom,

“I am playing for my fans and will continue to play this league for another two years but it’s goodbye from international cricket. Now my foundation is important for me. I have played with seriousness and in a professional way for my country.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlTgTe0bjpc However, the manner in which Afridi handled his retirement was not appropriate in my opinion – a player of his stature should have adopted a more mature and dignified approach and should have bowed out at the opportune moment rather than hanging around and asking for a farewell match. He is a role model for many cricketers and setting such an example is surely not a good sight. Keeping everything aside, one cannot negate the fact that Boom Boom had a massive global fan following throughout his entire career, evident from the huge roar from the crowd he would receive every time he stepped onto the field. Although he had his fair share of critics who would criticise his careless approach towards the game, they would eventually look towards him to provide entertainment and hopes of winning, which goes on to show the support he received from all corners, even his critics. It would be safe to say that no other Pakistani player has generated such admiration and fan following over the course of their history and perhaps there will never be another cricketer like Shahid Afridi.

Recently, Shahid Afridi announced his retirement from international cricket. This is not the first time this has happened, and it’s probably not the last either. https://twitter.com/UmairShahidK/status/833563281767931904 https://twitter.com/absycric/status/833526353253117954?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw However, what it does do is give me the opportunity to analyse the retirement process in international cricket and how different teams go about it. Let’s start with our favourite (not): India: They don’t retire. Not easily at least. Some continue to play until they break a particular record, others until they are sure of landing the Indian Premier League (IPL) contract or a commentary deal, while the rest take partial retirements in bits and pieces. However, the good thing is that there are so many formats of the game now that they can easily manipulate their retirement. So when is the next possible retirement for them? Well, not in the next two to three years at least. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: AFP[/caption] Pakistan: While only a handful of Indian cricketers have retired in the last five years, Afridi alone has retired thrice and is still playing. Between Afridi, Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf, the total number of retirements have been around a dozen and interestingly enough, until a week ago, two of them were still international cricketers. The only decent retirement since that of Imran Khan was by Shoaib Akhtar. Even Azhar Mahmood has still not retired. Did Saqlain Mushtaq retire? Imran Farhat? I think even Ramiz Raja has not retired. I’m not sure. The retirement that was expected 10 years ago is still the current captain of our Test team. No complains there though. Who will be taking the next possible retirement? Will it be real or just a protest? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: AFP[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Reuters[/caption] Australia: They have a genuine reason for not retiring. They debut at the age when other countries’ cricketers are contemplating retiring. There are always people like Shaun Tait here and there but generally, they are as sticky as Ricky Ponting and Brad Hodge. Who will be the next one to retire? Probably Steven Smith - 10 years from now. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Reuters[/caption] New Zealand: They like taking retirement. They like it so much that they make up for other teams not taking it. Some of the Kiwi players have even been reported to retire before their debuts. It’s a general belief in New Zealand that Daniel Vettori used to play alone while all other players retired around him. Roger Twose and Geoff Allott went Absent Without Leave (AWOL) and people later found out that they had retired. What will be the next possible retirement for the team? Ten of the current players before 2018. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Espncricinfo[/caption] Sri Lanka: They are quite similar in behaviour to India but they are generally nice people, which make them bearable. They don’t retire before they secure a place in parliament. One of the major reasons is that they know that they will become captains after the age of 30, hence they just wait around for it to happen. Sanath Jayasuriya was asked to sign his retirement papers on gun point, otherwise he would have continued to play till he was 60. Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara did not retire for a long time, thinking that the other person will retire first. So who is next in line to a possible retirement? Well, whoever gets assurance of the election tickets! [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Reuters[/caption] West Indies: They don’t retire. They take the board head on. They go on to play unbelievably breath-taking innings in the IPL, earn more money, watch national games from the crowd, and show the middle finger to the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). They are cool as a cucumber. They win world cups and tell the whole world that their board does not support them. They ask reporters out for coffee during interviews, make songs and chants and dance moves. They are the real alpha males. The real tussle is who will retire first, the cricketers or the board. Who is taking the next possible retirement? WICB! [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: AFP[/caption] South Africa: They generally have a sensible approach towards retirement. They usually take logical reasons like form, age and physical fitness into consideration when thinking about retiring. The only issue is that they end up writing books after retiring and start blaming their colleagues for making ‘cliques’ in the team. Who will be the next possible cricketer to retire? Abraham Benjamin de Villiers is approaching his, I think. Or has he already retired? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Espncricinfo[/caption] England: They also have issues with the board at times but they take it in a British manner, unlike the West Indians. They solve those issues over a cuppa, and as a result, some of these issues are resolved and some are not. The unresolved issues are passed on to Piers Morgan. Who will be taking the next possible retirement? Maybe Captain Alastair Cook, or will it be Jimmy ‘grumpy’ Anderson? [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: Reuters[/caption] While cricketers have their fair share of issues when it comes to retirement, the least we can do is ask some of the commentators to retire. At least we get to reduce noise pollution!

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