Bringing cricket back, the South African way
So, the latest news is that eight companies, including Ten Sports, Nimbus and Geo TV, have already made their recommendations to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), while another three are expected to do so this week. Chairman PCB Zaka Ashraf is working on what can easily be called the Pakistani ‘mission impossible’. He wants Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India to visit Pakistan; his players to be a part of the Indian Premier League, Sialkot to play the Champions League and to start the Pakistani Premier League in couple of months. What the PCB needs to understand is that they are repeating a ...
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Tendulkar: A retirement or a century?
Every cricket lover will agree that Sachin Tendulkar is indeed a legend. He has been one of the best batsmen, the most prolific run maker and arguably the biggest cricket icon the game has ever known. Let’s recap his achievements. Tendulkar is not only the man with the most runs under his belt (over 15,000 in Tests and over 18,000 in ODIs), he is also the first cricketer to score 200 runs in an ODI. With the increasing trend of T20 cricket, it seems that his record for the most runs in ODIs and Test matches will stay with him forever. But now there’s ...
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IPL: A story of continuing insults for Pakistan
This is not the first time that politics has intruded the Pakistan-India cricket scene. In fact, this is the fifth time that Pakistan has been snubbed by the Indian Premier League. As the diplomatic war between the rivals wages on, the Pakistani players are excluded. Unfortunately, the Pakistani authorities remain cooperative and apologetic; they don’t feel the insult, but instead keep going back for more rejection. First IPL: Pakistani players knocked the tournament and Sohail Tanvir was the leading wicket taker. But when Shoaib Akhtar complained fabout not receiving the contracted amount, he became the bad boy. Second IPL: India accused Pakistan of involvement in ...
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A review of the Decision Review System
The Decision Review System (DRS) was part of the agenda in the recent International Cricket Council’s (ICC) annual meeting in Hong Kong where the administrators and executive members tweaked many rules of the game, only to compel cricket-pundits to turn cynics. Two bodies, the ICC and the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI), are ruining cricket, by altering the game’s norms – the former is doing this through sheer absurdity while the latter, through tyranny. The DRS along with the Hot Spot (infrared technology) was made mandatory by ICC after their annual meeting. But the system, in its current form, ...
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BCCI does as it pleases
Lalit Modi, India’s Twitter savvy former Indian Premier League (IPL) Commissioner has painted an unflattering picture of the Board of Cricket Control of India’s (BCCI) power in the global cricket community with his Here are a few excerpts from Modi’s Twitter handle: “It just shows that mandarins at BCCI have no clue what is happening in the cricket world. They can’t see beyond their own shadow.” “It seems best way to scuttle any plans is to say Lalit Modi is behind it. Good to know that just mentioning my name can send a shiver down their spines. Guess, they are a ...
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The ‘fixed’ price of World Cup 2011
Modern cricket has been tainted with controversy of match/spot fixing and corruption scandals. But despite the drama, the sheer volume of viewers tuning in and fan interest has only increased. When this month’s issue of Sports Illustrated (SI) India hits stands, it will trigger much debate, deliberation and a wave of “I told you so” comments among followers of cricket all over the world. The cover story “Dirt in Cricket” deciphers 400 minutes of conversations between SI journalists, bookies and politicians in India. The story was shared with Yahoo Sports, a few days before it is to appear in SI, and promises ...
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Agha Hasan Abedi: the man who dared to dream big
Agha Hasan Abedi was one of the finest minds this country has ever produced. He was an exemplary patriot and a legendary banker. In the mess that exists today, the youth of Pakistan desperately needs inspiring personalities to look up to. I cannot think of a better person to quote. He proved that politics is not the only form of service to the nation. He suffered through various scandals towards the end of his life, but no one can deny his contributions towards building a stronger Pakistan. It is a shame we let our youth forget a man like Agha Hasan ...
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