Chief Justice approached for taking note of PCB irregularities

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary, has been approached for taking suo motto action against the former officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) having been found guilty of massive financial irregularities by the Auditor General of Pakistan.

Razaullah Khan, the longest serving council member of the PCB, who has been known and feared for calling a spade a spade, has once more taken the initiative of bringing to book the people having been engaged in malpractices of the highest order.

“Yes I have submitted a request to the Chief Justice for taking a suo motto action against Dr Nasim Ashraf, Shafqat Naghmi and others who have been found involved in the embezzlement of funds to the tune of Rupees seven billion,” Razaullah Khan remarked in an interview recently.

“Alongwith my application to the Chief Justice I have submitted a copy of the report of the Auditor General of Pakistan that details the corrupt practices of the PCB officials. I have also brought the matter to the notice of Chaudhary Nisar Ali, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, by sending him a copy of the same report,” he added.

Razaullah Khan, who has been associated with the game of cricket in various capacities for nearly half a century now, did not mince words in stating that he has had to approach the Chief Justice after having failed to get any response from the government agencies.

“I have communicated to the Chief Justice that I have approached him after having knocked at the various doors without any response. The people in the government have their own reasons of not initiating action against the former PCB officials even though the report of the Auditor General of Pakistan has found them guilty,” Razaullah Khan said.

“The Auditor General of Pakistan has compiled the report after they had been assigned the task by the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, who is also the Patron of the Pakistan Cricket Board,” the former PCB Council member revealed.

“Now when the report has come out and it has been very clearly pointed out that the former officials of the PCB were guilty of financial embezzlement there is no reason why they should not taken to task. I have appealed to the Chief Justice to take suo motto action and register a case against them,” Razaullah Khan stated.
“Exemplary punishment must be given to the PCB officials for having misused the public money and having derived huge personal benefits besides having obliged their near and dear ones,” he pleaded.

“It was a common belief that Dr Nasim Ashraf and Shafqat Naghmi were running the affairs of the PCB at their whims. The recent report by the Auditor General of Pakistan has only confirmed that they have deprived the nation of billions of rupees,” Razaullah Khan believed.

He didn’t expect the present officials of the PCB to move against their predecessors because in his opinion there still were quite a few employees in the Board having sympathy with their former masters.

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Cricket will never be same without Vaughan

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The game of cricket will never be the same with the former England captain, Michael Vaughan, who announced his retirement from all forms of professional cricket on June 30.

Vaughan's poise and grace both on and off the field were legendary and he has won more friends by quitting the game in the larger interest of England cricket. The timing of his decision showed once more that he’s a team man to the core. He has been hailed for making the decision before the start of the Ashes series.

England's most successful Test captain was not selected for the upcoming Ashes squad due to the loss of form and he could have taken a chance of reviving his fortunes by playing for the England Lions against the visiting Australians in the game starting at Worcester on July 1.

The 34-year-old Vaughan resisted the temptation of extending his international career and chose to hang his boots instead because he didn’t wish to increase the pressure on England's current Ashes squad gearing up for the big occasion.

 "It was always going to be a long shot to get me back in. There's some excellent players and, the likes of Ravi Bopara, the last thing that they needed in an Ashes series that is going to be so high profile is someone like myself getting a hundred and the media building up my chances of getting in the team,” a very sporting Vaughan said.

"Those guys need the confidence to go out and play. I had great opportunities and all the younger players and the guys in and around the team need that confidence to go out and express themselves now. I could have had the opportunity to play for the England Lions but it would have been based purely on the past and you have to move forward,” he added.

"I hope by me moving on now it gives a great opportunity for the guys to go and recreate history. The Ashes win of 2005 will be irrelevant over the next few weeks. Hopefully the team can move on and create their own piece of history," the man who led England to an Ashes victory after ages observed.

"I always like us on our home shore; I like the job Andy Flower and Andy Strauss are doing in building this unit. I'm enjoying the fact we've got bowling options that look like wicket-taking options. Yes they bat deep, but I do think we've got 20 wickets in the tank in the Test series. That's why I'm optimistic,” Vaughan reckoned.

"I haven't strategically looked at the Australian players because I haven't had to, but Straussy knows that we're good friends and if any time during the series he wants to ring me up and have a yarn, my phone will always be on. I want England to be successful. I want to be at the Oval in August with everyone celebrating a great Ashes victory,” he wished.

With the retirement of Vaughan the career of one of the most technically correct England batsmen of all time has come to an end. He remained a class act ever since making an impressive Test debut against South Africa at Johannesburg in 1999. Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock were firing on all cylinders but the debutant showed remarkable composure while contribute 33.

He made an even bigger impression in the role of a captain having been compared to the likes of Peter May and Mike Brearley. He commanded respect and was accorded respect from every other opposition captain and player. 

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Pakistan’s Twenty20 triumph to help in rapid cricket development

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui, one of the most learned personalities to have taken to the field of cricket administration, firmly believes that Pakistan’s recent triumph in the ICC World Twenty20 in England will go a long way in the further development of the sport in the country.

“The nation desperately needed this kind of boost to revive our fortunes. The general feeling was that of disappointment and despair whenever breaking news appeared on the television channels. We were very reluctant to open the pages of the newspapers in the morning for the fear of coming across yet another heart-breaking headline. This has all changed in a matter of a few days and the mood of the nation looks positive now thanks to the accomplishment of our cricketers,” Prof Ejaz Farooqui, Chairman, Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), Zone II, remarked in an exclusive interview.

He agreed that the youth in particular would be the major beneficiary of the conquest of the national team against the heaviest of odds.

“Now the feeling among the youngsters all over the country is that they are the world champions. I think that the spirit will remain the same until the next couple of years at least when the next World Cup or the ICC Twenty20 would be staged in 2011,” Prof Ejaz Farooqui reckoned.

“Already things are getting in motion at every level with more and more cricket tournaments being planned. Another notable change is the increase in the attendance in the local events. Now the organizers appear more passionate than ever before to set the ball rolling,” he said.

“The body language of even the club cricketers has changed. They are also enjoying the moment. They are demonstrating greater self belief. That’s why I say that this World Cup win is well and truly motivational for our youngsters in particular,” Prof Ejaz Farooqui emphasized.

He complimented the various institutions to have recognized the national team warmly upon their return home.

“The heroes deserve to be acknowledged and admired. Our cricketers have made the entire nation proud with their sensational performance. We are a lively nation and we know how to treasure the moment,” he remarked.

“The mood was terrific throughout the tournament and we were confident that something extraordinary was round the corner because our team had peaked at the right time after having endured the early hassles. We anticipated the boys to come good in the final at Lord’s although Sri Lanka looked the stronger outfit and they had also beaten Pakistan in an earlier game,” he recalled.

“Like quite a few other places in the country, we had set up a giant screen at the Arts Council of Pakistan where the final was being televised live and the atmosphere was electric. We thought ourselves of being at Lord’s cheering for our national team. It was a memorable evening,” Prof Ejaz Farooqui, who is also the Honorary Treasurer of the Arts Council, added.

“We celebrated the victory rather emotionally and we carried a procession from Arts Council to Karachi Press Club where we disembarked after sharing our joys with the media professionals the very next day. These were the moments to cherish,” he concluded.

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Grand Master Ashraf Tai partially burnt

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Grand Master Mohammad Ashraf Tai, having a great following all over the world, has received serious burns injuries when his house, located in the Old Exhibition area of Karachi, was recently gutted due to short-circuiting.

Ashraf Tai, a martial art icon, disclosed that all his belongings at the house were completely destroyed by the fire that also caused injuries to him and his family.

“The only thing we could save, besides our lives, was the dress we were wearing. Everything else was reduced into ashes within no time. It’s the most horrible accident in my lifetime,” the Grand Master of karate remarked.

“Thanks God I was spared of a fatal injury. It could have been much more serious the manner in which the flames were engulfing everything. The fire caused injuries to my legs as the lower portion has been burnt needing a dressing on daily basis,” he added.

“The sports fraternity has reacted promptly and they have come to my relief in my hour of need. I am particularly grateful to the authorities at the ANF for having helped me financially as well,” Ashraf Tai, a recipient of the prestigious Pride of Performance Award, acknowledged.

The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) has donated Rs 50,000 as their contribution for the rehabilitation of the Grand Master.

It remains to be seen if he’s provided the much-needed support from the government or not. He has dedicated his life for the promotion of martial arts, having become a symbol of hope to the people. He’s one of the most revered personalities of the sporting area and he rich deserves to be taken care of by the concerned departments of the government.

He has temporarily moved to an apartment in the vicinity of the area where the Headquarters of the famed Tai’s Karate Centre is housed. His students are trying their level best to ensure his comfort but obviously he needs greater help from the powers that be to resettle.One of the major problems he’s faced with is the communication. Since he is now staying in an apartment located in the basement, his cell phones don’t always get connected due to the lack of signals and he doesn’t have the facility of a landline yet in the premises he has shifted to.

“Indeed the communication has become a hassle of late and the people trying to contact me are finding it difficult to access my number. I urge my friends, students and patrons to be a little patient. Please bear with me. I am grateful to all of them for having granted me so much courage,” the Grand Master responded.

Grand Master Ashraf Tai has proved once more that he is a man of courage and fortitude, having the nerves of steel. He was back at the Headquarters of the Tai Karate Centre just a couple of days after having received the injuries.

His reappearance at the Centre provided mighty relief to his large number of students who had been worried for him after learning about the accident. He was very much there in the ANF Championship organized with typical fanfare at the Tai’s Karate Centre.

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Customs Cricket Academy launches Emerging Players Development Programme

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

The Customs Cricket Academy (CCA), founded by former Test fast bowler Jalaluddin, can very rightly claim to be the second home to the enterprising all-rounder, Shahid Afridi, who turned out to be of the architects of Pakistan’s recent triumph in the ICC World Twenty 20 in England.
The founding chief coach of the CCA, Jalaluddin, who recorded the first-ever hat-trick in One-day Internationals, brought to light this fact while briefing the media about the one-month Emerging Players Development Programme at the Gymkhana Karachi Gymkhana less than 12 hours after Pakistan were crowned as the world champions in the latest version of the game at Lord’s.

“Shahid Afridi trains and practices at our academy whenever he is around in Karachi. He has also made a point to coach our camp trainees from time to time. His spectacular performance in the ICC World Twenty20 will greatly inspire the youngsters of our country who always look forward to him for motivation,” Jalaluddin added.

Giving details about the event, a part of the CCA’s first decade of excellence celebrations, Jalaluddin informed the media corps that a total of 24 promising youngsters have been selected for the Emerging Players Programme on the basis of their performance in domestic tournaments.

The Federal Minister of State for Industries and Production, Dr Ayatullah Durrani, launched the programme formally at the Karachi Gymkhana on June 22. A football player himself, hailing from the hilly town of Mastung in Balochistan, the Federal Minister believed that Pakistan’s conquest in the Twenty20 will be helpful in lifting the morale of the whole nation having had to endure tough phases over the years.

Dr Ayatullah Durrani delivered an inspirational speech in which he touched about the subjects the ruling parliamentarians generally like to avoid. He complimented the CCA, founded in 1999, to have taken up the initiative of organizing the Emerging Players Development Programme with the collaboration of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA).

“It’s very heartening to note that Jalaluddin and his panel of coaches are carrying out such healthy activities. Their organizational capabilities is well known and I am confident that they hold all their upcoming events brilliantly as they have planned celebrate the 10 years of existence of the Academy in a grand manner,” he added.

Prof Siraj-ul-Islam Bokhari, Secretary KCCA, in his rather brief speech, talked about the summer coaching clinics organised by the association over the years. He hoped that their joint venture with the CCA would yield even better results than the past.

The panel of coaches for the Emerging Players Development Programme will comprise of Jalaulddin, Azam Khan, Umar Rasheed and Shaukat Mirza, all of them having undertaken various levels of coaching programmes.

The 24 young and promising cricketers, selected for the one-month camp, are Rameez Raja, Rameez Aziz, Akbar Rahman, Jahangir Shah, Ali Asad, Talib Ali, Mohammad Hasan, Hafiz Asad Baig, Hasan Sajjad, Asad Shafiq, Babar Rahman, Daniyal Ahsan, Abdul Jabbar, Yasir Hussain, Maroof Aziz, Khalid Mahmood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ammar Hasan, Khalid Nabeel, Javed Mansoor, Usama Basharat, Raza-ul-Hasan, Shahzaib Khan and Ahsan Jamil.

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Another Yuvraj classic gladdens hearts

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

There’s hardly anything more recreational than watching Yuvraj Singh play a long innings. He has his own style of doing things. Since he is in complete control of the situation more often than not it’s always a great fun to have him at the crease. 

The cricket-crazy community of Kingston, Jamaica, witnessed the mighty full flow Yuvraj in full flow for the first time. The old-timers must have in their memory the dazzling stroke-play of the likes of Gordon Greenidge, Vivian Richards and Clive Lloyd but they might not have witnessed the home bowlers at the receiving end at the Sabina Park.

In the past the Indian bowlers used to be at the mercy of the giant West Indian batsmen who had the capacity to destroy all varieties. Yuvraj’s magnificent knock on June 26 brought to light the fact once more than it has become a different ball game now and the balance of power has shifted from the shores of the Caribbean somewhere towards the other side of the globe.

One was getting reminded of the era when the West Indian master blasters toyed with the Indian bowlers and the speed merchants from the Caribbean gave no chance to any batsman to have a crack at them. Now it was completely the other way round as Yuvraj smashed spearhead Jerome Taylor to all parts of the Sabina Park at will. 

Hardly there ever had been a precedent when a genuine fast bowler from the West Indies was being attacked in such a decisive manner in the Caribbean when Yuvraj took on Taylor in the batting powerplay overs.

Yuvraj was looking good for many more when he glanced a delivery that would have most probably been declared a wide had he not made a contact. Dwayne Bravo could not believe his luck when the ball was collected by wicketkeeper Dinesh Ramdin to signal the end of one of the best one-day innings in the Caribbean.

It was a soft dismissal as well as an unfortunate one. Yuvraj could have hammered the ball anywhere but the leg glance landed in the hands of Ramdin instead. He made 131 off 102 balls but one knew that India could still lose their way after his departure.

That very nearly happened once more. With Bravo proving more lethal than Michael Holding and Andy Roberts, there was a feeling that the Indians might be bundled out well inside 50 overs even after the heroics of Yuvraj.

India played out their quota of overs without causing the kind of destruction that any other side would have done after raising 250 for the loss of only three wickets in the 37th over. They finished with 339, instead of posting something well past 350, and as it was discovered a few hours later they had to sweat it out to defend their eventual total.

The Indians, as usual, were up against it even against the lower-order batsmen of the West Indies, who otherwise have pathetic records. There were quite a few anxious moments for the Indian fans until the contest was finally over with 20 runs separating the two sides.

Yousuf Pathan, who had batted well in the closing overs to prevent a collapse, came to India’s rescue with the ball too by picking up three wickets. Left-arm quickie Ashish Nehra also picked up three wickets to complete the job in the penultimate over.

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Younis under fire for arrogance, misbehaviour once more

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Younis Khan has had this habit of being in the news for the wrong reasons. His talents as a free flowing top-order batsman have seldom been in doubt but he has left a lot to be desired when it has come to conducting himself off the field.

It’s really strange and mind-boggling as well that the Pakistan captain has chosen to behave so unprofessionally and even unreasonably after having returned triumphant from England where his team stunned everyone by clinching the ICC World Twenty20 title.

Younis has not only been guilty of misbehaving with his fans of late but his attitude with the local media has also been hostile and unworthy of the captain of the national cricket team particularly at a moment when the country was celebrating the unexpected victory.

Even more unfortunate is the fact that Younis is encountering problems in dealing with the media corps who had backed him out of way when he was appointed the Pakistan captain in place of Shoaib Malik during the home series against Sri Lanka earlier this year.

The recent episode has opened the eyes of the people who were treating Younis with the kind of respect that he probably never deserved in the first place. Even the media professionals, who generally have eagle eyes and sense things more quickly than ordinary mortals, not realize having erred in their assessment as far as the Pakistan captain was concerned.

Younis was being supported overwhelmingly by the media backed despite the fact that he had been a reluctant leader all along. They were misled by his smiles and some of his polite remarks. Even then some wise persons had warned not to believe him completely because, according to them, the skipper was very good at acting too.

Younis, by his recent acts, has proved that it was indeed a terrible mistake to have trusted him and flashed his headlines, photographs, footages etc to promote his image. He himself has now shown his true picture and embarrassed the people who were in the forefront in doing his image building.

There is little to suggest that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), to whom he is contracted, or the Habib Bank Limited (HBL), where he is employed, will take any action at this point of time or for that reason at any other time because no institution might muster the courage even to question the rampaging cricketers who are generally considered above the law in the country.

What these institutions might not realize is the fact that Younis is setting a bad example and his ‘adventures’ at a time when the entire nation was basking in the glory of the Twenty20 title win will make the people realize sooner or later that these guys are not worthy of the status being accorded to them.

What Younis is forgetting conveniently while rubbishing his fans that more than the talents of the team it were the prayers of the nation that helped them in annexing the title against the heaviest of odds. Will somebody stand up to tell the Pakistan captain where he’s going wrong or he will be allowed to bring about his own downfall only time will tell.

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Habib Bank trio does the trick for Pakistan

By Syed Khalid Mahmood

Cricket in Pakistan has flourished mainly because of the proactive role of a few financial institutions and corporations, who have braved the deficiencies in the system besides the recession to keep the game afloat in testing times. Their role needs to be acknowledged at the time of the glory because they are the ones who make it possible.

At a time when the Pakistan cricket team has made the entire nation proud by annexing the ICC Twenty20 World Championship in England we must not forget the contribution of the institutions and the individuals whose untiring behind the scene efforts helped in accomplishing a gigantic task.

It’s not mere coincidence that Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi and Umar Gul, who were the architects of the title win, belonged to one organization, the Habib Bank Limited (HBL) with whom they have been associated for quite sometime now.

Yes the skipper of the winning team, as well as the best all-rounder and the best bowler of the tournament are the proud products of one institution. The HBL management deserves the credit for having groomed the champion stuff.

The oldest as well as the biggest bank of the country, the HBL has been in the forefront as far as the development and promotion of sports are concerned for a number of decades now. They have not withdrawn their support to sports even when many of their competitors did it under the cover of curtailing costs.

In fact, the HBL management has strengthened its relations with sports during the last eight or nine years. Sports remained in their list of priorities and their President, Zakir Mahmood, himself a leading bridge player, withstood the pressures to sustain the support. Another person who was instrumental in keeping the candle lit was Zafar Aziz Osmani, who has had great passion for sports.

The duo of Zakir Mahmood and Zafar Osmani managed to ensure the desired support even when the bank was denationalized and a new board was constituted. The credit should also go to the new HBL management, particularly their Chairman, Sultan Allana, for not having compromised on sports.

The HBL management should now have the reasons to feel delighted because their persistence has earned laurels for the country at a critical time. They have invested heavily on the cricketer and the results have now been delivered.

The Pakistan cricket has been in turmoil over the years. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been in the news for the wrong reasons more often than not in the recent past. In these circumstances the role of the departments and the affiliated units of the PCB becomes even more important.
The cricket boards over the years have not been able to do justice with the various departments who have been their all-weather friends. Some of the board officials, obviously with the vested interests, have also discouraged and humiliated the departments but fortunately they didn’t succeed in their plans.

It’s celebration time now. The mood of the entire country, from Karachi to Khyber, has changed and some positive vibes are coming for a change. Let us salute the heroes the ones who were visible and those who preferred to remain invisible like the HBL management. But their contribution was no less invaluable than those having done it on the field.

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