Gul Hameed Bhatti’s death creates huge vacuum in sports journalism

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Death, we all know, is inevitable. In the case of Gul Hameed Bhatti, who expired at Karachi’s Liaquat National Hospital on the evening of February 4, it was not entirely unexpected because his health continued to deteriorate after the stroke suffered nearly a year ago.

He was a courageous man, having successfully fought a battle against the oft fatal disease of cancer about a decade or so ago. Although he was in his early 60s he couldn’t recover after being laid low by what had appeared to be a combination of heart attack and paralysis. The attack was so severe and it caused him considerable harm.

The physiotherapy and medication continued with his son (Kamil), daughter (Sara) and daughter-in-law (Samra) taking every possible measure to prevent the inevitable. Alas even their care and love could only delay it.

Gul Hameed Bhatti, who was Gul to friends and Bhatti Sahib to colleagues, associates and a large number of his followers, will be remembered for a very long time. His death has certainly created a huge vacuum in the arena of sports journalism in Pakistan in particular.

Having known and worked with him closely for no less than three decades, I have had no doubt in mind that his commitment to the profession was legendary. He distinguished himself by working with the missionary zeal without worrying for the monetary benefits or rewards.

He was a workaholic person to whom meeting and beating deadlines was a matter of life and death. He had his own style of doing things, the most notable being maintaining a register to update the records besides doing it to the computer. He was engaged in so much of paperwork because he was passionate about being absolutely sure about everything.

Gul Hameed Bhatti was a great all-rounder, using the sporting term. His forte was cricket statistics but he was equally versatile in writing reports and articles on all sports. The icing on the cake was his ability to produce those catchy headlines that made the sports pages of ‘The News’ most sought after ones.

He is credited to have revolutionized the sports journalism in Pakistan. He added a new dimension to the profession by bringing out three to four high quality sports pages day in and day out for close to two decades.

The Jang Group certainly provided him the machines and the infrastructure but he’s the man chiefly responsible for having turned it on. It was a master stroke on part of the Editor-in-Chief, Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, to have appointed the Sports Editor right from the planning stage of the newspaper.

Gul Hameed Bhatti was a perfectionist in terms of his work. Quite a few of his write-ups are worthy to be recognized as masterpieces of Pakistan’s sports literature. His thoroughly researched articles often served as guidelines for the sports administrators who just wondered how this gentleman possessed so much depth in knowledge and insight about so many games. They used to turn to him for verifying records and seeking advice as well.

He was the most complete sports journalist of the country. Nobody could lay claim for coming a close second. He will be greatly missed in the sports circles.

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Ijaz Butt’s squad mauled Down Under

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Who said it was Pakistan’s outfit humbled in all three Tests, five One-day Internationals and the one-off Twenty20 International during the just concluded tour of Australia? In all fairness it was the Ijaz Butt squad that had to bite the dust.

Yes there has been no such entity as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) since October 2008 when the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, being the Patron of the Board, had nominated Ijaz Butt for the post of its chairmanship.

Now the pressure is on the PCB Patron from all the concerned quarters to bring about the change that has become long overdue. Ijaz Butt has not only failed miserably on all fronts but he has set the worst example of dictatorship in cricket administration yet.

More than anything Ijaz Butt was preferred for the coveted job because of the muscles and the political clout of his brother-in-law, Chaudhary Ahmed Mukhtar, Federal Minister for Defence, believed to be enjoying the closest of terms with President Asif Ali Zardari as well as Prime Minister, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.

Ijaz Butt’s nomination as the Chairman of the PCB was generally welcomed because besides being a former Test cricket, he also had the experience of cricket administration having served the Board as its Secretary in the 1980s.

But he has proved to be a complete failure, having adopted policies that are unethical, unprofessional, undemocratic and uncalled for. May be it’s the age factor or he has obtained a license to kill from his powerful brother-in-law he continues to harm the cricket affairs and his stay in office is likely to make things even more pathetic.

Ijaz Butt has gone from bad to worse and he continues to slide further. He has been guilty of making decisions arbitrarily, totally disregarding the fact that the PCB is a national sport body, not his proprietorship concern.

I don’t think he would have been playing around in this manner even if he considered the PCB his own company. Can anyone imagine his brothers-in-law tolerate such adventures in the Service Industries where he works for them? Certainly not!

Ijaz Butt is solely responsible for the mess the Pakistan cricket finds itself in at the moment. His dictatorship has ruined the game and it’s time to send him back the quicker the better in the national interest.

He doesn’t believe in delegating powers or may be he doesn’t trust anyone. He thinks ‘promises’ or ‘commitments’ as a piece of paper, not bothering to honour his own words. Neither does he care for anyone else except himself. Obviously he’s not sincere even to his masters otherwise he would not have put them in such awkward situation.

Now the ball is very much in the court of the Patron of the PCB once more. He has to make the final decision. Despite his preoccupations, hopefully he will not take more time now in order to spare the nation from further embarrassment.

Ijaz Butt should also be tried for having brought the country to shame and exemplary punishment be given to him, if found guilty, to set an example for future.

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City of Karachi honours Jan-e-Alam Fazli

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Jan-e-Alam Fazli’s contribution as one of the most prolific bridge players of his time has been recognized by the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) by means of dedicating a street after his name.

Tariq Rasheed Khan, President, Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF), broke the good news that Jan-e-Alam, who holds the distinction of being the highest ranked Pakistani player at the international level, has been honoured by the City of Karachi by naming with the street where he lived in his early days after him.

“It’s a matter of great pleasure and pride for all of us. It’s a moment to cherish for every bridge player of the country. We are delighted to have the Jan-e-Alam Fazli Street in Karachi,” Tariq Rasheed remarked.

The sentiments of the bridge players are very clearly reflected in those remarks of the PBF President. It’s not often that the bridge legends of the country have been recognized in much manner at the governmental level.

Jan-e-Alam happens to be the only player in South Asia and Middle East Zone to have been conferred the rank of International Life Master by the World Bridge Federation (WBF).

He was an integral part of the national team in the golden era of the 1980s when Pakistan had reached the final of the Bermuda Bowl World Championship two times within six years. He was nominated for the coveted Presidential Award but the change of guard in 2008 deferred his case.

When contacted the modest and unassuming veteran bridge player explained that the city government has named the road housing his childhood residence in Block A of North Nazimabad as the Jan-e-Alam Fazli Street.

“I feel really honoured and elevated by this gesture of the city government. This is an acknowledgement of my contribution to the cause of sports. I thank the concerned officials for having taken up this initiative. I am sure the whole fraternity of sports will welcome this move,” Jan-e-Alam observed.

Jan-e-Alam very rightly reckoned that the athletes do get inspired by their recognition like these and they try to payback by performing even better.

He has been acclaimed one of the greatest sportsmen of Pakistan, having contributed significantly for putting on the bridge map of the world. He was one of the illustrious contemporaries of the great Zia Mahmood, a World Bridge Federation (WBF) and American Contract Bridge League (ABCL) Grand Life Master.

The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has made a praiseworthy move by honouring the bridge legend. Now the authorities in the federal capital should also expedite his case for the Presidential award.

The Pakistan Bridge Federation (PBF) should also try to pursue his case in Islamabad because he thoroughly deserves the award. It would be another major boost for the development of the mind sport in the country should he get it.

One hopes that the red tape or the political considerations would be overcome by the saner elements in the Federal Ministry of Sports who must be aware of Jan-e-Alam’s massive contribution to the sport of bridge.

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Arthur replaced by teammate van Zyl

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Yes Mickey Arthur and Corrie van Zyl used to be teammates as they played together for Free State in the 1990s. Little would have they known those days that they would be replacing each other as the national cricket coach many years later.

Arthur resigned from the position a few days ago announcing that his vision for the national team differed with that of Cricket South Africa (CSA).

"It was clear that the vision I had and CSA’s vision are different. I am disappointed, because when I started there I said I wanted to get South Africa to No. 1 in both forms of the game, I wanted to be the first South African coach to win in England, and the first to win in Australia. The only thing I didn't achieve was an ICC trophy,” he remarked while making the decision.

“I'm not going to be jumping into anything too soon and I might dabble into a few other things and see where that takes me. I think I will consider anything that comes down the line. I will sit and wait for the right opportunity and the best opportunity where I can make an impact,” he added.

Arthur’s resignation was followed by the sacking of the selection panel and then broke the news of a structural overhaul of the CSA to take place during their meeting on February 19.

The interim selection committee, replacing the one led by Mike Procter, comprised the CSA Chief Executive, Gerald Majola, high performance manager Corrie van Zyl, who was also appointed as the interim coach, and former captain Kepler Wessels, having the addition responsibility of being the team's batting consultant.

"Cricket South Africa is looking at the entire structure the team operates under and there are still consultations going on. Some of these are about selection too and the whole process by which the team is selected,” Majola revealed.

"In the last few years, the coach has been able to appoint his own staff, but after speaking to the players, the board felt changes were necessary. Mickey did not believe that if these changes were made, he'd be able to choose his own people, so he moved on," the CSA chief added.

"We believe as a board that Mickey has been very successful. His resignation came through the normal stock-taking process which followed the England home series and against the backdrop of the disappointing results of 2009. As this process unfolded and remedies were sought, Mickey expressed the very honest and humble view that he did not believe that at this stage he could continue as coach of the Proteas,” Majola disclosed.

"In the circumstances, he tendered his resignation and it is with much regret that the CSA Board accepted it. We have accepted Mickey's view that a change at the coaching helm is needed, and we have made this as seamless as possible by bringing in on a caretaker basis the considerable expertise of Corrie van Zyl, who is doing outstanding work as CSA's High Performance Coach," he stated.

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Donkey cart race thrills

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The donkey cart race is a spectacle of another kind. It has many of the ingredients of a thrilling sporting event and the participants as well as the spectators are into it by all means.

The Government of Sindh’s sports department recently organized yet another exciting donkey cart race in Karachi that was thoroughly enjoyed by the people residing in the old city area.

An added incentive for the participants was the handsome monetary rewards. All of them were assured of taking home Rs 5,000 each even if they didn’t finish among the top three. It was a wise move to keep all of them interested and ensure a decent turnout. Obviously the idea behind staging the event was to encourage people in healthy activities.

The Sindh Sports Minister, Dr Syed Mohammad Ali Shah, and the Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs to the Government of Sindh, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, had planned the event as part of their drive for the revival of the traditional sports of the province. Both these gentlemen are making great contribution in engaging the youth of the province in particular in the sports arena.
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The donkey cart race organized by the provincial government on January 24 witness tremendous buzz and excitement as a total of 25 riders took part in the race that started from Railways Sports Ground located on I I Chundrigar Road and completed the cycle after passing through KPT Bridge, Sultanabad, PIDC and Shaheen Complex.

Abdul Hussain emerged as the winner of the race while Syed Asghar Ali Shah and Shakeel Ahmed finished second and third respectively.

Abdul Hussain, who clocked 11.35 minutes, received a purse of Rs 20,000, the runner-up Syed Asghar Ali Shah, who covered the distance in 11.45 minutes, was presented Rs 15,000 while Shakeel Ahmed, having finished third after doing it in 12.50 minutes, collected Rs 10,000.

The Director Sports, Sindh, Mohammad Hanif Mirchiwala, was the chief guest in the colourful presentation ceremony held at the Railways Sports Ground in which cash prizes of Rs 170,000 were disbursed.

It may be recalled that donkey cart racing was acclaimed as the pride of the city during one of the cultural festivals organized last year. It was announced by the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) to proactively support the sport being kept alive by the youth of Lyari.

A donkey cart race was organized as a part of the Hamara Karachi Festival 2009, which started from Gul Bai in Keamari Town and ended at the Jahangir Kothari Parade in Clifton. The participants had covered a distance of seven kilometers.

Pir Muhammad had won the race after reaching the finish line in just 13.2 minutes. He was followed by Saleem Japani and Asghar Badshah who finished second and third respectively among the 35 participants.

There are numerous donkey carts visible in the streets of Lyari town that serve a dual purpose. Besides being a mode of transportation it also provides them an avenue for recreation in the form of donkey cart races. The donkeys used for these races are usually younger and are believed to be much more expensive than the locally manufactured motorbikes. Lyari wears a festive look whenever donkey cart races are held there.

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Ahsan Javed crowned as national junior champion

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Sialkot’s highly promising teenager, Ahsan Javed, staged a magnificent comeback to defeat Mohammad Ishtiaq of Sindh in the final to win the NJI 8th National Junior (Under-21) Snooker Championship 2010 at the Karachi Club on January 28.

Ahsan, who was trailing 1-3 in the best of nine frame contest, fought back resolutely to win the match 5-3 with the scores of 20-67, 59-45, 36-60, 30-55, 70-26, 64-2, 54-47, 59-54.

The 19-year-old Ahsan gave a far more impressive account of himself under pressure while turning the tables on Ishtiaq, one of the upcoming youngsters of Karachi, in the battle for the national junior crown.

Ishtiaq, having looked quite confident in his earlier matches, got off to a flying start in the final too but he was unable to sustain his dominance when Ahsan got into his elements in the second half, notching breaks of 32, 39 and 29 in successive frames to seal the fate of the match. He had previously fired a break of 31 in the second frame. Ishtiaq’s highest break in the final was 30.

Tahir Ahmed, Managing Director, New Jubilee Insurance (NJI), was the chief guest in the presentation ceremony soon after the conclusion of the final. Cash awards of Rs 120,000 were disbursed among the top performers of the six-day event.

Ahsan Javed collected a handsome purse of Rs 50,000 with the winner’s trophy while Mohammad Ishtiaq had to be content with a reward of Rs 25,000 with the runner-up trophy.

Mian Mohammad Shiraz and Qamar Zaman Khan, the losing semifinalists, received Rs 10,000 each while the quartet of Rizwan Hashmi, Asjad Iqbal, Yasir Rahman and Ayaz Khan, got Rs 5,000 each for being the losing quarter-finalists.

The tournament witnessed quite a few upsets, reflecting the popularity and growth of the game in the cities of Punjab. Asjad Iqbal and Hamza Akbar, the winner and the runner-up respectively of the last year’s tournament, were knocked out in stunning fashion before the semifinals.

Both Asjad and Hamza, having gained international exposure by representing the country in the World Under-21 Championship last year, were unable to make the cut in the presence of the new crop of talented cueists.

The cueists from Punjab dominated the tournament with five of them making it to the quarter-finals although the highest participation was from the host province of Sindh. The cueists from the NWFP and Balochistan could not make much of an impression this time round.

The emergence of cueists like Ahsan Javed, who had made his debut in the national junior circuit a couple of years ago, augurs well for the future of the sport. He showed remarkable qualities and the manner in which he handled in the pressure-cooker situation in the final spoke highly of his skills and temperament.

The performance of Mohammad Ishtiaq was commendable as well. He also has the potential to go places if he is provided the support he deserves.

Now the ball is in the court of the Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA) having the responsibility of arranging the desired facilities and taking care of the immensely talented youngsters.

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Islah urges Pakistan to boycott World Cup in India

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Former Pakistan captain and one of the legendary hockey forwards, Olympian
Islahuddin Siddiqui has advised the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to boycott the upcoming FIH World Cup Tournament 2010 to be staged in India next month.

"The strained Indo-Pak relations and the security threats from different extremist groups in India present a very grim scenario at the moment and it would put Pakistan players under pressure if they play there," Islahuddin, a respected name in the international hockey circles, said in an interview in Karachi.

“I don’t think it would be advisable to let Pakistan play in India. The sports-loving public of both the neighboring countries are very much eager to watch their stalwarts in action but a few elements across the border have become proactive in trying to sabotage sporting ties," he felt.

"What’s the point in sending our players when we are aware of the fact that it might be very difficult for them to concentrate and excel," he believed.

"Pakistan’s hockey team has shown definite signs of improvement of late but let us not them put to that kind of test. They should be forced to take the field in such hostile atmosphere,” Islah, who led Pakistan to the World Cup triumph in 1978, warned.

“It’s not fair to send our hockey team to India as performing well under adverse conditions could be terribly difficult for them," he reckoned.

“When the hugely resourceful franchises could not pick the Pakistan cricketers for the Indian Premier League (IPL) because of the security concerns how will be the hosts providing security to the big Pakistan hockey contingent in the tournament of a profile as high as the World Cup,” Islah, having served the national team as coach and manager, questioned.

"Not picking Pak cricketers in the IPL auction has sent a negative message to the Indo-Pak sub-continent and the world. They themselves proved the point that the conditions were not conducive for sporting action in India," he added.

“The Pakistan Hockey Federation must take a note of the situation and they should assess all the factors before making the decision. They should not think twice of participating in the event if they are not fully satisfied with the security arrangements,” the widely traveled Islah suggested.

Interestingly Pakistan, having won the World Cup a record four times, are scheduled to take on hosts India in the opening match of the 12-nation tournament to be staged in at New Delhi from February 28 to March 11.

It may be recalled that the World Cup hockey tournament was a brainchild of the visionary PHF President, Air Marshal Nur Khan. The inaugural event could not to be hosted in Pakistan but they managed to win the trophy when it was launched in Spain in 1971.

Not surprisingly it was the tension between the two arch-rivals that had cost Pakistan the chance of staging the first-ever World Cup. It was after 19 years when the World Cup was finally held in Pakistan in 1990.

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Zaheer’s 10-wicket haul standout effort on a batting paradise

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan produced the kind of fast bowling in the second Test that would be needed more regularly if India are to retain their place at the top of the tree. The bowlers have to do the business nearly every time because 20 wickets are there to be taken for winning a Test match no matter how heavily you score.

Nobody can doubt the greatness of the present Indian batting line-up but their bowlers haven’t attained the kind of consistency which the world beating West Indians had in the 1980s or the Australians possessed in the 1990s while dominating every opposition.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni did the right thing by having credited Zaheer Khan and the other bowlers for the thumping ten-wicket victory over Bangladesh that enabled India to wrap up the two-Test series 2-0.

It’s always very nice of the captain to acknowledge and recognize the key performers. Dhoni has seldom put a foot wrong and he has been found very positive in backing his teammates.

The batsmen had certainly played their part by putting runs on the board but there was hardly anything to worry for them. The pitch was friendly and there was not much venom in the Bangladesh attack either. The Indian batsmen were bound to score heavily if they didn’t commit suicide.

But the Indian bowlers were very much pressure when they came out to bowl a second time. With key batsmen Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh on the injury list they had to ensure that there wasn’t a testing target set for them.
Well with Zaheer returning his career-best figures Bangladesh could get only one run in front and the Indian openers, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, were not even needed to put bat on ball to get the couple of runs that completed the clean sweep of the Test series.

Zaheer’s outstanding spell at the stroke of lunch brought about the relief Dhoni needed. There must have been some cause in the skipper’s mind with the hosts had progressed to 290 for three. Even the nightwatchman was not getting dislodged and there were possibilities that Bangladesh could pose more problems.

But the Indians hit back before it took to their minds and the home side had no answer to the sensational bowling for Zaheer losing their final seven wickets for 22 runs.

"It was a difficult task to get wickets in this track, both for spinners and pacers. But all credit goes to the bowlers. They really put their best to get those 20 wickets, especially Zaheer's spell,” Dhoni reckoned.

"The ball was getting old and the wicket was getting slower and slower. This is a reason we decided to bowl first in this wicket. If you bat first you need to score 600 plus or else you have to again come and bat. So it was tough but I think the bowlers did a terrific job,” the victorious captain added.

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